Post Malone and Swae Lee’s uplifting collaboration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that became a surprise chart juggernaut.
The Song
Released October 2018 for the Spider-Verse soundtrack, “Sunflower” featured Post Malone’s melodic rap and Swae Lee’s sung hook over a bright, feel-good production by Carter Lang and Louis Bell. The song’s optimism stood out in Post’s typically melancholy discography.
“Sunflower” peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 33 non-consecutive weeks in the top 10—a testament to its staying power. The track sold over 10 million copies in the US and accumulated billions of streams across platforms.
Crossover Success
The song won the 2019 Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (losing to “Shallow”). Its association with the critically acclaimed Spider-Verse film introduced Post to younger audiences.
“Sunflower” became a TikTok staple years after release, with the “needless to say” hook soundtracking millions of videos. The track exemplified how film soundtracks could still break massive hits in the streaming era.
Sources:
- Chart Performance: https://www.billboard.com/
- Grammy Win: https://www.grammy.com/