March 2020 was a weird time for everyone. The world was literally shutting down, and right in the middle of that chaos, Lil Uzi Vert decided to drop "That Way." It wasn't just another single. It was the moment the Eternal Atake hype train finally left the station after years of label drama and internet leaks.
If you were on Twitter back then, you remember. The song leaked under the name "Yellow Queen," and Uzi—being Uzi—basically told the leakers to back off before officially putting it out. It was a tactical move. It worked.
The Backstreet Boys Connection You Can't Ignore
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the boy band in the room. Lil Uzi Vert That Way is built entirely around an interpolation of the Backstreet Boys' 1999 mega-hit "I Want It That Way." It’s bold. Honestly, it’s kind of a flex. Most rappers would shy away from something so "pop," but Uzi has always leaned into that emo-pop-punk aesthetic.
The track was produced by Supah Mario, Yung Lan, and Felipe S. Interestingly, Supah Mario didn't even know the sample was going to be there. He sent the beat, and Uzi handled the rest. When the song dropped, Nick Carter himself reached out on social media. He didn't just approve; he invited Uzi to be on the next Backstreet Boys album.
The structure of the song is pretty straightforward trap-pop:
👉 See also: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
- The Hook: Direct interpolation of the "I want it that way" melody.
- The Verses: Classic Baby Pluto flexes about Money, cars, and the "Balenci" lifestyle.
- The Vibe: Jittery, bright, and weirdly nostalgic.
It’s the kind of song that sounds like a candy-coated fever dream. Uzi’s engineer, Kesha "K. Lee" Lee, did a lot of heavy lifting here, moving tracks around to make that iconic breakdown hit just right at the beginning.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
People think "That Way" is just a lighthearted pop song. It’s not. Well, not entirely. If you listen to the verses, Uzi is dealing with some heavy stuff. There’s a line about "killing my girlfriend" which sparked a lot of conversation. It’s a trope in emo-rap—that toxic, heightened drama—but it contrasts sharply with the "saccharine" melody of the chorus.
He’s also talking about his legal and industry struggles. "I don't wanna go out bad, don't wanna go out sad, not that way." This was Uzi coming out of a dark period where it felt like Eternal Atake might never actually see the light of day. He was fighting for his creative freedom, and "That Way" was his victory lap.
The song eventually peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. For a song that basically started as a leak, that’s massive. It proved that Uzi didn't need a traditional rollout. He just needed a catchy melody and his core fanbase.
✨ Don't miss: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
The Cover Art Controversy
You can't talk about this track without mentioning the drama with the artwork. Shortly after release, a Korean artist known as 'hugeriver8' pointed out that the cover art was almost identical to a painting they posted back in 2014.
Uzi didn't dodge it. He jumped into the Instagram comments.
"Hey I'm not a mean person or a thief I get inspired a lot. If you want Money I will have my team contact and give you Money. Signed Baby Pluto."
The artist who actually designed the cover, artxstic, admitted he used the original painting as a reference because that's what Uzi asked for. It was a messy situation that ended with Uzi basically offering to cut a check on the spot. It’s a very "Uzi" way of handling a PR crisis.
🔗 Read more: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
Why the Song Still Matters in 2026
Looking back from 2026, "That Way" feels like a time capsule. It represents the peak of the "SoundCloud Era" transitioning into mainstream dominance. It wasn't just a song; it was a bridge. It bridged the gap between 90s pop nostalgia and the glitchy, high-energy future of rap.
If you’re trying to understand why Uzi stayed relevant while other "Lil" rappers faded away, this is the blueprint. He knows how to pick a melody that stays stuck in your head for a week. He isn't afraid to look "corny" to the rap purists if it means making a hit that moves the needle.
Key takeaways for fans and artists:
- Embrace the weird: Sampling a boy band shouldn't work for a trap artist, but it did because Uzi committed to the bit.
- Direct engagement: When the plagiarism claims hit, Uzi’s direct (if blunt) response helped de-escalate what could have been a career-damaging moment.
- Nostalgia is a weapon: Using a melody everyone already knows is a "cheat code" for virality.
To really appreciate the technical side of the track, go back and listen to the "KIDZ BOP" theory. There was a rumor on Genius that the vocals were actually sampled from a KIDZ BOP version of the Backstreet Boys. While the credits list the original writers like Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, the texture of the background vocals—provided by the group WanMor—gives it that eerie, youthful shimmer that made people wonder.
Check out the official audio on YouTube or stream it as part of the Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2 project to hear how it fits into the larger narrative of Uzi's space-themed era.