"WTF (Where They From)" | |||||||||||
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Single by Missy Elliott featuring Pharrell Williams | |||||||||||
Released | November 12, 2015 | ||||||||||
Format | Digital download | ||||||||||
Genre | Hip hop | ||||||||||
Length | 3:14 | ||||||||||
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Producer(s) | Pharrell Williams | ||||||||||
Missy Elliott singles chronology | |||||||||||
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"WTF (Where They From)" is a song by American recording artist Missy Elliott. Featuring guest verses and production assistance from recurring collaborator Pharrell Williams, the song serves as the lead single from Elliott's seventh studio album.
Pick for a lead single of Elliott's seventh album stretches back as early 2008, when Elliott coined the soundtrack single "Ching-a-Ling" as a potential selection. However, by summer of that same year, Elliott decided against the idea and released the buzz record "Best, Best" instead. With "Best" servicing to minimal reaction nationwide, Elliott then entered recording sessions with recurring collaborator Pharrell Williams throughout the first quarter of 2009, as effort to produce a stronger radio single. The result was the Teyana Taylor-featured "Put It on Ya", which like its predecessor failed to gain commercial appeal; but managed to cite limited promo attention in European regions.
In 2012, in between both battling graves disease and contributing production for protégées Jazmine Sullivan and Sharaya J, Elliott returned to the making of her seventh album, and recruited childhood friend Timbaland to materialize the dual-promotional efforts "9th Inning" and "Triple Threat". While the songs met with lukewarm success on the digital charts, the releases failed to amass the proper impact needed to revive the "energy" of Elliott's seventh studio set. Elliott additionally had plans to release the Lil' Kim- and Eve-assisted "Murder She Wrote" as a follow-up single, however plans were ultimately shelved.
By late April 2014, reports surfaced of Elliott returning to the studio with Pharrell, in preparation of a potential collaboration. Further news circulated of the pair's work coming to light, when in April 2015, Pharrell alluded to Jimmy Fallon that new Elliott material was on the way and concluded that he "was so proud of her."