YouTube/Quavo
Quavo and Lana Del Rey have finally released their long-awaited collaboration along with a music video in which they lean into rumors about the nature of their relationship.
On Wednesday (July 3), the pair released “Tough” after stirring up anticipation for it over the past few months. The visual features both stars cozying up to each other in a range of country-themed shots as they sing their parts and even share the mic on the chorus.
“Tough like the scuff on a pair of old leather boots/ Like the blue-collar, red-dirt attitude/ Like a .38 made out of brass/ Tough like the stuff in your grandpa’s glass,” the duo sing together during the crossover.
Check out the video below:
The unlikely pair were first spotted together at a Grammys party earlier this year.
Soon after, they shared a snippet of the then-unnamed song in a joint Instagram post, along with a photo of them on a front porch with the caption: “If u come from where u come then u were born….Tough!”
Lana Del Rey is no stranger to working with rappers. Back in 2017, she summoned The Weeknd for “Lust for Life,” which was released as part of her album of the same name. On that same tracklist, she teamed up with Playboi Carti and A$AP Rocky on “Summer Bummer.”
The New York native also worked with The Weeknd on two of his songs, “Prisoner” from Beauty Behind the Madness (2015) and “Stargirl Interlude” from Starboy (2016).
After the cover art of her 2021 LP Chemtrails Over the Country Club was criticized for a lack of racial diversity, the singer took to social media and wrote in a since-deleted post: “In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without even trying to. My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers.”
Unsurprisingly, this was met with a great deal of criticism.