The Unlikely Summer Anthem: How GloRilla and Hitkidd’s ‘F.N.F. (Let’s Go)’ Took Over 2022
If you were anywhere near the internet in the summer of 2022, you probably heard it. The bass drops, the hook hits, and a defiant voice shouts, “I’m F-R-E-E, f***…
If you were anywhere near the internet in the summer of 2022, you probably heard it. The bass drops, the hook hits, and a defiant voice shouts, “I’m F-R-E-E, f*** n**** free.” It was raw, loud, and contagious. In a matter of weeks, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” by Memphis rapper GloRilla and producer Hitkidd went from a local favorite to a national anthem for anyone tired of drama and ready for fun. It wasn’t planned to be a global hit—but maybe that’s exactly why it worked.
A Beat, a Break, and a Bold Idea
Hitkidd, a Memphis producer known for his hard-hitting crunk beats, had cooked up something that he felt could be the soundtrack of the summer. He originally thought of sending it to a big-name artist like Megan Thee Stallion, but when that didn’t pan out, he reached out to GloRilla. At the time, she wasn’t a household name—just a rising rapper with grit and humor—but she jumped at the chance.
As GloRilla later told it, she got the beat while getting her lashes done. She stepped outside to smoke, wrote her lyrics in about 30 minutes, and laid down the track that same night. “He requested that we create a summer anthem that the girls can chant,” she said, and that’s exactly what they did.
The song was recorded fast, and the energy feels like it. There’s no overthinking, no perfection polish—just attitude. That spontaneous fire gave the track a life of its own.
Why It Hit So Hard
The magic of “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” lies in its honesty. It’s a crunk-styled anthem with pounding drums and a loop that begs for windows-down volume. But what truly caught people’s ears was the chorus. When GloRilla spelled out “F-R-E-E” and followed it with “That mean I ain’t gotta worry ’bout no f*** n**** cheatin’,” it sounded less like a song lyric and more like a group text turned into music.
That’s the secret—relatability. It’s a breakup song that doesn’t wallow. Instead, it celebrates freedom, friendship, and the fun that comes after you stop caring what someone else thinks. The message hit hard, especially for young women who wanted to claim their independence and joy, loud and proud.
The music video, shot the same day they recorded the track, matched that energy perfectly. It wasn’t staged or slick. It showed GloRilla and her friends hanging out of car windows, dancing in parking lots, and laughing like they were celebrating something real. And in a way, they were.
From Memphis to the Mainstream
The song dropped on April 29, 2022. Within days, clips from the video were everywhere—TikTok, Twitter, Instagram. People weren’t just listening; they were chanting, remixing, and celebrating along. By early summer, it had climbed the Billboard charts, eventually peaking at number 42 on the Hot 100 and hitting number 1 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
Critics couldn’t ignore it either. Time magazine named it one of the best songs of the year, calling it “the undeniable song of the summer.” It wasn’t just popular; it was powerful in how it connected.
For GloRilla, it was life-changing. She quickly became one of hip-hop’s most exciting new voices and soon signed with Yo Gotti’s CMG label. The song even earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance, proving that what started as a spur-of-the-moment track could reach the biggest stages.
The Unlikely Part
Everything about “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” seemed unlikely at first. It wasn’t built in a high-end studio or backed by a massive label rollout. Its lyrics were brash and unapologetically Southern, its video raw and unfiltered. It didn’t sound like the slick pop-rap tracks dominating the charts at the time.
But that’s what made it special. It was a reminder that energy beats perfection—and authenticity beats polish. GloRilla’s raspy, determined delivery and Hitkidd’s thunderous beat worked together like lightning in a bottle. You could tell it wasn’t trying to be perfect. It was trying to be real.
And in a summer when people were ready to laugh, dance, and reclaim their freedom after pandemic years and personal stress, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” was the perfect soundtrack.
By the time summer faded, one thing was clear: “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” wasn’t just a hit single. It was a statement, one that made GloRilla a star and gave the world a new rallying cry. When she spelled out “F-R-E-E,” she wasn’t just talking about relationship status. She was defining a feeling—freedom in full volume, friendship at full throttle, and life lived unapologetically loud.
That’s what makes a real anthem. And that’s why “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” will always belong to that unforgettable summer.
