Betty (Get Money)

"Betty (Get Money)", also referred to as just "Betty",[1] is a song by American rapper Yung Gravy, released through Republic Records on June 10, 2022, as the lead single from his third studio album, Marvelous. It was written by Yung Gravy and produced by Nick Seeley, Dillon Francis and Dwilly, along with the credit for its prominent interpolation of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up".[2] The song and its music video, featuring Yung Gravy dancing in a white fur coat, went viral on TikTok shortly after its release, being used in over 300,000 videos.[3]

"Betty (Get Money)"
A nine-square grid featuring a different woman in each except the center square, which includes the word "Betty" in red text
Single by Yung Gravy
from the album Marvelous
ReleasedJune 10, 2022 (2022-06-10)
Length2:26
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Yung Gravy singles chronology
"Hot Tub"
(2022)		 "Betty (Get Money)"
(2022)		 "C'est la Vie"
(2022)
Music video
"Betty (Get Money)" on YouTube

Background

Music publishing company Primary Wave owned a percentage of the rights on Never Gonna Give You Up, the president of the company Justin Shukat pitched the idea of sampling the record to Yung Gravy's management. A day later, they had received an instrumental and within two days Gravy had rapped over the beat. Originally, the record was called 'Get Pussy' with the company requesting a redo of on the title and some of the lyrics.[4]

The song interpolates both the synthesizer and chorus from English singer Rick Astley's Stock Aitken Waterman-written and produced 1987 song "Never Gonna Give You Up", and thus credits the trio as songwriters.[2] "Betty (Get Money)" is the second song by Yung Gravy to receive viral attention on TikTok, with his 2020 track "Oops!" also seeing some success on the application.[1] Of the over 100,000 videos made since its June 2022 release, many include the bridge "Damn Gravy you so vicious, you so clean, so delicious / How come you ain't got no missus?"[1]

Lawsuit

Although Gravy had obtained a licence for the music and lyrics to "Never Gonna Give You Up", he had not been able to obtain a licence for the original recording, and had not obtained permission from Astley to copy his voice.[5]

On January 26, 2023, Astley filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles court, objecting to Gravy's use of an impersonator.[5] The lawsuit cited the 1998 Midler v. Ford Motor Co. case with an impersonator being hired to copy an intended celebrity, Astley was represented by Richard S. Busch who also handled the Pharrell Williams v. Bridgeport Music case regarding the sampling of Marvin Gaye on Blurred Lines.[6]

The case was settled in September 2023, with no details of the settlement divulged.[7]

Music video

The music video, released alongside the song on June 10, 2022, also saw viral attention. It includes "fake backdrops, turtlenecks, and a groovy two-step".[2]

Commercial performance

"Betty (Get Money)" is Yung Gravy's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 68 in July 2022.[8]

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "Betty (Get Money)"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[22] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[23] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[24] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Mensah, Katelyn (July 8, 2022). "TikTok is obsessed with him and his ginger locks, but who is the viral star Yung Gravy?". The Tab. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  2. Kylene, Jazmin (June 10, 2022). "Yung Gravy Drops the Most Infectious Rick Roll With "Betty (Get Money)"". Ones to Watch. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  3. "TikTok declares, 'This is music' with some help from 'Stranger Things' character Eddie Munson". Mashable SE Asia. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  4. Greene, Jason (April 27, 2023). "Everything Is Interpolated: Inside Music's Nostalgia-Industrial Complex". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  5. Donahue, Bill (January 26, 2023). "Rick Astley Sues Rapper Yung Gravy Over Hit Song With Soundalike Singer: 'Flagrantly Impersonated'". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  6. Arcand, Rob (January 27, 2023). "Rick Astley Enlists "Blurred Lines" Lawyer to Sue Yung Gravy Over Vocal Impersonation". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  7. Haring, Bruce (September 27, 2023). "Rick Astley Settles Suit Against Rapper Yung Gravy Over Voice Imitation – Update". Deadline. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  8. Zellner, Xander (July 18, 2022). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Yung Gravy Rickrolls His Way Onto Hot 100 With 'Betty (Get Money)'". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  9. "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 1, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  10. "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of September 17, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  11. "Billboard Global 200: Week of September 17, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  12. "Plötutíðindi" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. July 23, 2022. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  14. "2022 28-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  15. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  17. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of September 24, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  18. "Billboard Hot 100: Week of October 15, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  19. "Rhythmic Airplay: Week of October 1, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  20. "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  21. "Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  22. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  23. "Canadian single certifications – Yung Gravy – Betty (Get Money)". Music Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  24. "American single certifications – Yung Gravy – Betty (Get Money)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
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