On Friday morning, Drake released his fourth album in less than two years, following a summer of teasing, numerous delays, dozens of arena concerts, and ultimately another number-one single. The album was published before a tour-ending, two-night run of shows in his hometown of Toronto.
“For All the Dogs,” Drake’s eighth studio album as a solo artist, excluding mixtapes, consists of 23 tracks and features artists from the hip-hop revival, including Chief Keef, Yeat, Teezo Touchdown, and Sexyy Red, as well as former collaborators such as J. Cole, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, SZA, and the Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.
The credits also include Kevin Durant, a basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. He is credited with the role of A&R on “For All the Dogs,” which in the contemporary music industry refers to a collaborator who assists in organizing an album. Several songs are featured, including “Bahamas Promises,” “What Would Pluto Do,” “7969 Santa,” and “Virginia Beach,” which garnered instantaneous attention due to its name evoking the hometown of Pusha-T, Drake’s longstanding rival in the rap industry.
On Friday, the album was published at 6 am Eastern time, contrary to the industry’s norm. In his announcement, Drake wrote on Instagram, “Sorry to all my streamers,” alluding to the fact that new albums are typically published at midnight on services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
It was the most recent and shortest postponement of a long-awaited album. Drake, a consistent chart-topper who takes delight in his unrelenting output, began promising a new release before the July debut of his “It’s All A Blur” arena tour, and he provided updates on his recording progress on stage the majority of the time.
Drake Releases ‘For All The Dogs’ Album, With Assists From Bad Bunny And Kevin Durant.
Before “For All the Dogs” was released on September 22, fans anticipated the film would be released at the start of summer.
Drake first hinted at the album in June when he unexpectedly announced a book of poetry through full-page newspaper advertisements in major publications. The advertisements and the book “Titles Ruin Everything,” which was co-authored with Kenza Samir, featured a QR code that, when affixed to an image of two canines, led to a website that disclosed the release of new music.
It was accompanied by a mischievous Drake lyric from the 2011 song “Headlines” and an unspecified release date: “They claim they miss the old Drake, girl, so do not tempt me,” they said.
He referred to the new album as “one of my best ever” on Thursday, coinciding with the release of the video for “8 am in Charlotte,” the most recent installment in his extensive time stamp series, in which his young son, Adonis, is featured. According to the artist, the scrawled depiction of a goat—not a dog—that functions as the album cover for “For All the Dogs” was also contributed by the child.
The singles “Search & Rescue,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April (but is not included on “For All the Dogs”), and “Slime You Out,” featuring SZA, which debuted at No. 1 last month and marked Drake’s twelfth chart-topping song, were released before the album. Billboard said this accomplishment placed him in a tie with Madonna and the Supremes for the fifth-most No. 1s in history.
Drake has also appeared on tracks by Travis Scott, J Hus, Central Cee, and Young Thug this year.
Drake has a total of twelve albums, and two of them were published in the previous year: “Honestly, Nevermind,” inspired by dance music, and “Her Loss,” released in November alongside 21 Savage and focuses on rap music.
The “It’s All a Blur” tour, featuring 21 Savage, concludes at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Friday and Saturday. With over fifty arena dates, Drake’s tour was one of many by music’s most prominent artists this summer, during which ticket prices were exorbitant due to ticket competition and intense post-pandemic demand, which displeased some fans.
Following the tour and album, Drake announced on Friday that he would likely take a hiatus, citing a persistent stomach issue. “I probably won’t make music for a little bit,” the rapper told Sirius XM radio listeners on his Table for One program. “I must prioritize my health.”
He continued, “I don’t even know what a little bit is.” A year or so, perhaps a little longer.
SOURCE – (SUN)
