Maybe "Headlines" wasn't the radio smash that fans were expecting from Drake, but the OVOXO star says that it was the perfect single to set off his upcoming Take Care.
"I think it's great; the purpose of that record was solely to deliver a message," Drizzy told last month on the BMI Urban Awards red carpet. "I could've gone with the record that was sort of super radio-friendly, but I really just wanted to talk to the people with the first record."
Rather than an emotional ballad or party record, Drake's "Headlines" details the MC's frame of mind going into his second album. Despite his success, he raps from an underdog's perspective. "I had someone tell me I fell off, ooh I needed that/ And they wanna see me pick back up, well, where'd I leave it at?"
Not your standard pop fare, but Drake, who has crafted hits like "Best I Ever Had," "Find Your Love" and "Successful," said that Take Care will have Billboard-caliber tracks as well. "I've got a lot of records that I think will live on radio for a while," he said. "I'm excited about everything that's happened thus far."
Although "Headlines" is the album's first official single, there have been other leaks like "Marvins Room" and "Dreams Money Can Buy," two songs Drake described on his October's Very Own blog as pieces of a bigger story.
So what story is the Young Money soldier trying to tell on Take Care?
"It'll let you know exactly what's goin' on in my life because unlike a lot of other artists, I don't take to social media outlets to tell you what's goin' on in my life," he replied. "I don't sit there and complain about stuff all day long, I don't lash out, I just sort of save it for the album, so I think if you want to know what's going on with me at all, you'll just listen to Take Care and it'll answer all of your questions."
Share your thoughts on Drizzy's Take Care singles so far in the comments below!