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KSI’s latest single, Thick of It, has stirred up some negativity online. The song, which features a sample from Red Hot Chili Peppers' Snow, blends his life experiences with reflections on his rise to fame. Despite its motivating lyrics, many listeners have criticized and bashed the track, calling the sound generic and uninspired.
On platforms like TikTok, users have mocked the song, with memes poking fun at its repetitiveness and labeling it as bland. As of this writing, the song has about 1.8 million views on YouTube. On Spotify, it has a playlist reach of nearly 11 million. He has about 2 million average listeners on Spotify over September 2024, and his most streamed song remains Holiday from his 2021 All Over The Place album.
Responding to the backlash he's been receiving on his latest release, KSI said he remains unfazed.
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In the post, the YouTuber states he does not pay much mind to the resistance, and the hate is getting boring at this point:
"These stupid fans leave “trash” comments on my new song think they’re getting to me. You’re not. It’s not funny. It’s boring. You’re wasting your time."
The Sidemen troll KSI on the release of his new song
KSI has addressed the criticism in interviews, noting that he’s no stranger to online hate and that many people seem to be "praying for his downfall." He also expressed that Thick of It reflects his mindset in the face of adversity, pushing out the negative energy he's been experiencing.
Despite the backlash, the YouTuber remains focused on his music and other ventures, maintaining a positive outlook in the face of criticism. The content creation group, Sidemen, of which KSI is a part, even played along with the trolls on the internet.
While at a store in London, Simon "Miniminter" noticed that KSI was wielding a toy sword, and as a reference to the song, which features a sword slash sound effect, asked him to swing it. As this happened, another member of the Sidemen, Ethan "Behzinga", chimed in singing (and butchering) some of the song's lyrics:
"Ay swing the sword, ('Swing the sword man, from the ring to the king to the pen!', said Behzinga)."
In other news, KSI opened up about the "hate" in an interview with CLASH magazine, where he admitted to his past mistakes.
