Drake is about “90%” done with his upcoming album, according to his friend and engineer Noel Cadastre, aka OVO Noel. Yesterday was Noel’s birthday but instead of a typical celebratory post, he instead shared a photo of a mixing board with the caption, “Studio for my bday… we 90% but y’all gonna have to wait on that last 10%.”
Likewise, Drake himself shared a photo on his own Instagram story of Noel, quoting his own hook from Future’s “Life Is Good“: “Working on the bday like usual…” he wrote, rephrasing his own words to fit the occasion. Drake previously said he was about “80% done” with the album, which he said would be more concise than his usual 20-song offerings. It likely helps that he was able to release the odds and ends that might have added filler weight as their own project, the mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes.
Drake via his IG story. pic.twitter.com/OrapY3L4OZ
— Word On Road (@WordOnRd) July 29, 2020
The progress reports on the album suggest that Drake is not only taking his time with the new project, but also putting some effort into the editing to make it fit his promise of a more reasonable runtime. Fans have been hoping that he could redeem himself from the angry-sounding Scorpion, which received a relatively lukewarm reception despite debuting at No. 1 and containing the monster singles “God’s Plan,” “Nice For What,” and “In My Feelings.” At this rate, we may not see the album until next year but considering concerts, festivals, and tours have been postponed til then, it might make it the perfect time for him to make his long-awaited return.