Drake has revealed the tracklist for his new album Scorpion, which is slated for a June 29 release (via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic). It features JAY-Z, Michael Jackson, Ty Dolla $ign, and Static Major. The tracklist includes the single “I’m Upset,” as well as “Nice for What” and “God’s Plan.” There’s even a song called “Ratchet Happy Birthday.” Check out the 25-song tracklist, which is split into two sides, below. The album is out now.
Drake featured JAY-Z and Kanye West on an early version of his 2016 track “Pop Style.” When it appeared on his album VIEWS weeks later, though, they’d been removed. He later told Zane Lowe, “I just ended up going with my version of that song.” In 2017, JAY-Z paid homage to Drake when he performed in Toronto as part of his 4:44 tour; he rapped over Drake’s track “Know Yourself.”
Beginning in July, Drake and Migos will embark on the “Aubrey and the Three Amigos Tour.” Scorpion follows Drake’s 2016 studio LP Views, as well as his 2017 playlist More Life.
Read Pitchfork’s feature op-ed “My Dinner With Drake.”
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This article was originally published on June 28 at 1:05 p.m. EST. It was updated on June 29 at 12:05 a.m. EST.
Photo: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
By night’s end, a new Drake album will be upon us and, perhaps, so will the truth. We’re all thinking it: Drake, are you the father??? His fifth studio album, Scorpion, has a lot of ground to cover, from secret love children to possible Pusha-T retaliation to what actually went down with Rihanna to the things we can’t even predict he’ll address because who knows what else that man’s been hiding. In preparation for tonight’s events, here’s everything we know about the album so far — plus, all the things we’re nosy enough to also want to know.
It’s got three singles.
It was never fully clear what separated Drake’s More Life from his previous albums proper until after the fact. Anything less than an album, in Drake’s mind, doesn’t warrant promotion, and so there was virtually none for More Life (not even a single music video). But for Views, he preceded it with several singles (including “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance”). It’s the same story now for Scorpion (named after his Zodiac sign), which has been led by his No. 1 singles “God’s Plan” and “Nice for What,” as well as “I’m Upset.”
There has also been ongoing social-media promo, including custom jackets made for the album and sent to all involved, as well as to celeb friends like Millie Bobby Brown and DJ Khaled (maybe hinting at a another collaboration).
📀 JUNE 2018 A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Apr 16, 2018 at 11:37am PDT
📀 JUNE 2018 A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Apr 16, 2018 at 11:37am PDT
Will it address the baby in the room?
Look, the cat’s out of the bag: Drake almost definitely is a baby daddy. Pusha-T(ea) spilled the beans on his diss track to end all diss tracks, airing all of Drake’s dirty laundry. Per Push, Drake had his own plan to reveal the news of his secret child, with a former adult-film star, likely with the announcement of an Adidas line named after his son. That branding aside, will Drake confirm the rumors on the album, pull a “the kid is not my son,” or just avoid the subject entirely? If you read between the lines on “I’m Upset” — in which he alludes to a child-support dispute — we’re thinking it’ll come up.
It’s a double album …
Drake knows nothing of brevity — his last album was 20 songs and nearly an hour-and-a-half long — and that’s not about to change on Scorpion. Billboards promoting the album in Toronto (which he puts up for every album) suggest it will be two-sided, and an affiliate of his label, OVO, said that Scorpion will be a double album, one side dedicated to rap and the other to R&B. (OutKast would like a word!) Now Drake has confirmed the two sides by providing the full 25-song (!) track list. “God’s Plan” and “I’m Upset” are on side A, while “Nice for What” is on side B (the “for the ladies” side, we guess). It’s worth noting that “Diplomatic Immunity” from his Scary Hours two-song EP (which included “God’s Plan”) didn’t make the cut, likely since it didn’t produce the same streaming numbers. Drake has hinted that Scorpion will have another “hard” album intro, per tradition — this time survival-themed, apparently. And, as always, it’ll all be executive-produced by Noah “40” Shebib and Drake’s manager, Oliver El-Khatib.
👀🦂🎢 A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 28, 2018 at 9:52am PDT
Drake billboards all over Toronto 👀 pic.twitter.com/II1VTv6BQG — Drake (@DrakeBible_) June 22, 2018
… and Michael Jackson is on it?
Drake has now shared the updated tracklist with features, including Jay-Z, Ty Dolla $ign, the late Static Major, and Michael Jackson. The Michael Jackson. It’s unclear if this is a sample or previously unreleased vocals. But it’s sure to be … something.
🤯😷👌🏽 A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 28, 2018 at 3:56pm PDT
Is he going to finally come for Pusha-T and Kanye?
Rappers aren’t typically as willing to lose as Drake has been in his fight with Pusha-T, but Drake isn’t your typical rapper. He’s been elevated past rap’s upper echelon into and above the pop stratosphere so much so that, despite seemingly having his character assassinated, his album rollout spoiled, and credibility shot to hell, he’s still the No. 1 rapper alive. For the majority of the year, and throughout this beef, he had the No. 1 song on the Billboard chart — two of them, in fact. But while the losses he took in the battle with Pusha-T are small for now, it’s going to be hard for him to shake the deadbeat-dad persona no matter what happens next. Meanwhile, Kanye West — who Drake had a falling out with — and Drake’s mentor, J Prince, called a ceasefire, and Drake has so far listened to his elders. But are we truly to believe there will not be a single stray bullet on that album with Push and Kanye’s names on it? Doubtful.
We can assume Karena Evans will be further involved.
Director X was Drake’s muse for the Views era; now X’s 22-year-old (!) protégé Karena Evans is Drake’s new “It” girl. She’s directed all three videos for his singles so far, each filmed (mostly) in secret — including that Degrassi high-school reunion. Drake has not done a visual album yet, but he has released short films for a couple of his projects. Could a Karena Evans fuller-length feature be on the way? Probably, if not at least a few more videos in the can.
What the hell is he going to say about Rihanna?
Unlike previous albums, it’s probably safe to assume Rihanna won’t actually appear on this album, given their falling out. (And if you think Drake’s not above being petty, recall that he removed Jennifer Lopez from a song they previously made together because she kicked him to the curb.) But that doesn’t mean a song about her won’t appear on the album, or at least a lyric. We know they’re no longer friends, let alone lovers, thanks to what Rihanna told Vogue. And while it’s probably best for Drake to keep Rih’s name out of his mouth, it’s likely he still has some words to spill about the situation.
Brace yourself for Reggaetón Papi.
Drake has yet to meet a culture he doesn’t want to crib. Up next: reggaetón. According to reports, he recorded a song many months ago with Latin trap star Bad Bunny (currently featured on Cardi B’s “I Like It”) in which Drake apparently sings — wait for it — in Spanish. Look what Justin Bieber hath wrought! Although, we should note that Bad Bunny isn’t named as a feature on the tracklist that Drake has so far shared.
👑 @champagnepapi A post shared by BAD | BUNNY (@badbunnypr) on Jan 25, 2018 at 12:03am PST
What sales records will he break this time?
Drake is the reigning king of streaming, breaking his own records with seemingly every release. Views surpassed 1 million album-equivalent units in its first week to debut at No. 1 — and that was as an Apple Music exclusive — while More Life did half that number but broke the single-week streaming record previously set by Views (remember, More Life wasn’t an Apple Music exclusive). The last album to earn over a million was Taylor Swift’s Reputation (which did slightly bigger than Views), but no album has reached such heights this year so far. Expect Drake to do it, and probably the best he’s done yet.
Uh, Annihilation was an inspiration?
What does it say about Drake’s album that its melodramatic trailer uses music from the film Annihilation? The trailer, shared earlier this week, uses Moderat’s “The Mark – Interlude,” which appears in a scene in the film and on its soundtrack. Okay, but, like, can we get Drake’s thoughts on the ending though?
🦂 A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Jun 25, 2018 at 7:00pm PDT
Will it be a streaming exclusive?
As mentioned above, Views was an Apple Music exclusive but More Life was not, as Apple has moved away from that practice. Drake still seemingly has his deal with Apple Music, but no longer appears as married to it or the idea of exclusivity. Will Scorpion land on all streaming services at midnight, just one (maybe Tidal, if he’s done beefing with Jay-Z?), or will it stream on a glitchy app one time at 3 a.m. and show up wherever Drake pleases days later? (On Twitch, perhaps? Ugh.) For the sake of our sleep schedules and sanity, the first one, we beg you!
After months of stratospheric singles, nostalgic music videos and cataclysmic beefs with other rappers, Drake has finally released his long-awaited fifth studio album, Scorpion. The mammoth double album contains 25 tracks, giving listeners plenty to sink their teeth into for weeks to come. But before fans even have time to form a proper opinion on Drake’s new effort, Scorpion has become the definitive blockbuster album of the summer, as it’s already eligible for a platinum certification from the RIAA.
This milestone should come as no surprise to anybody following Drake’s unprecedented chart run throughout the first half of 2018. The Canadian MC instantly rocketed his single “God’s Plan” to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release in January, where it stayed for 11 straight weeks—the first song to accomplish such a feat since Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day” in 1995-1996. “God’s Plan” was eventually certified 7x platinum in the United States for sales and streams exceeding seven million equivalent units, and when it finally surrendered the top spot on the Hot 100, it was to another Drake single.
That would be “Nice for What,” which dominated airwaves and streaming playlists upon its release in April. “Nice for What” debuted atop the Hot 100, making Drake the first artist in the U.S. to replace a No. 1 debut with another No. 1 debut. The track has ultimately spent seven non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 and became eligible for a 3x platinum certification for sales and streams exceeding three million units, per Chart Data.
Together, “God’s Plan” and “Nice for What” have shifted more than 10 million equivalent units. Ten track units equal one album sale, which means Scorpion has already shifted one million equivalent units on the strength of its first two singles, making it eligible for a platinum certification upon submission to the RIAA.
Despite its platinum eligibility, the pre-release figures for “God’s Plan” and “Nice for What” (along with Top 20 single “I’m Upset”) won’t count toward Scorpion’s first-week tally. Not that Drake needs to worry, given his track record. His last proper full-length album, 2016’s Views, debuted atop the Billboard 200 and moved 1.04 million units in its first week. Similarly, his 2017 “playlist” More Life topped the charts and moved 505,000 units in its first week, setting a first-week streaming record that Post Malone’s Beerbongs & Bentleys now holds. With 25 tracks, Scorpion all but guarantees huge, if not record-breaking, streaming numbers in its first seven days, following a recent trend of Herculean rap albums that are optimized for the streaming era.
Notably, Drake has released Scorpion during the first week of Billboard’s new streaming algorithm, which assigns more weight to streams from paid subscription services than free, ad-supported services. But, as Hip-Hop Lately notes, Drake likely has an older fanbase that’s more willing to pay for a streaming subscription than fans of Post Malone or XXXTentacion, so the new streaming rules shouldn’t hinder his sales too greatly. Hits Daily Double predicts the new formula could even increase Drake’s first-week figures.
Ultimately, Drake must be held to different commercial standards than his peers because of the staggering success he’s achieved in the past. But if his chart dominance in the first half of 2018 serves as any indication, then the already-platinum eligible Scorpion should dominate the rest of the summer and beyond.
Drake's Scorpion is streaming now.
In case you hadn't heard, Drake released his fifth album Scorpion on 29 June.
The record features 25 songs including the No.1 singles “God's Plan” and “Nice For What”. Drake wrote his own “Editor's Notes” for Apple Music, which say: “I hate when Drake raps. Drake sings too much. Drake is a pop artist. Drake doesn’t even write his own songs.
"Drake took an l. Drake didn’t start from the bottom. Drake is finished. I like Drake's older stuff. Drake makes music for girls. Drake thinks he’s Jamaican. Drake is an actor. Drake changed. Anybody else > Drake …. Yeah yeah we know.”
You can check out the album on Spotify below:
The album is Drake's first project since 2017's More Life, which was billed as a playlist. It is his first album since 2016's commercially successful but poorly reviewed Views.
The first hint at a new release was dropped back in 2017 via the final line on More Life, where he promised: "I'll be back 2018 to give you the summary."
He then resurfaced in April with an Instagram photo which revealed the upcoming release of Scorpion and has since released three singles: "God's Plan", "Nice For What" and "I'm Upset", all with accompanying videos.
Here's everything we know/think we know about the album so far:
When will it be released and how do I listen to it?
The album dropped in the early hours Friday 29 June and has since been released to services including Apple Music and Spotify.
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How many tracks will be on it?
As we mentioned earlier, it's a whopping 25 tracks. Drake previously shared the tracklist in full on his Instagram page and confirmed earlier reports of a double album - see in full below:
Several billboards popped up in Drake's hometown of Toronto referring to 'Side A/Side B' which caused the initial speculation. The double album was later confirmed by Mal of the Joe Budden podcast, who boasts a wealth of connections in Drake's OVO camp which has gifted him with the occasional nickname of "OVO Mal".
"It's a double album," he announced on the podcast. "RnB album and a rap album."
Who was involved in making the album?
Drake's longtime producers/collaborators Noah "40" Shebib and Olivier El-Khatib returned to helm this release. His last album More Life included major guest features including Kanye West, Quavo, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz and Young Thug, plus British artists Sampha, Giggs and Jorja Smith, but Scorpion appears to be a bit lighter (that's not to say there's not still a wealth of stars on the record)...
The Michael Jackson feature on “Don’t Matter to Me” appears to be previously unreleased music: Paul Anka is listed as a co-writer on the track (Anka and Jackson collaborated in the early 1980s) - Anka said last year that he was working on something with Drake.
There are also appearances from Static Major, TY Dollah $ign and Jay Z. On “That’s How You Feel,” Drake samples Nicki Minaj’s song “Boss Ass Bitch”, and Future appears on “Blue Tint”. No I.D., DJ Premier, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tay Keith, Boi-1da, and Murda Beatz are among the producers credited on the album.
What does he talk about?
Pusha made references to rumours of Drake fathering an illegitimate child on "The Story of Adidon", and Drake confirms those reports on two different tracks.
“I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world, I was hiding the world from my kid,” Drake raps on "Emotionless". He continues: “Breaking news in my life I don’t run to the blogs/the only ones I want to tell are in my phone I can call/They always ask, ‘Why let it run if it’s false’/You know a wise man once said nothing at all.”
He more directly addresses that he’s a father on the album’s final track, “March 14”, and drops a Michael Jackson reference:
Yesterday morning was crazy, I had to come to terms with the fact that it’s not a maybe
That shit is in stone, sealed and signed
She not my lover like Billie Jean, but the kid is mine
Sandy used to tell me all it takes is one time, and all it took was one time
Shit, we only met two times, two times!
And both times were nothing like the new times
Now it’s rough times
I’m out here on frontlines, trying to make sure that I see him sometimes
It’s breaking my spirit
Single father, I hate when I hear it
I used to challenge my parents on every album
Now I’m embarrassed to tell ’em I ended up as a co-parent
Always promised the family unit
I wanted it to be different because I been through it, but this is the harsh truth now.
Jay Z references the recent death of XXXTentacion during "Talk Up": “Y'all killed X,” he raps. “Streets is done.”
On “Survival,” Drake appears to refer to his feuds with Meek Mill (“I’ve had real Philly n——s try to write my ending”) and Diddy:(“I've had scuffles with bad boys that wasn’t pretendin’”).
The end of “In My Feelings” includes a sample from the episode of Donald Glover's Atlanta that was completely about Drake:(“I don’t even care, I need a photo with Drake because my Instagram is weak as fuck.”)
On “Is There More”, Drake drops the line: “Soon as the album drop, I’m outta the deal.”
Will Drake go on tour?
Which rock have you been hiding under? Drake has already announced a major North American tour with Migos which kicks off in July, and is called - rather wonderfully - "The Aubrey and the Three Amigos" tour.
