For this yr’s replace of our ongoing Biggest Pop Star by Yr mission, Billboard is counting down our employees picks for the highest 10 pop stars of 2023 all this week. At No. 10, we bear in mind the yr in Drake — a veteran celebrity whose present work longtime followers are more and more divided over, however who can nonetheless all the time simply level to the scoreboard for proof of his rap and pop supremacy.
The flip of the yr was quiet for Drake, by the prolific megastar’s requirements — after dropping his 21 Savage team-up album Her Loss on the high of November, he sat again and watched the album high the charts — however by December, the hype was dwindling. Solely three songs remained within the Scorching 100 by December 31: “Wealthy Flex,” “Spin Bout U,” and “Circo Loco,” with the very best putting at No. 20. The one issues that Drake had left on his agenda for the yr had been two highly-anticipated offered out exhibits on the Apollo Theater. Per week earlier than they had been slated to happen in November, Migos rapper Takeoff tragically handed away, and manufacturing points set the performances again additional. Maybe it was acceptable that the rap sport was silent.
Billboard’s Biggest Pop Stars of 2023:
Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Yr: Peso Pluma | Comeback of the Yr: Miley Cyrus
Drake began 2023 on a excessive notice: he returned to the stage on the Apollo, delighting followers with a career-spanning mixture of his largest hits and deep cuts and giving followers a style of what was to come back. Shortly after, he introduced the It’s All a Blur tour with 21 Savage in March, with 29 exhibits scheduled throughout the U.S. and Canada. He rapidly capitalized upon the joy by increasing his tour with an extra 15 exhibits – and for a second, every thing surrounding Drake was good, clear enjoyable. In true Drake model, that didn’t final for lengthy.
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One in all Drake’s best star strengths is his means to create headline-worthy moments which might be controversial, however not career-jeopardizingly damning. He as soon as once more stirred the pot in his on-and-off relationship with Kanye West with the only “Search & Rescue” by together with audio of Kim Kardashian speaking about her former husband. This left followers questioning if the soundbite was simply becoming of the monitor’s theme, or if it was a deeper dig at Drake’s frenemy. No matter intent, dialogue of the potential beef helped propel the monitor to a No. 2 debut on the Scorching 100.
Apparently, although, the largest controversy the celebrity had round this time didn’t even contain music: seemingly out of nowhere, Drake appeared on Bobbi Althoff’s The Actually Good Podcast, giving followers a uncommon sit down with the rapper that showcased his humor whereas skyrocketing Althoff to fame. The final inhabitants was not notably conversant in Althoff – who transitioned from making content material for mothers on TikTok to rebranding with a brand new podcast and a brand new aloof, deadpan persona in 2021 – so, when Drake sat down along with her, the deliberately awkward dialog broke the web. Ought to Drake have given such a platform to such an novice expertise who was unfamiliar with hip-hop? Was Bobbi’s interview insulting? The web debated for months following the episode, additional fueled by the truth that the complete video was later taken down from Althoff’s channel.
Summer season was when issues began to select up for Drake in 2023: a string of buzzy visitor appearances and collaborations saved followers on the hook: “Who Instructed You” with J Hus, “On the Radar Freestyle” with Central Cee, “Oh U Went” with Younger Thug, and “Meltdown” with Travis Scott every had their moments. Regardless of the hype surrounding every of those releases, none of them took off fairly just like the rapper’s earlier work. As an alternative, Drake discovered success in entertaining his viewers with the It’s All a Blur Tour, incomes $147.5 million for the yr, in accordance with numbers reported to Billboard Field Rating.
The It’s All a Blur tour was a large success past numbers: It additional proved that Drake stays an simple pop star. Every present generated new viral moments, each optimistic and unfavourable. Some followers complained that Drake was ranting for too lengthy or forgetting his personal lyrics, however the tour was extensively praised total. Followers had been stunned by the visuals, together with a drone-powered flying sperm, and Drake personally shocking viewers members with luxurious items together with $50,000 and an Hermès Birkin bag. Attendees of the tour had been even given the prospect to seize a pair of NOCTA Nike Scorching Step Air Terras, courtesy of Drake’s partnership with Shopify, Drake Associated. It appeared as if Drake had an infinite variety of methods up his sleeve— after which got here his subsequent album, For All The Canines.
Strain was excessive for Drake to launch a robust album. After experiencing a dip in each fan enthusiasm and chart efficiency with Actually, Nevermind, and regaining his footing with Her Loss, the Toronto rapper got here again with loads to show on Canines. Its lead single, “Slime You Out” that includes SZA, excited followers as a result of artists’ shared historical past. The celebrity pairing and trade of jabs on the monitor helped it soar to No. 1 on the Scorching 100. However finally, followers discovered the monitor disappointing — as did legendary actress Halle Berry, who was featured within the cowl artwork with out her approval, and co-star SZA, who claims her finest vocals weren’t integrated. It rapidly fell down the chart. Nonetheless, followers had been excited to listen to Drake’s newest physique of labor, which was first promised to drop per week after. Nevertheless, after debating whether or not he ought to cancel his ultimate tour dates to complete the album, Drake pushed again the discharge from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6.
As soon as launched, For All The Canines proved that Drake stays commercially bulletproof. Critics poked holes within the 23-track launch, saying that it was too lengthy, that the lyrics had been too corny and floor degree and that Drake’s sentiments felt obviously misogynistic. Nonetheless, the album debuted at No. 1, tying Michael Jackson’s document for solo males on the Billboard Scorching 100 with J. Cole team-up “First Individual Shooter.” The various providing with a stacked listing of featured artists had a number of robust moments, primarily tied to collaborations with Cole, Yeat and Sexyy Crimson, however followers proceed to quote Drake’s older works as his prime. One featured artist was sudden and refreshing for everybody: the incorporation of Adonis, Drake’s 6-year-old son, now a burgeoning visible artist. Adonis’ drawing was used as the duvet art work for Canines, and that drawing was additional built-in into the Canines period through inclusion within the music video for “8am in Charlotte.”
Following the discharge of Canines, Drake’s strikes had been unpredictable. He stated that he could be taking a hiatus to give attention to his well being – a declare that made sense because it got here on the heels of Drake revealing that he suffered from abdomen points on tour, on high of the numerous earlier years of nonstop grinding. The world was prepared to offer Drake a break. However then he dropped Adonis’ “My Man Freestyle,” and just some weeks after that, he dropped the video for “First Individual Shooter,” an elaborate manufacturing laden with popular culture references to issues just like the Spider-Man meme and the well-known photograph of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi enjoying chess.
However the largest curveball of all got here on Nov. 17: Drake dropped the shock Scary Hours Version reissue of For All of the Canines, including six new songs to the tracklist, and dates for a 2024 U.S. run titled the It’s All a Blur Tour – Large because the What? with assist from J. Cole. In hindsight, Drake may need foretold this modification of plans on new Scary Hours monitor “Tales About My Brother,” as he described a return: “the storm earlier than the calm, we’ll get to the holiday later.”
As soon as once more, Drake has reminded us to anticipate the sudden – it’s what’s made him omnipresent in each 2023 and in our lives for the previous decade and a half, for higher or worse. With a tour on the horizon, we’re not too prone to cease listening to from the 6 God in 2024, both.
