Here’s everything you need to know about Scorpion, the Canadian rapper’s blockbuster 5th album.
Right from the get-go, Drake’s fifth studio album has been making noise in the music industry that seems louder than fireworks. First off, how long could an album possibly be? Well, 25-songs long, apparently. Secondly, who else can spark pop-culture hits like One Dance and #inmyfeelings challenge? When Will Smith jumps on the bandwagon to a trend you started, we’re pretty sure that deserves the “Legends-Only” status. So it comes to no surprise that when Scorpion hit the shelves this year, it’s been ranking high on the charts and raking in by the hot millions. What do you think of the album? Let’s hash out the details.
Initial Critical and Commercial Success
Scorpion was released on the 29th of June this year. In the first three days since its release, the album logged a jaw-dropping stream record of 435 million. This record beat Post Malone’s over a full week, which was set not less than two months before. As if that’s not impressive enough. In two weeks, Scorpion reached more than one million equivalent album sales. The album has also been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on the day of its release. This is due to the technicality that it officially includes previously-released singles “God’s Plan”, “I’m Upset”, and “Nice For What.”
In the United States, Scorpion managed to land on top of the Billboard 200. This ranking came with over 700,000 album-equivalent units that include pure album sales of 160,000. At the time, this made Scorpion the biggest first week-album of the year. Additionally, all of the album’s 25 tracks landed on the Billboard 100. But the four tracks that stole the show were “Nonstop” at number 2, “In My Feelings” at 6, “Emotionless” at the 8th spot, and “Don’t Matter To Me”, featuring Michael Jackson, at number 9.
Critically, Scorpion was met with generally positive reviews. In Metacritic, Scorpion has an average score of 67.
25-Track Dual Sided Album
In this streaming era, perhaps it’s no longer surprising when artists come up with as much content as they possibly can and stuff it into one album. This is pretty evident in the current rap scene, especially. Artists like Rae Sremmurd and Migos have recently released albums containing 20-plus-tracks too.
Scorpion is split into two sides. One side features rap Drake while the other features R&B Drake. But when it comes to this rapper, what’s the difference, really? This multi-Grammy award winner blurs the lines between rap and R&B in a way that is unmatched by anyone in the music industry.
Heavyweight Contributors
Scorpion features a wide array of music industry heavyweights. These guest appearances include that of Jay-Z, Ty Dolla Sign and even some post-humous collaborations with the King of Pop Michael Jackson and hip-hop star Static Major. The album also features other artists like Nicki Minaj, James Fauntleroy, PartyNextDoor, Nai Palm and hot newcomer Future.
Public Spat with Pusha T
Earlier this year, Drake was embroiled in a very public spat with another rapper, Pusha T. The latter released a full-on diss track, “The Story Of Adidon” suggesting that Drake was waiting for the perfect opportunity until he could make his surprise baby the centerpiece of a marketing campaign for a new line of clothing. Whatever Pusha T’s motives were, the truth came out and it seemed, at least for a while, that Drake’s charming image was going to the shredding machine.
But of course, it hasn’t. The rap star is enjoying one of the best years of his career yet. What can be taken away from this scandal, however, is that Pusha T clearly struck a cord and revealed a weakness to Drake’s usually solid bravado.
Central Fatherhood Theme
The controversy surrounding Drake’s secret lovechild only intensified as the album came out with the central theme of fatherhood. In fact, one of the first things the album addressed was the allegation that he was hiding his child for a calculated publicity scheme. In his song “Emotionless,” Drake could be heard saying, “I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world / I was hidin’ the world from my kid.” The colossal album certainly grapples with the shock of unexpected fatherhood. And what better way to create relatable songs than from personal experiences?
However, fatherhood isn’t the only theme featured in the album. In true Drake fashion, you can listen to songs about the psychological effect of being with different women and the dissing of people who dare utter his name. But perhaps the most impressive and relatable part of the album is its crass and honest uptake about the kind of society we live in now. There are songs that discuss the toxic social media culture. There are others that spat at our generation’s obsession with phones and the kind of shallow lifestyle we seem to be living in. Ultimately, even though Scorpion hangs onto Drake’s emotional turmoil at fatherhood, you can still find themes that are relatable for anyone in this generation.
Drake & Migos
Tickets on sale now @ https://t.co/6tokTJ2NIo pic.twitter.com/4HdoCx1GwJ
— Drizzy (@Drake) May 18, 2018
Are you enjoying Drake’s Scorpion album right now? Is there any chance you want to see him perform live? You’re in for a treat. Drake will be on tour with hip-hop titans Migos. And it’s going to start next week! The aptly named The Aubrey and the Three Migos Tour will begin its US leg at Salt Lake City on July 26. The gigantic North American Tour is spanning in 40 dates with multiple concerts in Toronto, Boston, Miami, Chicago, and Houston. Los Angeles and New York, especially, will be enjoying 4 nights of shows each. The Aubrey and the Three Migos Tour will then wrap up in Migos’ hometown of Atlanta by the end of November.
For more information about tickets, dates, venues, and prices, click here.
Drake & Migos 2018 Tour Dates:
(Click on the dates for a more detailed look at prices and seat availabilities.)
07/26 – Salt Lake City, UT, Vivint Smart Home Arena
07/28 – Denver, CO, Pepsi Center
07/31 – Kansas City, MO, Sprint Center
08/01 – St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center
08/10 – Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
08/11 – Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
08/12 – Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
08/14 – Detroit, MI, Little Caesars Arena
08/17 – Chicago, IL, United Center
08/18 – Chicago, IL, United Center
08/20 – Chicago, IL, United Center
08/24 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
08/25 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
08/27 – New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
08/30 – Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center
08/31 – Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center
09/04 – Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
09/07 – Boston, MA, TD Garden
09/08 – Boston, MA, TD Garden
09/12 – Washington, DC, Capital One Arena
09/13 – Washington, DC, Capital One Arena
09/15 – Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Centre
09/18 – Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena
09/21 – Miami, FL, AmericanAirlines Arena
09/22 – Miami, FL, AmericanAirlines Arena
09/24 – New Orleans, LA, Smoothie King Center
09/26 – Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
09/29 – Houston, TX, Toyota Center
09/30 – Houston, TX, Toyota Center
10/05 – Las Vegas, NV, MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/06 – Las Vegas, NV, MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/08 – Phoenix, AZ, Gila River Arena
10/12 – Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
10/13 – Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
10/14 – Los Angeles, CA, STAPLES Center
10/16 – Los Angeles, CA, The Forum
10/17 – Los Angeles, CA, The Forum
10/26 – Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
10/27 – Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
11/01 – Seattle, WA, Tacoma Dome
11/03 – Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
11/04 – Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
11/06 – Edmonton, AB, Rogers Place
11/16 – Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
11/17 – Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena