It seems Drake continues to drift further from rapping. Last month, he surprised fans with a dance album, Honestly, Nevermind, a huge pivot away from his hip hop roots. The reviews have been mixed, to say the least. Some have lauded Drizzy's new direction, while others have not been so kind.
On Friday, Drake leaned fully into feel-good pop. The rapper appeared with the Backstreet Boys as they closed out their main set on Budweiser Stage in Toronto. He was an honorary "sixth member" of the group as they performed their eternal hit "I Want It That Way."
Drake told the crowd he was honored to be a part of the rendition. "At 13 years old, I had a bar mitzvah, and at my bar mitzvah, for the first time in my life, this girl I was in love with came up to me and one of the greatest songs in the world was playing," he said. "She asked me if I would dance with her, and it was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and it was the first time I ever felt like I had a shot at being cool." The song in question? "I Want It That Way."
Thus it was a meaningful moment for Drake to join the Backstreet Boys in their performance of "one of the greatest songs of all time," as the Toronto rapper described it. "If she can see me now," Drake said. During the performance, he mixed in his own song, "Hold On, We're Going Home."
Check out the full rendition below.
[via]