# Overseas (Ken Carson song)

"Overseas" is a song by the American rapper Ken Carson from the deluxe edition of his third studio album, A Great Chaos (2023). It was released by Opium and Interscope Records on April 12, 2024, as the deluxe edition's lead single. Carson wrote it alongside the song's producers, Esko, Lucian, Lukrative, and Nick Spiders. After Carson was sent the song's instrumental, he found affinity with it and developed an idea for the song. The single's cover art was inspired by the fictional character The Joker, particularly his appearance in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. Carson included "Overseas" in the set list of the Chaos World Tour (2024).
"Overseas" is a hip-hop song driven by a buzzing beat, 808-heavy production, and a subtle melody with themes regarding travel. Its lyrics also offer Carson's audience an update on his life. Critics praised the song's rhythm and catchiness; Vibe considered it a standout from the deluxe edition of A Great Chaos. It marked Carson's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in New Zealand and Canada. "Overseas" received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Gunner Stahl directed the song's music video, which included grainy clips of Carson's live performances in Europe.

## Background and release

The American rapper Ken Carson released his third studio album, A Great Chaos, on October 13, 2023. It was positively received by critics; several publications featured it on their year-end lists of the best albums from 2023. He released "Overseas" on April 12, 2024, through Opium and Interscope Records, as the lead single for the deluxe edition of A Great Chaos. It was released one day ahead of his debut Coachella performance. In an interview with XXL, one of the song's producers, Lucian, shared that the song's instrumental "instantly connected with Carson". Before the song's other producers were aware, Carson had a fully fledged idea and was ready to record vocals over the instrumental. The artwork depicts scars on Carson's face; it was inspired by Heath Ledger's character Joker in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. On April 22, Carson announced the Chaos World Tour; he included "Overseas" as a part of its set list. On July 5, Carson released the deluxe edition of A Great Chaos; including "Overseas", it added seven new tracks to the album.

## Composition and lyrics

"Overseas" is 2 minutes and 21 seconds long. It was recorded by Corey Moon; Carson wrote it alongside the song's producers, Esko, Lucian, Lukrative, and Nick Spiders. Benjamin Lidsky handled the song's mixing and vocal mixing, while Colin Leonard handled its mastering. It is a hip-hop song driven by an "electric" beat, 808-heavy production, and a subtle melody with themes regarding travel. Lyrically, the song offers Carson's audience an update on his recent life, which he mostly spent on tour. He mentions the European cities London, Paris, and Amsterdam, a reference to the first three stops of the Chaos World Tour. These lines are followed by lyrics discussing women and boasting to his enemies. He also reflects on his rise to prominence and what he would tell his younger self if he could: "I wish I could go back in time to tell myself, 'You gon' be rich'". Elias Andrews for HotNewHipHop called Carson's flow "frantic", "aggressive", and "inflected".

## Reception

Upon its release, "Overseas" received positive reviews from publications. Andrews felt Carson's flow and "vivid rhymes" were able give the track a distinctive approach; he also called the single's cover art "gruesome". Writing for Complex, Joshua Espinoza called the song "catchy", while Hypebeast's Elaina Bernstein said the track "finds [Carson] in his zone". Preezy Brown of Vibe considered it a standout from the deluxe edition of A Great Chaos, writing that it "garner[s] a favorable approval rating". Rolling Stone included the track in their weekly "Songs You Need to Know" list and XXL added it in their list of the week's best new hip-hop songs. Grant Rindner of the latter magazine called the track "a fitting introduction to the world of Ken Carson".
"Overseas" was Carson's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number 79 on the chart dated April 27, 2024. In its opening week, it earned 6.9 million streams in the United States. On Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the track debuted at number 34. It peaked at number 13 on Recorded Music NZ's New Zealand Hot Singles chart dated April 19. On the Canadian Hot 100, it peaked at number 93 on the chart dated April 27. The song was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 29.

## Music video

Gunner Stahl directed the visually distorted music video, which premiered just over a year after the release of A Great Chaos. Henock Sileshi and Nick Holiday, formerly of the hip-hop group Brockhampton, assisted in the video's post-production. The video begins with an epilepsy warning and contains grainy visuals of clips from Carson's performances in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. Logan Fairbrother of Hypebeast said the video showcases "the strong tempo of the track matched by gritty visuals" and described the video as "chaotic".

## Charts

Chart performance for "Overseas" :
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 93 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) | 13 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 79 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 34 |

## Certifications

Certifications for "Overseas" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 500,000$^‡$ |
| $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||