Drake’s surprise release of new album ‘Honestly, It’s Okay’ sends fans into frenzy
On Thursday, Drake’s 113 million Instagram followers were thrilled when he announced that he would be releasing a new album at midnight called Honestly, Nevermind.
The 35-year-old rap superstar has released cover art for the project, which will be his seventh studio album following last year’s release of Certified Lover Boy.
“Seventh studio album ‘HONESTLY, NEVERMIND’ released at midnight,” the Canadian hit producer captioned the photo, simply noting the new album’s title.
New track: On Thursday, Drake thrilled his 113 million Instagram followers by announcing that he was releasing a new album at midnight titled Honestly, Nevermind; pictured in 2016
The album was a complete surprise, and the musician did not promote it in advance.
The emotional announcement was liked by nearly 2 million fans in the first two hours, including former rap rival Kanye West, 45.
The hip-hop star – who has sold more than 37 million albums worldwide – is likely to discuss the new album during tonight’s premiere episode of the SiriusXM radio show Table For One.
The show will air on Sound 42 at 11 p.m. ET an hour before the album’s release.
Summer Album: The 35-year-old Canadian rapper has released cover art for the project, which will be his seventh studio album after last year’s Certified Lover Boy
The rapid advance of the new project may be due in part to the fact that the God Project star recently signed a $400 million record deal earlier this year.
On May 3, Universal Music Group head Sir Lucian Grainge confirmed that Drake had signed a massive “broad, multi-faceted deal” with the label, Variety reported.
The deal “includes sound recordings, publishing, merchandise and visual media projects.”
New show: The hit producer may discuss the album in tonight’s premiere episode of SiriusXM radio show Table For One, which he promoted on Instagram ahead of its release
Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, released through his own imprint, OVO Sound, under license from Republic Records (owned by UMG).
The album earned him nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
However, the artist, who has won four Grammys in the past, withdrew from running for the award.
The big deal: The rapid development of new projects may be partly due to the hip-hop star reportedly signing a record deal worth $400 million as recently as earlier this year.Pictured October 2019
The chart-topper, who is known to be critical of the Grammys, wrote on Instagram in response to the 2020 Grammys’ snub of The Weeknd, urging a new platform.
“I think we should stop shocking ourselves every year at the disconnect between influential music and these awards, and accept that what was once the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to artists who exist now and who will come later.
He added, “It’s a great time for someone to start something new that we can build on over time and pass on to future generations.”
LAST PROJECT: Drake’s last album earned him nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance at the 2022 Grammys, though he dropped out of the race; certified Lover Boy album cover
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