Sorry, Swifties. Despite years of hope and speculation, Drake and Taylor Swift are unfortunately not working together — at least not yet. On Thursday, however, the rapper gave fans the next best thing: shouting out his love for Swift on his latest single "Red Button."
Drake's new single "Red Button"
In the new song, which was released on November 16, Drake singled out the "Bejeweled" singer by name. He rapped about her in verse, singing: "Only one can make me drop this album later/The rest of you, I treat you like you never made it."
Fans may remember that the rapper was referring to the friendly match that will take place in 2022.
The two artists are expected to release their highly anticipated albums within a week. Swift released "Midnights" on October 21st, while Drake was scheduled to release "Her Loss" with 21 Savage on October 28th.
Fans were surprised when Drake delayed the album's release by a week and released it on November 4th. While initial reports suggested the delay was due to producer Noah "40" Shebib contracting the coronavirus, which slowed down production, the song hints at another reason for the wait: Swift.
Following the release of "Midnights ," Swift's album and single "Anti-Hero" topped the Billboard charts for weeks, giving Drake reason to put his album on hold. However, when he dropped "Her Loss," it topped the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Drake and Taylor's Long-Term Friendship
It's no surprise that Drake paid tribute to Swift, as the two have been friends for years.
The pair have reportedly been sending cheeky tributes to each other in their respective projects since they met at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2013. Drake even admitted to wearing a Swift T-shirt in 2010, proving he's a lifelong Swiftie fan.
For example, both appeared in an Apple Music commercial in 2016, each working out to the other's songs; Swift starred in Drake's "Jumpman" in April and "Bad Blood" in a November ad.
Drake's latest shout-out isn't the first time the friends have paid tribute to each other in their lyrics, either. Swift started it all by naming Drake on her 2019 Lover song "I Forgot That You Existed." When she sang the line "In my Feelings more than Drake," she referenced the rapper's 2018 hit "In My Feelings."
In 2022, the rapper posted a now-deleted photo with Swift with the caption: "They're too weak to understand what hard work means." The years-long mutual nods led to the Swifties and The frenzy among Team Drizzy fans has led to speculation that the two are hinting at a collaboration.
"Red Button" isn't the title track, but it's still a sweet gesture. Fans will just have to wait for this team to arrive.
