OTW (Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack song)

"OTW"
"OTW"
Single by Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack
from the EP Suncity (vinyl edition)
Released	April 20, 2018
Genre	R&B
Length	4:23
Label	RCA
Songwriters	Khalid Robinson; Ricardo Valentine; Tyrone Griffin Jr.; Paul Jefferies; Brian Alexander Morgan; Idan Kalai;
Producer	Nineteen85
Khalid singles chronology
6lack singles chronology
Ty Dolla Sign singles chronology
Music video
	"OTW" on YouTube

"OTW" (an acronym for "on the way") is a song by American singers Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign, and 6lack. The artists wrote the song with Brian Alexander Morgan, Idan Kalai and producer Nineteen85. It was released by RCA Records on April 20, 2018, as a stand-alone single, before being added as a bonus track to the vinyl of Khalid's EP Suncity (2018).

Release

On March 31, 2018, Khalid posted a snippet of the song on Twitter.^[1] He officially announced the single during the nominations announcement for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.^[2]

Composition

"OTW" is a dark and melodic R&B song with '90s influences.^[3]^[4] It features a "silky smooth" and "mellow" production,^[5]^[6]^[7] backed by "a trap-infused R&B beat".^[8] A booty-call theme channels throughout the track,^[9] as the artists sing about meeting up with a love interest.^[10]

Critical reception

Michael Love Michael of Paper regarded the song as "a refreshing slice of smooth, radio-ready, but throwback '90s R&B". He praised the song's "undercurrent of bittersweet melancholy characteristic of the genre's most forward-thinking productions", describing it as "an addictively rhythmic tune".^[11] MTV News' Ross McNeilage wrote: "The slick and sultry track is a nice extension from the sound of his debut album, and 6LACK and Ty Dolla $ign complement the song perfectly."^[12] Devin Ch of HotNewHipHop praised Khalid's songwriting talents, writing that "all performers adhere to the general 'vibe' of the song".^[13] Lauren O'Neill of Noisey described the song as a destined summer track, writing that it "feels most like a head massage you'll hear all week". He complimented Khalid's ability to produce a "relentlessly catchy but also somehow extremely laid back hook".^[14]

Music video

The music video for "OTW", directed by Calmatic, premiered via Khalid's Vevo channel on July 3, 2018.^[15]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[16]

Nineteen85 – production
Eazy - vocal engineer
Denis Kosiak – mix engineer, record engineer
Chris Athens – master engineer
Andy Barnes – record engineer
JT Gagarin – record engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[17]	27
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)^[18]	18
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[19]	30
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)^[20]	69
Denmark (Tracklisten)^[21]	20
Ireland (IRMA)^[22]	57
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[23]	50
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[24]	11
Portugal (AFP)^[25]	37
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)^[26]	37
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[27]	52
UK Singles (OCC)^[28]	60
US Billboard Hot 100^[29]	57
US Hot R&B Songs (Billboard)^[30]	6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[31]	35
US Rhythmic (Billboard)^[32]	14

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)	Position
Australia (ARIA)^[33]	96
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[34]	96
Portugal (AFP)^[35]	162
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[36]	74
Chart (2019)	Position
US Hot R&B Songs (Billboard)^[37]	35

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)^[38]	3× Platinum	210,000^‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)^[39]	Platinum	40,000^‡
Canada (Music Canada)^[40]	2× Platinum	160,000^‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)^[41]	Platinum	90,000^‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[42]	3× Platinum	90,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[43]	Gold	400,000^‡
United States (RIAA)^[44]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^‡
Streaming
Sweden (GLF)^[45]	Gold	4,000,000^†
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. ^† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Various	April 20, 2018	Digital download streaming	RCA	^[16]
United States	June 5, 2018	Urban contemporary radio	RCA	^[46]

References

^ Espinoza, Joshua (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Teams Up With Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack on "OTW"". Complex. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Thompson, Desire (April 17, 2018). "Khalid To Release Single With Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK On Friday". Vibe. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Younger, Briana (April 24, 2018). ""OTW" [ft. 6LACK, Ty Dolla $ign] by Khalid Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
^ Renshaw, David (April 20, 2018). "Khalid teams up with Ty Dolla $ign and 6LACK on new song "OTW"". The Fader. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Tells Croons His Way to a Lover In Steamy New Song 'OTW': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ "New Music: Khalid, 6LACK, & Ty Dolla $ign – 'OTW'". Rap-Up. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ "The 5 Biggest Songs To Drop This Week". Capital XTRA. April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ McKinney, Jessica (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Teams Up With Ty Dolla $ign And 6lack For The Smooth Track, "OTW"". Vibe. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Reed, Ryan (April 20, 2018). "Hear Khalid's Seductive New Song 'OTW' With Ty Dolla $ign, 6lack". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (April 20, 2018). "Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack Join Khalid on New Song "OTW"". XXL. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Michael, Michael (April 20, 2018). "Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need To Start Your Weekend Right". Paper. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ McNeilage, Ross (April 20, 2018). "New Music Round-Up: Ariana Grande, Liam Payne, Anne-Marie". MTV News. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ Ch, Devin (April 19, 2018). "Khalid Taps Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK For Virtuoso Performances On "OTW"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ O'Neill, Lauren (April 20, 2018). "Khalid's "OTW" Is Certified Sunny Day Music". Noisey. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ "Watch Khalid's New Throwback 'OTW' Video With 6lack, Ty Dolla $ign". Rolling Stone. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "OTW / Khalid TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
^ "Khalid Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Khalid". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
^ "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
^ "Khalid Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
^ "Khalid Chart History (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
^ "Khalid Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
^ "Khalid Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
^ "ARIA End of Year Singles 2018". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
^ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 200 Singles 2018" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
^ "Hot R&B Singles: Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
^ "Brazilian single certifications – Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK – OTW" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
^ "Canadian single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". Music Canada.
^ "Danish single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
^ "New Zealand single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign And 6LACK – OTW". Radioscope. Retrieved January 9, 2025. Type OTW in the "Search:" field.
^ "British single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
^ "American single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". Recording Industry Association of America.
^ "Sverigetopplistan – Khalid, 6lack & Ty Dolla $ign" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
^ "Urban/UAC Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.

[1] Espinoza, Joshua (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Teams Up With Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack on "OTW"". Complex. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[2] Thompson, Desire (April 17, 2018). "Khalid To Release Single With Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK On Friday". Vibe. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[3] Younger, Briana (April 24, 2018). ""OTW" [ft. 6LACK, Ty Dolla $ign] by Khalid Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 26, 2018.

[4] Renshaw, David (April 20, 2018). "Khalid teams up with Ty Dolla $ign and 6LACK on new song "OTW"". The Fader. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[5] Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Tells Croons His Way to a Lover In Steamy New Song 'OTW': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[6] "New Music: Khalid, 6LACK, & Ty Dolla $ign – 'OTW'". Rap-Up. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[7] "The 5 Biggest Songs To Drop This Week". Capital XTRA. April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[8] McKinney, Jessica (April 20, 2018). "Khalid Teams Up With Ty Dolla $ign And 6lack For The Smooth Track, "OTW"". Vibe. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[9] Reed, Ryan (April 20, 2018). "Hear Khalid's Seductive New Song 'OTW' With Ty Dolla $ign, 6lack". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[10] Coleman II, C. Vernon (April 20, 2018). "Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack Join Khalid on New Song "OTW"". XXL. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[11] Michael, Michael (April 20, 2018). "Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need To Start Your Weekend Right". Paper. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[12] McNeilage, Ross (April 20, 2018). "New Music Round-Up: Ariana Grande, Liam Payne, Anne-Marie". MTV News. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[13] Ch, Devin (April 19, 2018). "Khalid Taps Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK For Virtuoso Performances On "OTW"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[14] O'Neill, Lauren (April 20, 2018). "Khalid's "OTW" Is Certified Sunny Day Music". Noisey. Archived from the original on April 21, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[15] "Watch Khalid's New Throwback 'OTW' Video With 6lack, Ty Dolla $ign". Rolling Stone. July 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.

[Tidal-16] "OTW / Khalid TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved April 21, 2018.

[sc_Australia_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-17] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 26, 2018.

[sc_Flanders_Tip_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-18] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 2, 2018.

[sc_Canada_Khalid-19] "Khalid Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2018.

[sc_Czechdigital_-20] "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

[sc_Denmark_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-21] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 9, 2018.

[sc_Ireland3_Khalid-22] "Irish-charts.com – Discography Khalid". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 26, 2018.

[sc_Dutch100_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-23] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 19, 2018.

[sc_New_Zealand_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-24] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

[sc_Portugal_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-25] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 6, 2018.

[sc_Slovakdigital2_-26] "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 21. týden 2018 in the date selector. Retrieved June 7, 2018.

[sc_Sweden_Khalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6lack-27] "Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6lack – OTW". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 25, 2018.

[sc_UK_-28] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2018.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Khalid-29] "Khalid Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.

[Hot_R&B_Songs-30] "Khalid Chart History (Hot R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2019.

[sc_Billboardrandbhiphop_Khalid-31] "Khalid Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.

[sc_Billboardrhythmic_Khalid-32] "Khalid Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2018.

[33] "ARIA End of Year Singles 2018". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 10, 2019.

[34] "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.

[35] "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 200 Singles 2018" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved August 10, 2020.

[36] "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2018.

[37] "Hot R&B Singles: Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2019.

[AustraliasingleCertRef-38] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 22, 2019.

[BrazilKhalid_feat._Ty_Dolla_$ign_&_6LACKOTWsingleCertRef-39] "Brazilian single certifications – Khalid feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 6LACK – OTW" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 5, 2021.

[CanadaKhalid,_Ty_Dolla_$ign_and_6lackOTWsingleCertRef-40] "Canadian single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". Music Canada.

[DenmarkKhalid,_Ty_Dolla_$ign_and_6lackOTWsingleCertRef-41] "Danish single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved December 1, 2023.

[New_ZealandKhalid,_Ty_Dolla_$ign_And_6LACKOTWsingleCertRef-42] "New Zealand single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign And 6LACK – OTW". Radioscope. Retrieved January 9, 2025. Type OTW in the "Search:" field.

[United_KingdomKhalid,_Ty_Dolla_$ign_and_6lackOTWsingleCertRef-43] "British single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 4, 2021.

[United_StatesKhalid,_Ty_Dolla_$ign_and_6lackOTWsingleCertRef-44] "American single certifications – Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack – OTW". Recording Industry Association of America.

[SwedenKhalid,_6lack_&_Ty_Dolla_$ignOTWsingleCertRef-45] "Sverigetopplistan – Khalid, 6lack & Ty Dolla $ign" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved September 22, 2022.

[46] "Urban/UAC Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2018.

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v t e Khalid
Discography
Studio albums	American Teen (2017) Free Spirit (2019) Sincere (2024)
Mixtapes	Scenic Drive (2021)
Extended plays	Suncity (2018)
Singles	"Location" "Young Dumb & Broke" "Love Lies" "Lovely" "OTW" "Eastside" "Better" "Saturday Nights" "Talk" "Right Back" "Trigger" "Up All Night" "Eleven" "Know Your Worth" "Experience" "Be Like That" "Working" "New Normal" "Fall in Love at Christmas" "Numb" "We Go Down Together" "The Hard Way"
Featured singles	"1-800-273-8255" "Rollin" "Silence" "Homemade Dynamite" (remix) "Youth" "Ocean" "Beautiful People" "Hurts 2B Human" "So Done"
Promotional singles	"My Bad"
Other songs	"As I Am"
Concert tours	Roxy Tour Free Spirit World Tour

v t e 6lack
Discography
Studio albums	Free 6lack (2016) East Atlanta Love Letter (2018) Since I Have a Lover (2023)
Extended plays	6pc Hot EP (2020)
Singles	"Ex Calling" "Prblms" "OTW" "Pretty Little Fears" "It's Not U It's Me" "Imported" "Know My Rights" "Stay Down" "Calling My Phone" "Workin on Me"
Featured singles	"Waves" "Only Want You" "The Pink Phantom"

OTW (Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack song)

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OTW (Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack song)

OTW (Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack song)

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OTW (Khalid, Ty Dolla Sign and 6lack song)

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