Drake has really confused fans. His decision to cover "Hey There Delilah" as "Wah Gwan Delilah," with a Jamaican accent in tow, has sparked widespread debate. Is he trolling? Is he being serious? Did he think this would look good after the Kendrick Lamar battle? Drake's intentions remain unclear, but what is clear is that "Wah Gwan Delilah" will go down as one of the most dubious releases of his entire career. It's so dubious, in fact, that the band who sang the original, Plain White T's, think the cover is fake.
Plain White T's posted a reaction to the song on their X (formerly Twitter) account on June 5. The video sees all four members of the band sitting down and hearing "Wah Gwan Delilah" for the first time. They don't have much to say during Snowd4y's verse, but singer Tom Higgenson was ready to hear the 6 God. "Here we go," he said, shortly before Drake's verse began. Within seconds, however, Higgenson shakes his head and looks at the camera. He's not buying it. "That's not Drake," he announced. "It's crazy that everybody thinks it's real... Seems like it's very obvious." Another member of the band chimes in, saying "there's no f*cking way" that Drake actually covered the song.
Plain White T's Think The Drake Cover Is AI
Despite the skepticism, Plain White T's are flattered by the attention. "I don't know," Higgenson added. "But it's cool. Whatever." He closes out the reaction by looking at the camera and fervently shaking his head like he's in an episode of The Office. There have been multiple covers of "Hey There Delilah" over the years, but most have been in the indie rock genre. The Baseballs, Boyce Avenue and Egg have put a spin on the song since it was released in 2006. The original Plain White T's version was a real crossover hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also netted the band two Grammy nominations.
To be fair to Plain White T's, Drake has had a complicated relationship with AI tech over the years. It was an AI song made to sound like Drake, "Heart on My Sleeve," that was submitted to the Grammys and led to a widespread debate about the legitimacy of the technology. The Toronto rapper also used AI against Kendrick Lamar on the "Taylor Made Freestyle." The latter saw him use the technology to emulate the voices of Tupac and Snoop Dogg. Drake has yet to stay whether "Wah Gwan Delilah" is real or not, but he did repost the song on his Instagram.