īy September 2017, the song had generated 1.3 billion streams across all streaming platforms, generating $4.5 million with Lil Uzi Vert only earning $900,000. Spotify recognized the song as one of the most streamed tracks of the summer of 2017 in the US. "XO Tour Llif3" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart issued Apat number 49 and peaked at number 7 in May 2017. Ĭomplex and Pigeons & Planes named it the best song of the year, Billboard considered it the fifth-best song of the year, The New York Times 's Jon Caramanica the eighth, Rolling Stone staff considered it the seventeenth, and Entertainment Weekly the twelfth. Pitchfork writer Matthew Strauss stated, "Uzi resists total caricature with his liberal use of dark, manic details, and on 'XO TOUR Llif3' he channels the indulgence of dulled senses perfected by Future at his DS2 peak." Regarding the production, Strauss claimed, "TM88's slightly psychedelic minor key production, gives Uzi's nonchalance the feeling of a daydream." Jordan Sargent of Spin wrote, "Though the song is an instant hit among Uzi Vert's growing and feverish fanbase-so much so that his label fast tracked an animated video that hit YouTube this morning-it also works as a good entry point for anyone who has not yet approached an artist who is poised to become one of the most ubiquitous voices in rap". TM88 sped up the original beat and chopped the intro and the first verse before using the FL Studio plugin Gross Beat to manipulate the volume and the time of the instrumental. XO Tour Llif3 was originally a collaboration with another producer, J.W Lucas. TM88 produced "XO Tour Llif3" on FL Studio. Lil Uzi Vert references money numerous times on the track with one line stating "all my friends are dead" citing the use of deceased presidents on banknotes. The themes of the song focus around substance abuse, quoting Xanax and prescription drug abuse as a way to relieve heartbreak. The song is inspired by Lil Uzi Vert's relationship with Brittany Byrd and the couple's eventual break-up in June 2016.
"XO Tour Llif3" is an emo rap song composed in common time ( 4Ĥ time) with a length of three minutes two seconds and written in B minor with a tempo of 155 beats per minute with a common chord progression of Gmaj7-Em-Gmaj7-Bm-A. The popularity of "XO Tour Llif3" resulted in the viral "Lil Uzi Vert Challenge". The song quickly amassed millions of plays and attention across social media, and as a result was given a commercial release.
On February 26, 2017, Lil Uzi Vert released Luv Is Rage 1.5, an extended play consisting of four tracks, including "XO Tour Llif3", on his SoundCloud account.
When TM88 returned to Atlanta, he could not access his laptop, leading to him using an old computer and a Beats Pill speaker to produce the instrumental for XO Tour Llif3. During the ten hour wait at the airport following the shooting, TM88 lost his laptop charger. TM88's return flight to Atlanta was delayed due to the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting. Lil Uzi Vert originally contacted TM88 through FaceTime while TM88 was in Miami to work with rappers Future and Gucci Mane. "XO Tour Llif3" began when Lil Uzi Vert started collaborating with producer TM88.