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Drake — “Tootsie Slide”
Drake slides through with a new single. Shortly after teasing “Tootsie Slide,” the Toronto superstar unleashes the new dance-heavy anthem and its timely at-home music video.
“It go right foot up, left foot slide,” he instructs on the OZ-produced track. “Left foot up, right foot slide / Basically I’m saying, either way, we’re ’bout to slide / Can’t let this one slide.”
Fans are already flooding social media platforms with renditions of the dance. Drizzy also performs his trending “Tootsie Slide” moves throughout the song’s Theo Skudra-directed music video. Roaming from room to room, showcasing awards and artwork, the OVO star caps things off by sliding and gliding in front of fireworks for the finale.
It’s been two years since Drake’s last official album, Scorpion. Since dropping that double LP, he’s remained active by releasing his So Far Gone project to streaming services and by delivering his Care Package b-sides offering last year. As usual, he’s also been featured on a variety of cuts by friends like Future, Lil Yachty, Chris Brown, and more.
Take a tour of Drake’s humble abode and learn the “Tootsie Slide” moves below.
Frank Ocean — “Dear April” & “Cayendo”
Months after previewing these new tracks at a PrEP+ club night, Frank Ocean has officially released “Dear April” and “Cayendo” to streaming services. The songs, co-written and co-produced with Daniel Aged, are acoustic renditions.
“Dear April, we were safe for a while,” Ocean sings on the moody “Dear April,” which arrives just in time. “We were safe as the years flew by.” Later, he adds: “You took these strangers and our two strange lives / Made us new and took us through it.”
Unlike “Dear April,” “Cayendo” offers a different flavor. This song is a bilingual cut that features Spanish and English lyrics. “Si esto no me ha partído, ya no me partiré nunca,” Ocean sings. That roughly translates to: “If this hasn’t broken me yet, nothing ever will.”
Both tracks are labeled “Side A – Acoustic.” That’s because Ocean also has remixed versions of these cuts, which were part of a recent highly-sought-after vinyl release. However, those remixes have not officially been released to streaming services yet. Listen to the acoustic versions of “Dear April” and “Cayendo” below.
Tory Lanez — “Who Needs Love”
Tory Lanez has been garnering attention for his “Quarantine Radio” episodes on Instagram Live lately. Following popular sessions with Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Young Thug, and 21 Savage, among others, the Toronto artist gets back to the music. Now, he delivers his newest single, “Who Needs Love.”
Over an instrumental by Ambience, Play Picasso and Cherry Beats, Tory sings about why he doesn’t need love these days. “Who needs love when I come around flexing?” he ponders with a boastful tone that runs throughout the track.
Soon, Lanez also reflects on past lovers who are no longer needed in his life. “I don’t need no lovin’ from any one of my exes,” he explains. “I don’t need no stressin’ / Phone calls, textin’ / Don’t kiss me…Kiss my necklace.”
“Who Needs Love” is a single off Tory’s forthcoming New Toronto 3 effort. “My last mixtape dropping April 10,” he tweeted upon the song’s release. Listen to “Who Needs Love” below.
Rod Wave — Pray 4 Love
Rod Wave has been grinding for some time but the rising Floridian act broke out with last year’s PTSD and Ghetto Gospel. Now, the “Heart on Ice” singer-rapper is back with a 14-song set in the form of Pray 4 Love.
“Get on my knees every day,” Rod sings on the opening title track. “I ask God and pray that my dirty ways don’t lead me to an early grave.” He continues: “One life to live and it’s survival of the fucking fittest.” Running back to the song and album’s theme, he adds: “Ain’t no love so we get it out the mud.”
Rod handles a bulk of the project on his own as the dual-threat of rapper and crooner. ATR Son Son is the lone guest on “Rags2Riches” while Tre Gilliam, Speaker Bangerz, D Mac, SonoBeats, and Trillo Beatz are among the LP’s producers. Stream Pray 4 Love below.
Thundercat — It Is What It Is
Three years after dropping his heralded Drunk LP, the critically acclaimed musician Thundercat unloads a new collection of tracks with It Is What It Is.
The title track finds Thundercat reflecting on life in a somber tone. “When I sit back and reflect,” he sings. “From a broken heart, sometimes there’s regret / It is what it is / It couldn’t be helped…So many things I want to say / This is the end.”
Thundercat explained the project’s thematic through lines in a press release. “This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that,” he shared. “It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don’t necessarily understand…Some things just aren’t meant to be understood.”
But Thundercat doesn’t go through this journey as a soloist. Instead, he’s joined by some big named guests, including Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil B, Zack Fox, Steve Lacy, and more. Stream It Is What It Is below.
