Stunnin'

"Stunnin'" is a song by Canadian-American musician Curtis Waters, released on May 19, 2020 as his debut single. The song features Canadian musician Harm Franklin and was produced by Decz. The official music video was directed and edited by Ryan Tempke. It went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok, becoming the breakthrough hit of both artists.

"Stunnin'"
Single by Curtis Waters featuring Harm Franklin
ReleasedMay 19, 2020
GenrePop rap[1]
Length2:24
LabelBMG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Waters
  • Decz
Curtis Waters singles chronology
"Stunnin'"
(2020)		 "System"
(2020)
Harm Franklin singles chronology
"Fresh N Dope Family Van"
(2020)		 "Stunnin'"
(2020)
Music video
"Stunnin'" on YouTube

Background

While a student in UNC Greensboro and working at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Curtis Waters studied the promotion methods of viral hits on TikTok, such as that of Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and The BoyBoy West Coast's "U Was at the Club (Bottoms Up)". He has explained that he recorded "Stunnin'" because "I was just in a bad mood, trying to make some stupid shit and cheer up."[1][2]

Release and promotion

In early April 2020, Waters uploaded his first video on TikTok, of him and his brother dancing to the song in front of their garage.[3][4] He continued to post similar clips featuring the song, propelling it to recognition. The success of the song led to Waters receiving many record deals,[1][2] including one with BMG Rights Management which he settled for.[5] "Stunnin'" was released to streaming services in May 2020.[2] By October 2023, the song had amassed over 300 million streams on Spotify.[3] The song was used on a Pizza Hut commercial to promote their Cheesesteak Melts.

Charts
Chart performance for "Stunnin'"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[6] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 27
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] 21
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 69
US Bubbling Under Hot 100[10] 11

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[11] Platinum 40,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[12] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[13] Gold 25,000‡
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Leight, Elias (June 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters' 'Stunnin' Is a TikTok Hit — And a Threat to the Major Label System". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  2. DeVille, Chris (September 7, 2020). "Curtis Waters Is Putting An Indie Spin On TikTok Stardom". Stereogum. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  3. Segalov, Michael (July 19, 2020). "Curtis Waters, TikTok king: 'There are no gatekeepers to the industry anymore'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  4. Wang, Steffanee (September 23, 2020). "Curtis Waters Is More Than A TikTok Hit". Nylon. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  5. Fay, Seamus (July 16, 2020). "No One Believed in Curtis Waters, Until Everyone Did". Complex. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  6. "Canadian Hot 100: August 29, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  7. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  8. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  9. "Curtis Waters ft Harm Franklin | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  10. "Bubbling Under Hot 100: August 1, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  11. "Brazilian single certifications – Curtis Waters – Stunnin'" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  12. "Canadian single certifications – Curtis Waters – Stunnin'". Music Canada. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  13. "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 23, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Stunnin’ in the search box.
  14. "American single certifications – Curtis Waters – Stunnin'". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
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