Will Drake’s 'Scorpion' arrive as a double album?
As you might remember, this is not the first time Drizzy stroke up double-album talks.
“I’ll back 2018 to give you the summer,” Drake raps on the final track off 2017’s More Life and, as already made clear, he’s keeping that promise.
In 6 days, 11 hours and umpteen minutes, Drizzy is set to release his new album, Scorpion. With all the commotion in its rearview, there is no denying the gravity behind this new chapter. And the Boy, himself, is cognizant of the fact. With the album set for June 29, fans were left with to decipher quite the Rubik’s cube thanks to a few billboards alluding to a double album. One of these posters display “A Side B Side,” while another asks, “Is There More?” This simple question has since led to fans on social media to speculate whether or not Scorpion will be a double-disc.
As you might remember, this is not the first time that a Drizzy album struck up double-disc talks. Back in 2016, his album Views received the same theories when ads across Toronto hinted at the possibility. However, that came and went. Yet and still, in this era of streaming roulette, a double album from Drizzy at this very moment, would be ideal. After all, he is, pound for pound, king of the streaming era. Back in January, he released “God’s Plan” and “Diplomatic Immunity,” both songs packaged as the Scary Hours EP, and shattered Apple Music and Spotify streaming records in less than three days. And, we’re not even going to discuss “God’s Plan.”
Outside of Drake’s numbers on the board, though, a double album in this climate actually makes sense. In January, Migos’ Culture II arrived with a whopping 24 songs and 14 of them spilled on Billboard Hot 100, tying them with The Beatles for most simultaneous entires. How’s that for digital dash? In April, Cardi B’s 13-song Invasion of Privacy quickly shattered Taylor Swift’s streaming record on Apple Music, as the most-streamed album by a female artist in its first week. If that wasn’t enough, the entire album went on to fill up the Billboard Hot 100, giving Cardi the title for most simultaneous Hot 100 hits by a solo female artist. All of that said, with Drake being the John Cena in hip-hop’s streaming competition, why not double things up this time around?
Considering all that he’s accomplished thus far, from the accolades to record sales, Drake is in a much higher place, as far as fame goes. “Please don’t speak to me like I’m that Drake from four years ago, I’m at a higher place,” he once commanded. And, it’s a bulletproof fact. But in that space welcomes in new quests and accomplishments. Earlier this year, we saw him go all philanthropic on us with the “God’s Plan” video. On “Nice For What,” he delivered 2018’s quintessential female empowerment anthem. With “Diplomatic Immunity,” he gave us bars — and, at a technical level, his best rap record to date. Still and all, though, tapping into a concept and stretching it out over two discs is how you leave every stone turned. This is a genre, after all, where double-disc releases are the stuff of legend. 2Pac did it. The Notorious B.I.G. did it. JAY-Z, Nas, OutKast — the list goes on.
Other than the rumored Pusha-T response, if it’s a mark you want to make, dropping a double album is one helluva statement. Whether he decides to or not, fans are already suggesting how he could pull it off. As one Twitter fan pointed it out, the album could be split into two genres, one side leaning toward rap and the other being R&B flavored.
As the countdown continues, Drake’s Scorpion is locked for June 29 release, coincidentally the same day that Billboard‘s new streaming rules — one that will see paid subscription streams factor into the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts — take into effect. God’s plan, indeed.