DJ Khaled released a brand new single titled “POPSTAR” on July 17, 2020, whilst announcing his twelfth studio album due in 2020. This new track features vocals by Drake. But if you were not satisfied with just one Drake track, DJ Khaled has you covered.
The first collaboration released along with “POPSTAR,” is titled “GREECE,” and both tracks appear on DJ Khaled’s upcoming 2020 studio album titled ‘Khaled Khaled.’ This is his follow-up album to 2019’s album ‘Father of Asahd.’ The release date of the new album is yet to be confirmed.
On the track, Drake raps about being a pop star, a global one. And although it is luxuries beyond imagination, as summed up in “GREECE,” it is also not without its pitfalls. And those lows are covered on this track.
Listen to “POPSTAR” by DJ Khaled and Drake
On the track, Drake sings how he is constantly tortured by so many women looking for “love.” Being an artist of the magnitude of Drake, he becomes a very frequent target to gold-diggers, both men and women. So, any relationship he gets into, he has to be extra cautious about their intentions.
It might also look like celebrities are living the most social lives because we only see their social lives publicized. It is hard to imagine a celebrity getting enough freedom to walk around the block, breathe some air, and grab a hotdog from the corner store. Drake says that his travel involves planes and helicopters, most likely both on a private scale. It is a very lonely life in the unpublicized time of their lives.
Drake also has very simple needs, much like all of us;
I want a long life, a legendary one (Yeah)
I want a quick death (Yeah), and an easy one (Yeah)
I want a pretty girl (Yeah), and an honest one (Yeah)
I want this drink (Yeah), and another one, yeah
But it is hard to imagine if he has the capacity to achieve perfection in his relationships because of their stardom.
Drake also goes on to brag about his credit limit–specifically his VISA card. Much like his songs going Platinum (sales over 1,000,000 copies), his VISA card is also Platinum, one of the highest credit limits given (possibly even unlimited to artists of Drake’s scale). He also shouts out to two other top female artists in the world, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, who also have a habit of producing Platinum singles.
“And I’m not drivin’ nothin’ that I gotta stick the keys in…” sings Drake. Isn’t this the dream? A button-ignition car?
On the second verse of “POPSTAR,” Drake pays homage to some of the biggest names in music and arts. David Foster, Kevin Costner, and Whitney Houston are the names he slips in these lyrics. He also jokes that people don’t usually get as big as him without a face like Justin Bieber, another fellow Canadian artist. So Drake’s success is unconventional, and hard-earned!
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics and further meaning breakdown on Genius.
Update:
The official music video for “POPSTAR” released on September 4, 2020, after seemingly getting delayed due to the ongoing Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Due to travel restrictions, Drake is unable to visit DJ Khaled for the video, so he decides to call in a favor. So we have a guest feature in the video by Justin Bieber. There is a shirtless Justin Bieber for your viewing pleasure. Watch below.
We also get cameos from Justin Bieber’s wife Hailey Bieber, and other stars such as King Bach, Miah Blake, Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, and more.
I heard this song and immediately zoned in on the “David Foster” reference. Could it be that Drake is partially referencing David Foster Wallace here, author known for his work “Consider the Lobster.” The reference to “lobster” in the previous line makes me think so. If this is the case, I thought it was pretty creative to see all these things tied together in just a few words. Just random thoughts from a literature nerd.