It seems Tommy Richman might not be a one-hit wonder after all.
The Virginia-born artist, signed to Brent Faiyaz’s ISO Supremacy label, gained massive attention in 2024 thanks to the success of “Million Dollar Baby” and “Devil Is a Lie,” the latter of which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
However, he didn’t manage to replicate that success with his debut album, Coyote, which was released in September. The album, which notably didn’t feature his earlier hits, failed to make an impact on the Billboard 200, and since then, he’s been relatively quiet.
Despite this, it seems like the 24-year-old artist is preparing to drop another potential hit.
On January 30, Tommy broke his social media silence by sharing a preview of a new track, possibly titled “Actin Up.”
The first thing that stands out is the beat: a minimalist, speaker-shaking rhythm with steelpan drums similar to those in Soulja Boy’s “Crank That,” along with ominous piano chords, heavy 808s, and cowbells reminiscent of Mannie Fresh.
If the beat itself doesn’t shout “party anthem,” Tommy Richman’s falsetto vocals, reminiscent of the Bee Gees, definitely seal the deal, as he finds a catchy groove with his high-low vocal style.
Lyrically, the song mixes defiance against critics (“I said I’m sick and tired, all these people sayin’ names”), a quest for true love (“I gotta stay alive for my fuckin’ soulmate”), and dancefloor instructions to the ladies (“Bend it over, break it down, back it up”) that would make Juvenile proud.
Fans appear to be on board.
“Holy shit he has another hit,” one person commented on X in response to the snippet, with another adding: “Banger incoming.”
“I need this released immediately,” another user wrote (no release date has been confirmed yet).
Even artist Russ quickly showed his approval, commenting on Instagram: “this is it.”
However, for some, “Actin Up” may not be enough to erase the criticism that’s followed Tommy Richman in recent months.
Last October, the viral star (who is white) caused a stir when he declared on social media that he is “not a Hip Hop artist.”
This comment sparked backlash, given his music and style are heavily influenced by Hip Hop, and his association with a rap-adjacent artist. Richman later attempted to clarify his statement.
“I’ll say again, I’m thankful for everything,” he replied to DJ Hed, L.A. radio personality and co-host of HipHopDX’s The Bigger Picture. “I’m saying I don’t wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I’m a singer.”
He continued, “I meant to say I’m not SOLEY a hip hop artist.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I’ll say again, Im thankful for everything. I’m saying I don’t wanna be boxed in. I grew up on hip hop. But I’m a singer. <a href=”https://t.co/TSggd2rA4K”>https://t.co/TSggd2rA4K</a></p>— Tommy Richman (@tommyrichmann) <a href=”https://twitter.com/tommyrichmann/status/1841595822678351908?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I meant to say I’m not SOLEY a hip hop artist.</p>— Tommy Richman (@tommyrichmann) <a href=”https://twitter.com/tommyrichmann/status/1841610646263374037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 2, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
His critics quickly reminded him of this statement after the snippet of “Actin Up” was released.
“I thought you ain’t wanna be ‘hip hop’ anymore?” one user posted, while another sarcastically remarked: “Sounds very hip-hop inspired by someone who said ‘they not hip-hop.’ I guess them TikTok checks started drying up.”
A more thoughtful commenter added: “That one tweet could’ve been worded so much better. I understand he didn’t wanna be boxed in & wanted people to know he makes different types of music — but when you make tracks like this and then tweet stuff like that, I see why ppl didn’t mess with it lol.
“That being said, this sounds really good & I do hope he has a successful career.”
Even long-time Hip Hop journalist Elliott Wilson, one of Tommy’s most vocal critics after his “not a Hip Hop artist” statement, confessed: “I HATE how much I like this snippet. Oh, Tommy! Iz u iz or iz u ain’t the culture?”
While many Hip Hop fans still seem hesitant to forgive Tommy Richman, it will be interesting to see how “Actin Up” performs once it’s officially released, both commercially and culturally.
For some, it might become a guilty pleasure.
