Drake gave us a Valentine’s Day gift meant much more for the summer than our lover. On the 14th track of $ome $exy $ongs 4U, a collaborative album with Toronto icon PARTYNEXTDOOR that debuted earlier this month, “NOKIA” uses Drake’s signature flow/melodies and often unexpected twists to generate sone much-needed distance from his ongoing feud with fellow hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar.
Notably, Drake said “F*** a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit,” on $$$4U, and Drake accomplished just that with the album’s most engaging club hit that’s quickly taken social media by storm – maybe just four months too early.
Drake’s “NOKIA” Is The Best He’s Been In Years
Immediately after its release, ScreenRant predicted this song would become one of the most unforgettable tracks on $$$4U, calling it a tailor-made viral internet anthem. It doesn’t get stuck in your head simply because it’s catchy, either; it builds an intrigue that makes you immerse yourself in a completely different era.
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Love him or not, Drake has become one of the most influential and versatile artists of his generation, revolutionizing hip-hop as we know it.
Drake tends to be at his best when songs like this blend his high-energy hip-hop approach with modern club trends and nostalgic R&B influence, presenting a unique and unmatched versatility able to pair vintage background vibes and contemporary rap into a hit-record formula. “NOKIA” gives you all of the above and more, exploring a search for something genuine against the inevitable pitfalls and superficial nature of Drake’s club-dominated reality.
“NOKIA” Lyrics & Meaning Explained
The question, “Who’s calling my phone?” rings throughout Drake’s “NOKIA” as various names are floated in the chorus as potential culprits before the track ultimately asks, “Where the f*** the function?” Not alone in this effort, Drake called in producer, songwriter and composer Elkan for some inspired contributions on the keyboard, as well as career-defining background vocals.
“I don’t even know where to start,” Elkan wrote on Instagram. “This record means a lot to me in the midst of a mental breakdown I channeled all the pain, trauma, and joy into music not letting a f***ed up mental state stop me from expressing myself. Nokia came from people I love ringing my line asking if I was okay inviting me out to karaoke, clubbing, going to crazy food spots and just enjoying the finer things in life! When Drake puts pen to pad onna Elkan ting you know it’s a speeeecial one!”
Drake’s verses explore a lifestyle filled with constant phone calls and connections, massive crowds and club interactions that force him to search for both answers and isolation. You’re caught in the madness of the Toronto native’s nightlife experiences, where he embraces the nature of his surroundings yet also looks for a seculsion beneath the surface in moments like, “How many h**s in this club? Is it just me and you my love?”, a classic, flirtatious Drake theme fans can’t ever seem to get enough of. Through the track’s masterful hook and beat switch, Elkan and Drake start to implore the club’s finest to impress them on the dance floor.
“Baby girl, Let me see you do your dance, let me see you twirl. Shakin’ ass in the club with your homegirls. Take a pic for the ‘Gram, show the whole world (show the whole world), yeah.”
Drake guarantees ‘his love’ four things on “NOKIA”: Drinks, jokes, sex, and cash.
“NOKIA” Is Already Impressing On The Charts (And Is A TikTok Hit In The Making)
Hotline Bling Debuted At No. 66 On The Billboard Chart, NOKIA Came In Much Higher
“NOKIA” has already eclipsed 37 million streams on Spotify, over 10 million more than $$$4U’s “GIMME A HUG”, which has been widely considered the album’s best offering. The club banger currently sits at No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 6 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) and No. 5 on the Canadian Hot 100, largely catapulted through its social media influence.
Four spots behind “GIMME A HUG” on the US Hot 100, this club banger “NOKIA” has been included in over 175,000 TikTok videos across the last two weeks alone. For comparison, TikTok’s top version of Drake’s “One Dance” (2016) — his most-streamed song on Spotify (3.54 billion) — has been used in 338,000 videos since the social media platform’s U.S. rise in 2018.