“TMRW MIDNIGHT,” Drake wrote on Thursday (Aug. 13) while sharing a video of him and a friend zooming around on jet skis in waters near what looks to be a luxurious, palatial mansion. And – that was it. Was Drake, 33, announcing he was going jet skiing at midnight? Was he announcing a Degrassi reboot? Was he going to confirm the growing rumors that he has a new album on the way? When the clock struck 12:00, fans found out: he dropped a hot new single “Laugh Now Cry Later” and revealed that it will be on his NEW ALBUM, which wil be titled Certified Lover Boy.
Drake posted artwork of himself with collaborator Lil Durk to his Instagram page and wrote next to it, “Laugh Now Cry Later off my next studio album CERTIFIED LOVER BOY video link in bio.” The video was filmed at the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon and features a number of pro athletes, including the NFL’s Odell Beckham Jr. and Marshawn Lynch, as well as NBA superstar Kevin Durant.
There were rumblings and unconfirmed rumors that Drake was going to finally release the follow-up to 2018’s Scorpion this month. The publications On Smash and PopCrave reported that the album would be called Skeleton King, with the first single being a collaboration with Bruno Mars. PopCrave also tweeted-and-deleted supposed details on this alleged album, claiming it was a “12-track project” that’s based on “nearly 20 demos that the rapper wrote during his acting career days,” per Meaww.com. Clearly, something was going on with the 6 God. In early July, Drake shared an Instagram Story of him in the studio, the word “80%” written above his head, per HipHopDX. His engineer, Noel Cadastre, gave fans an update on the new album on July 28, saying that it was “90%” done, but fans were “gonna have to wait on that last 10%.”
2020 has seen plenty of music from Drake. He released his Dark Lane Demo Tapes mixtape in May, which contained the first hit – and Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 – “Toosie Slide.” It also netted Drake his twelfth consecutive Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, debuting at No. 2 behind Kenny Chesney’s Here and Now. “Pain 1993” also debuted at No. 7 in the Hot 100, tying Drake with Madonna for the most Top 10 Hits in Hot 100 history. A few weeks later, he would break the tie with “Greece” and “Popstar,” two new collabs with DJ Khaled. Drake would also collaborate with Popcaan on “All I Need” and “Twist & Turn,” two cuts from the Jamaican dancehall star’s Fixtape.
Drake’s biggest release this year may not be a song. In March, Drake posted pictures of his 2-year-old son Adonis Graham for the first time. The COVID-19 outbreak seemed to make Drake realize what was important to him. “It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what is happening around us now, you can always make the choice to break free of the wheel of suffering and panic and open up to your own light. We are powerful manifestors, so once you make the choice in the moment to shift your awareness to something good, it will show you in your reality,” he captioned the photos. “. I love and miss my beautiful family and friends and I can’t wait for the joyful day when we are all able to reunite. Until then please keep your lights on.”