Scorpion (Drake album)
Scorpion is the fifth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 29, 2018, by Cash Money Records, Republic Records, and Young Money Entertainment. Scorpion is a double album consisting of 25 tracks. Its first disc is primarily hip hop, while its second disc has been described as R&B and pop. It was executively produced by Drake himself, alongside frequent collaborator 40 and manager Oliver El-Khatib. Scorpion features guest appearances from Jay-Z and Ty Dolla Sign, as well as posthumous appearances from Michael Jackson and Static Major.
Scorpion
June 29, 2018
- NightBird (West Hollywood)
- Ritz Carlton
- S.O.T.A. (Toronto)
- Sandra Gale (Yolo Estate, California)
89:44
- 40
- Allen Ritter
- Blaqnmild
- Boi-1da
- Capo
- Cardo
- DJ Paul
- DJ Premier
- Jahaan Sweet
- ModMaxx
- Murda Beatz
- No I.D.
- Nonstop da Hitman
- Oogie Mane
- Preme
- Shaun Harris
- Supah Mario
- T-Minus
- Tay Keith
- TrapMoneyBenny
- Wallis Lane
- Yung Exclusive
Lyrically, the album sees Drake rap about topics that have been common in his discography, including claustrophobia, relationships, and boasting about his rise from underdog to a prominent figure in music. The production draws influence from a range of genres, including soul, ambience, quiet storm, R&B, pop, electronica, and trap.
Scorpion was supported by the singles "God's Plan", "Nice for What", "I'm Upset", "Don't Matter to Me", "In My Feelings", "Nonstop", and "Mob Ties". All seven singles reached the top twenty on the US Billboard Hot 100, with three of them reaching number one: "God's Plan", "Nice for What", and "In My Feelings". In its first day of release, Scorpion broke Spotify's one-day global record for album streams with 132.45 million streams. It also broke Apple Music's single-day record with 170 million streams, breaking Drake's own record set with More Life.
Scorpion received lukewarm reviews from critics, with praise directed at the quality of its tracks but criticism directed at the album's length as a whole. Despite this, it performed well commercially, debuting atop the US Billboard 200 with 732,000 album-equivalent units, of which 160,000 came from pure sales. As of January 2019, Scorpion was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album received five nominations at the 2019 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and "God's Plan" won Best Rap Song. The album also won Drake a second Top Billboard 200 Album of his career at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, among other awards.
Background[edit]
Drake announced the album on Instagram on April 16, 2018, followed by the announcement of its release date on June 14.[3][4] Two days before release, Scorpion was confirmed to be a double album, Drake's first, after a promotional billboard alluded to the format. The double album consists of a rap-oriented side and an R&B-oriented side, the two genres that Drake focuses on.[5]
Prior to the album's release, Drake became engaged in a rivalry with American rapper Pusha T. In May 2018, after Drake released a diss track titled "Duppy Freestyle" in response to Pusha T's album Daytona, Pusha T released "The Story of Adidon" which alleged that Drake had a secret child. Scorpion finally addressed the rumor, and later Drake admitted to having a son named Adonis, with French artist Sophie Brussaux.[6][7] In response to Pusha T's diss track, critics highlighted that the album's title, Scorpion, was a response to Drake's critics.[8]
Themes and production[edit]
Lyrically, Scorpion sees Drake rap about topics that have been common in his discography, including claustrophobia caused by his fame, complications of relationships, and boasting about his rise from the "underdog" to a prominent figure in music.[8] The production features twisted soul samples, ambience,[8] quiet storm, R&B,[9] pop, electronica,[1] and trap.[10]
Release and promotion[edit]
On January 19, 2018, Drake released the two-track extended play Scary Hours.[11] It included the singles "Diplomatic Immunity" and "God's Plan", the latter of which served as the lead single to Scorpion after debuting at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.[12] Following this, Drake released the album's second single "Nice for What" on April 6, which also charted in the same position.[13][14] On May 26, the third single "I'm Upset" was released.[12][15] On July 6, the song "Don't Matter to Me" was sent to British contemporary hit radio as the album's fourth single.[16] On July 10, the song "In My Feelings" was sent to the US rhythmic and contemporary hit radio as the album's fifth single.[17][18] The song later went on to become the third song off the album to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.[19] "Nonstop" was released to rhythmic radio in the US as the album's sixth single on July 31.[20] "Mob Ties" was released to urban contemporary airplay in the US as the album's seventh single on January 6, 2019.[21]
A series of billboards promoting the album surfaced in Toronto, on June 22, while a trailer for the album was released on June 26.[22][23] The album's promotion on the streaming service Spotify attracted some controversy from its subscribers for what they perceived to be excessive promotion, with Drake appearing in most of the service's editorial playlists, including ones which he had nothing to do with, such as those for electronic dance music and even gospel music.[24] Following the release of the album, Drake also embarked on his second co-headlining tour with Migos, Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, which began on August 12, 2018, in Kansas City.[25]
Commercial performance[edit]
Scorpion was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a day before release due to a technicality that incorporates the track-equivalent units moved by the previously released singles "God's Plan", "Nice for What" and "I'm Upset".[54]
In its first day of release, Scorpion broke Spotify's then-one-day global record for album streams with 132.45 million streams, more than 50 million plays greater than the previous record, set by Post Malone's Beerbongs & Bentleys two months earlier. It also broke Apple Music's single-day record with 170 million streams, breaking Drake's own record set with More Life.[55]
In Drake's home country of Canada, Scorpion sold 70,000 album-equivalent units in its opening week.[56] It serves as Drake's eighth number-one album in the country.[56] The album earned 34,000 album-equivalent units in the second week, marking the third highest sales week in 2018.[57] In 2018, Scorpion was ranked as the most popular album of the year on the Canadian Albums Chart.[58] In 2018 the album earned 424,000 on-demand audio consumption units in the country.[59]
In the United States, Scorpion opened atop the Billboard 200 with 732,000 album-equivalent units, which included 160,000 pure album sales, making it the biggest first week of the year at the time. It became his eighth entry in a row to top the chart and broke the country's streaming record with 745.92 million streams in its first week.[60] Although debuting at number one, the album serves as Drake's lowest first-week pure sales of his career, selling 692,000 less pure copies than Views, and 66,000 less than More Life.[60] All 25 tracks on the album entered the Billboard Hot 100 and Drake also became the first musician to simultaneously debut four new songs inside the top 10 of the US Hot 100, with "Nonstop" (at 2), "In My Feelings" (6), "Emotionless" (8), and "Don't Matter to Me" featuring Michael Jackson (9), and seven tracks simultaneously in the top 10 of the chart, becoming only the fourth album to have seven top 10 singles, and the first to achieve this since 1991.[61][62] As of December 2019, the album has sold over 5,055,000 album-equivalent units in the US, with over 379,000 being pure sales.[63]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, with 64,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Drake's second number-one album on the chart.[64] It remained atop the chart for a second week.[65] In 2018, Scorpion was ranked as the fifth most popular album of the year on the UK Albums Chart.[66] As of January 2019, Scorpion has sold over 300,000 combined sales in the United Kingdom.[67]
Notes
Sample credits