That means approximately half of all Spotify’s active worldwide users are Drake listeners. Last year, the Canadian rapper was Spotify‘s biggest artist – being listened to by 46m people on the platform across 2015. Significantly, fans can’t ‘un-bundle’ Views on iTunes, as they could with Beyonce’s Lemonade last week they only have the option to buy it as one package, with the exception of recent singles One Dance and Hotline Bling.ĭrake took a sizable risk with this approach. In its first week, it’s available to stream on Apple Music and buy on iTunes, but not available anywhere else – including physical stores. Views is now easily on course to smash through a million North American sales before the weekend.ĭrake and his team will have breathed a big sigh of relief at this news – early vindication for a digital strategy which was by no means a safe bet.Īside from its status as one of the most eagerly anticipated records of the year, Views (previously ‘Views From The 6’), is a complete Apple exclusive.
Over recent months, Drake has also released a couple of songs which did not appear on last year's mixtapes, If You're Reading This It's Too Late and What A Time To Be Alive, so it is entirely likely that Hotline Bling and Summer Sixteen will make the final cut.Within another 24 hours, Drake’s Views had surpassed Lemonade’s entire week-one album download figure, with around 600,000 sales. On his show, however, Drake premiered a new version of that song without the guest stars and his effort to remaster it suggests it will definitely end up on the final tracklist. The rapper has a great host of collaborations with dancehall artist PopCaan featuring on Controlla, a verse from UGK legend Pimp C on Faithful, afrobeats star Wizkid on One Dance and Jay Z and Kanye West on Pop Style. Tracklist and collaborationsĭrake is keeping fans in suspense with the official tracklist, but several songs have leaked online in recent weeks, including These Days. Listen to Drake's Hotline Bling:Īs previously mentioned, Drizzy will be dropping Views From The 6 on 29 April but you won't find it on Tidal, Spotify or any other streaming service just yet with Apple Music holding exclusive rights to the release. In anticipation of the arrival of Views From The 6, IBTimes UK takes a look at everything we know so far about one of the most awaited albums of 2016. With an official release date in the diary, the countdown is on for what will undoubtedly be Drake's fourth number-one album in the US. The repetition of the number 29 also suggests that 29 April was chosen deliberately to match his age. Me as Drake.Īmong the references are Drake's hit singles, his role as Jimmy Brooks in Degrassi: The Next Generation, receiving the key to the city of his hometown Toronto and launching the OVO Fest in 2009. Speaking over a montage of his milestone moments, Drake charts his journey over the last seven years, saying: "The 6. Watch Drake's Views From The 6 trailerĤ/29/16 #VIEWS /kHa2rerRyV- Drizzy April 10, 2016
Forever."Ī trailer which the Work rapper, real name Aubrey Graham, shared on Twitter appears to suggest the album will be his most reflective to date and will cover everything from his upbringing in Toronto, Canada, to his signing with Lil Wayne's Young Money record label and his biggest achievements since rising to the forefront of rap in 2009.
You'll have your full share of Drake music for the summer and for the year. Trying to craft a lifestyle track, a sound for our city. It's something that I've been working really hard on, myself and 40. The Hotline Bling rapper is expected to release his fourth studio album on 29 April with Apple Music and iTunes carrying the record exclusively.Īnnouncing the exciting news on his Beats 1 OVO Sound Radio station on Saturday (9 April), Drake, 29, told listeners: "Views is dropping 29 April. Drake has made the biggest announcement yet about his new album Views From The 6.