You can’t make this stuff up.
Last weekend, Drake took advantage of a highly-anticipated hosting slot on his Beats1 radio show, OVO Sound Radio, to reveal his plans to release his fourth LP, Views From the 6, in April, and release a new single, “Summer Sixteen,” which took more shots at Meek Mill and fired some warning ones at outspoken Toronto R&B artist Tory Lanez. Though it’s unclear as to whether or not the Noah “40” Shebib and Boi-1da-produced cut will make it off the VFT6 cutting room floor, it’s already one of the biggest hits of Drake’s career.
“Hotline Bling” very nearly became Drake’s first chart-topper last year when its infectious melody and meme-generating music video nearly pushed it past acts like Adele and The Weeknd into the Hot 100’s top slot, and it looks like Drizzy’s got another horse in the derby. Despite their being no official music video for the song, “Summer Sixteen” debuts at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being officially released to digital retail on January 30. It’s the highest debut of Drake’s career, and his highest debut since 2011’s “Take Care” duet with Rihanna. Incidentally, their most recent duet, “Work,” immediately follows “Summer Sixteen” on this week’s charts, and sits at #7 after climbing up two spots from #9 in the last week. The forthcoming music video could give Drizzy and Rih their second duet #1 (their first duet, “What’s My Name,” topped the charts in 2010).
