New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Capping off a monumental 2018, GRAMMY Award-nominated multi-platinum Washington, D.C. MMG superstar and culture iconoclast Wale shares a pair of new songs today-the single "Poledancer" and "Winter Wars." Get them now via Warner Bros. Records.
Once again, this dynamic duo of tracks illuminates his signature versatility and reaffirms his status as the consummate 21st century wordsmith. Powered by sparse production, "Poledancer" curls around an airy beat and an unshakable hook as his cadence proves immediately club-ready. He shared a fittingly wild video for the song that lives up to the visuals intimated in the verses.
Meanwhile, "Winter Wars" sits on the other end of the spectrum. A heavy bass line gallops alone as Wale serves up one bulletproof bar after another before knocking out a hard-hitting hook with throwback spirit, "I take summers off 'cuz I love winter beef."
These anthems arrive hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed Free Lunch EP. Billboard praised the "lyrical brilliance" of "My Boy (Freestyle)" [feat. J. Cole] which clocked upwards of 6.6 million Spotify streams. XXL summed up Free Lunch best, claiming "Now it's time to eat." Additionally, the music video for standout single "Black Bonnie" [feat. Jacquees] generated over 6.4 million views and counting.
"Poledancer" and "Winter Wars" hint at big things to come in 2019 for Wale as he plots the release of his sixth full-length and first album for Warner Bros. Records.
Wale remains one of the strongest and sharpest voices in the culture. The artist's deft wordplay and impressive knack for a hook shined especially bright in 2017. His most recent album, Shine, touted a platinum smash in the form of "My PYT," while "
Running Back" [feat. Lil Wayne] racked up a staggering 71 million Spotify streams and "
My Love" [feat. Major Lazer, WizKid, and Dua Lipa] generated over 63 million. The album also marked Wale's fourth consecutive Top 20 debut on the Billboard Top 200.
Shine garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Complex, XXL, HotNewHipHop, and more as he took the stage on ESPN's "First Take" alongside
Lil Wayne for a much talked-about powerhouse performance of "Running Back." Additionally, Wale launched his biggest headline tour to date the
Shine Tour.
There's only one Wale. Since arriving in 2006, he has consistently gone against the grain. An old school lyricist with new school energy, otherworldly hooks, and a sense of irony tailor-made for its own Seinfeld episode, he instantly set himself apart. 2008's inventive Mixtape About Nothing cemented him as a critical favorite and preceded the major label debut Attention Deficit in 2009. Bowing at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, the now-classic and gold-certified Ambition yielded the GRAMMY® Award-nominated platinum-selling "Lotus Flower Bomb." Two more blockbusters followed as The Gifted [2013] and The Album About Nothing [2015] both crashed the Billboard Top 200 at #1 back-to-back.
Shine [2017] gave the world "My PYT" as Wale continued dropping heat. Along the way, Wale covered magazines such as Complex, Billboard, XXL, and Vibe, and would receive honors at the BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, Soul
Train Awards, and more. To date, Wale has achieved four platinum or multi-platinum singles, three gold singles, and two gold albums. Wale has over 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify and has reached over half a billion channel views on YouTube.
Wale also made history as "the first rapper to open the
State Of The Union," gracing the stage with an unforgettable performance before President Obama's final
State Of The Union Address. A regular guest of the First Family, he participated in First Lady Michelle Obama's "Reach Higher" initiative for higher education as well. Expanding his cultural influence, Wale teamed up with Villa for a limited-edition line of sneakers. These included the Asics "Bottle Rocket," the Timberland "Gift Box Set" and the VILLA x Wale x ASIC Gel Lyte III "IC Champion." Wale's label imprint, Every Blue Moon encompasses the scope of his creative vision with musicians, comedians, and screenwriters under its umbrella.
