Enemies (feat. DaBaby)

"Enemies" by Post Malone, featuring DaBaby, is a commentary on the dark side of fame and success. The core message revolves around the theme of betrayal and the painful realization that newfound wealth and status can transform friends into adversaries. Post Malone himself explained that the song was inspired by his real-life experiences with people he once considered friends who ultimately proved to be disingenuous. The lyrics explore the idea that money doesn't change the artist, but rather exposes the true, often envious, nature of the people around them. It's a narrative of disillusionment, where the artist grapples with the loneliness that can accompany success, mourning the loss of genuine connection while simultaneously building a defensive wall against further hurt.

DaBaby's verse complements this theme by offering a similar perspective on his own journey. He raps about his self-reliance and the necessity of cutting off negative influences, reinforcing the idea that success in the music industry often requires a ruthless purging of one's social circle. Both artists express a sense of being watched by those who once doubted them and now harbor resentment, leading to a pervasive feeling of distrust towards new and old acquaintances alike. The song ultimately serves as a declaration of independence and a somber acknowledgment of the personal costs of achieving one's dreams.

The song opens with a lament on a changed social landscape, where the narrator, once surrounded by friends, now finds himself encircled by enemies. These former confidants are now considered “dead” to him, a stark declaration of the emotional distance and betrayal he feels. He reflects on their disbelief in his potential, scoffing at their surprise now that he has achieved significant success. The lyrics paint a picture of their hypocrisy, laughing all the way to the bank while dismissing their empty words. A key question hangs in the air: where were these people when he was struggling, unable to afford even the simplest things? Now, the mother of one of these former friends is asking for tickets to his sold-out stadium shows, a testament to his newfound fame that they now want a piece of. He acknowledges their difficulty in swallowing their pride and expresses a sense of relief at having them out of his life.

The central theme is reinforced in the chorus, where the corrosive effect of money on relationships is highlighted. Wealth, it seems, has a way of revealing people's true intentions and tendencies. The repetition of the line “used to have friends, now I got enemies” underscores the profound sense of loss and disillusionment. This transformation is a recurring disappointment, a pattern of being let down that has led to a hardened perspective on friendship.

The featured artist, DaBaby, enters with a verse that echoes and amplifies these sentiments. He speaks of needing better energy around him and emphasizes that his cutting ties was not a joke but a literal necessity. He recounts an instance of a woman wanting to connect with him, only to be rebuffed, highlighting a general sense of mistrust. His verse details his own rise, the hustle of his past, and the shock of watching partners turn into adversaries before his very eyes. Instead of a friendly handshake, he now offers a closed fist, a symbol of his defensive posture. He boasts of his independent success, achieving platinum status without features, to prove he doesn't need the validation of those who turned their backs on him. A powerful metaphor concludes his verse: comparing fair-weather friends to autumn leaves that fall away each year, which he'll simply rake up, bag, and discard.

The song's bridge drives home the finality of this emotional shift. It’s too late for reconciliation. He accuses these former friends of only “holding him down” when they secretly wished for his failure, symbolized by the desire to see him “drown.” Now that he is successful, their attempts to show happiness for him ring hollow and are rejected. The outro fades with the somber acceptance of this new reality, a world where trust is a luxury he can no longer afford.

"Enemies" was released on September 6, 2019, as a track on Post Malone's third studio album, Hollywood's Bleeding. It was officially sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 17, 2019, as the fourth single from the album. The song was written by the performers, Austin Post (Post Malone) and Jonathan Kirk (DaBaby), along with frequent Post Malone collaborator Louis Bell and Billy Walsh. Louis Bell, a key figure in shaping Post Malone's sound, handled the production, recording, vocal production, and programming for the track. The album itself was recorded between June 2018 and July 2019 at various studios, including Crosby Studios in Burbank and Electric Feel in West Hollywood. Post Malone revealed on Spotify that the song's concept came from his personal experiences with friends who turned on him after he became successful. DaBaby reportedly posted a snippet of his verse on Instagram just an hour before the album's official release, building anticipation for the collaboration.

The rhythmic structure of "Enemies" is central to its hip-hop and trap identity. The song maintains a steady, mid-tempo beat that creates a confident and deliberate swagger. Post Malone's delivery often plays with the rhythm, sometimes stretching out syllables in his melodic style and at other times delivering lines with a more staccato, rap-inflected cadence. This is particularly evident in his verse, where he shifts between sung phrases and more rhythmically complex lines. The rhyme scheme is generally straightforward, relying on couplets and simple end rhymes (e.g., "enemies"/"dead to me," "far"/"are," "go"/"show"). This simplicity makes the lyrics direct and memorable. DaBaby's verse introduces a more complex rhythmic flow, with faster triplets and internal rhymes that showcase his technical skill as a rapper. His energetic and precise rhythm contrasts with Post Malone's more laid-back, melodic approach, creating a dynamic interplay between the two artists. The recurring, chanted quality of the chorus, especially the line "Used to have friends, now I got enemies," makes it a powerful and easily recalled hook, driving the song's central message.

"Enemies" utilizes a blend of musical and literary techniques to create its confident yet somber tone. Musically, the song is built on a foundation of trap and hip-hop, characterized by a prominent, rhythmic bass line, crisp hi-hats, and a relatively sparse melodic arrangement that keeps the focus on the vocal delivery. Post Malone's signature melodic rap style, which combines singing with rapping, carries the chorus and his verse, making the themes of betrayal both catchy and emotionally resonant. His delivery is tinged with a sense of melancholic resignation. DaBaby’s guest verse provides a stylistic contrast. His flow is more aggressive and percussive, often described as a highlight of the track, delivering a “passive-aggressive jab at backstabbing friends.” This shift in energy adds a layer of intensity to the song's narrative. Lyrically, the song employs direct address (e.g., "Think that we don't see who you are?") and rhetorical questions ("So, where did y'all go?") to engage the listener and confront the subjects of the song directly. The repetition of the main hook serves as a powerful refrain that drills the central theme into the listener's mind.

"Enemies" was a commercially successful song from Post Malone's highly anticipated album, Hollywood's Bleeding, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. The song itself peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one on Billboard's Rhythmic Songs chart, marking Post Malone's seventh number one on that chart and DaBaby's first. Its popularity contributed to the massive success of the album, which was the second-best selling album of 2019 in the US. The track was also noted for its collaboration, with many critics praising DaBaby's guest verse as a standout moment on the album. Jayson Greene at Pitchfork, for instance, said DaBaby "crushes his turn," and Craig Jenkins of Vulture felt he "stole the show." The song's theme of friendship turning sour due to fame is a common trope in hip-hop, and "Enemies" serves as a modern, popular example of this narrative, resonating with a wide audience. As of September 2019, the track had been streamed over 473 million times on Spotify, indicating significant and lasting listener engagement.

The lyrics of "Enemies" employ several direct metaphors and symbolic statements to convey its themes of betrayal and the consequences of fame.

• "Used to keep 'em close, now they dead to me": This is a powerful metaphor for the complete severance of past relationships. The former friends are not literally deceased, but they are dead in the emotional and social context of the artist's life, signifying a point of no return.
• "Laughin' to the bank like ha, ha, ha": This line uses the act of laughing to the bank as a symbol of the artist's financial success and as a direct taunt to those who doubted him. It juxtaposes material wealth with the hollow laughter, hinting at the emotional emptiness that accompanies it.
• Paradox of Friendship and Enmity: The central hook, "Used to have friends, now I got enemies," functions as a paradox. It highlights the contradictory and unexpected outcome of success, where the very thing that should bring people together (shared history) is fractured by jealousy and resentment.
• Autumn Leaves Metaphor: DaBaby's line, "Friends are like the autumn, every year they leavin' / And I'ma rake 'em in a pile, throw 'em in a bag," is a vivid metaphor. It compares disloyal friends to seasonal leaves that inevitably fall away. The act of raking and bagging them symbolizes a cold, methodical, and necessary process of removing these people from his life.
• "Only held me down when you wanted me to drown": This metaphor illustrates the fake support of his former friends. The image of being held down while drowning suggests that their presence was not only unhelpful but actively malicious and sabotaging.

The most significant recurring phrase in the song is the hook: "Used to have friends, now I got enemies." This line is repeated multiple times throughout the song, both in the main chorus and in the post-chorus, acting as the central thesis of the entire track. Its repetition emphasizes the profound and disheartening transformation in the artist's social life due to fame and money. The phrase encapsulates the song's core theme of betrayal and disillusionment. Another recurring motif is the idea of visibility and exposure. Lines like "Think that we don't see who you are, are, are?" and "Money tend to show all they tendencies" reinforce the idea that success has acted as a spotlight, revealing the true, unflattering nature of those who were once considered friends. This motif of seeing people for who they truly are is a cornerstone of the song's narrative, justifying the artists' decision to cut ties.