Drake has been known to pull out all of the stops when it comes to his summer releases, and his new song "Popstar" is no different — he's calling upon the spirits of some of music's biggest names to help make this single a viral hit.
The track, one of two early singles from super-producer DJ Khaled's upcoming twelfth studio album Khaled Khaled, sees Toronto's very own engaging in some serious flexing. "Bitches callin' my phone like I'm locked up, nonstop," Drake raps with typical braggadocio on the chorus. "I'm a popstar, not a doctor."
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That flex extends throughout the song's verses, where he takes things a step further by very casually namedropping some of his celebrity acquaintances. Again, this is Drake we're talking about — he's rubbed shoulders with everyone from Beyoncé to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — so it's no surprise that he's familiar with everyone in the music game and feels more than comfortable saying so.
Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez get a mention: "Look, Ariana, Selena, my Visa. It can take as many charges as it needs to, my girl."
As does friend and past collaborator ("Right Here") Justin Bieber: "Crown in my hand and I'm really playin' keep-away, Shit don't even usually get this big without a Bieber face."
Drake even taps the music greats, paying his respects (kind of) to the star power of mega producer David Foster and the late great Whitney Houston with a clever reference tying in the legend's role in the 1992 film The Bodyguard alongside Kevin Costner.
"Popstar" is just one of Drake's many releases of 2020. Earlier this spring, he dropped Dark Lane Demo Tapes, a mixtape of unreleased gems that featured artists like Future, Chris Brown, and Giveon. And he plans to keep his name top of mind for the rest of the year with an unnamed sixth studio album that is set to release some time this summer.
"CHEFFETE," he cryptically captioned a meme on his Instagram page earlier this week, hinting at the album's drop.
The "Nonstop" rapper has been dominating the summer charts for years — we have Drake to thank for the memorable vibes of 2016 given to us courtesy of the genius "Work" and "Controlla" blend at every function. And while his latest track doesn't exactly have the reply value of "Nice for What," "In My Feelings," or even "Toosie Slide," it's a reminder that Drake is a pretty big deal, and he's fully aware of that fact.
So "Popstar" will have to do, for now. At least until we get the new music later this summer.