Drake breaks three daily Spotify records for 2026 with new albums

Fans of Drake gather near the CN Tower for a video projection promoting the upcoming album "ICEMAN" in Toronto on Thursday, May 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Drake fans who might have felt left out in the cold waiting for new music after the rapper’s last solo album in 2023 seem to have warmly embraced his latest drop.

With the release of three albums Friday, the Toronto-born rapper broke three records on Spotify for 2026.

Spotify says Drake’s long-awaited “Iceman” album became the most streamed album in a single day in 2026, and opening track “Make Them Cry” reached the same feat for most streamed single.

On the song, Drake shouts out BTS, saying “I’m feeling like BTS ’cause it took the whole career for me to be so discovered.”

Two BTS members, J-Hope and V, posted a video of themselves dancing to track and reacting when the band was mentioned.

Spotify says the triple album drop also made Drake the most streamed artist in a single day so far this year.

On Thursday, crowds watched as the CN Tower was lit in an icy blue glow as Drake held a livestreaming event to promote the album.

Fans were surprised when he dropped not only the much-hyped “Iceman,” but also two other surprise albums -- “Habibti” and “Maid of Honour.”

In April, Drake caused a stir after a tower of ice was erected in Toronto, which he said contained the date of his album’s release. Fans used pickaxes and open flames to diminish the tower and eventually reveal the May 15 debut date.

The three albums are Drake’s first solo releases since a high-profile beef with Kendrick Lamar hit new heights with Lamar’s wildly popular diss track, “Not Like Us” in 2024.

On Drake’s new albums, he seems to take shots at Lamar, as well as several other foes, including basketball stars LeBron James and former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan.

In total, Drake released 43 three songs over the three albums.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2026.

The Canadian Press