Drake and Don Toliver took Ella Langley’s country song “Choosin Texas” and flipped it into something called “Solar Eclipse.”
That rework is one of four new tracks now on streaming as part of a deluxe edition of HABIBTI, and it might be the strangest crossover of Drake’s year so far.
The other additions are “Cold Shoulder,” which pairs Drake and Don Toliver with Yebba, and “Classic PT2,” a solo cut that extends a fan favorite from the original HABIBTI.
Rounding out the batch is “QUEBEC,” which The FADER is already calling the clear highlight of the bunch.
Most of these songs aren’t brand new to anyone paying close attention. Drake debuted a handful of them a few weeks ago in FOMO, a surprise short film he premiered on YouTube that played more like a compilation of music videos.
That film had its own moments. The FADER staff singled out Loe Shimmy and Drake dressing up as War Machine and Iron Man in the clip for “I’m Spent,” a visual gag that felt like Drake was having fun again.
That’s a big shift from where things stood twelve months ago. This time last year, Drake looked down and out, struck mute by the fallout from his beef with Kendrick Lamar.
Then came the summer triple release of ICEMAN, HABIBTI, and MAID OF HONOR. Hits like “Shabang,” “Janice STFU,” and “Cheetah Print” did a lot of the heavy lifting, helping Canada’s most successful rapper settle back in as one of the genre’s most loved names.
“QUEBEC” is built around a wisp of a melody, with Drake’s restless flow skipping across a drum pattern you can only imagine for a while. The kick doesn’t land until more than a minute in, and when it does, his vocals start to shift and grow more urgent.
On paper, the lyrics are classic late period Drake, hedonistic and unapologetic. “Bring you to my crib, it’s a cathedral in here,” he murmurs, before adding, “Dancin’ in my kitchen, it’s Ibiza in here.” He also brags that his 747 only fits 40 people, which is a wild amount of legroom.
You could easily hear all of this as a real estate flex, and plenty of listeners will. The FADER reads it differently, pointing to an uneasy undercurrent similar to the one running through ICEMAN standout “B’s On The Table.”
“I can’t sleep without a fuckin heater in here,” Drake sings, a line that would earn an eye roll if he didn’t sell it so hard. Earlier, in the drumless first half, he drops a darker aside: “Strange things are happening, I swear that’s the Feds.”
That paranoia, the feeling of always checking over your shoulder at church, at the club, or boarding a commercial flight, gives the song its pull.
Only a few of the FOMO tracks have made the jump to streaming so far, so fans are already watching to see what Drake slips out next.
