8AM in Charlotte
"8AM in Charlotte" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released through OVO Sound and Republic Records as the second single from his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs, on October 5, 2023, one day before the album was released. Drake wrote the song with producers Conductor Williams and Mario Luciano and additional producer Jason Wool, alongside L. Santi and Nichol Eskridge, due to it sampling "A Faithful Spirit", written by the latter.[1][2] The song is a continuance of Drake's "[timestamp] in [city]" series of tracks.[3]
| "8AM in Charlotte" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Drake | ||||
| from the album For All the Dogs | ||||
| Released | October 5, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:28 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Drake singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "8AM in Charlotte" on YouTube | ||||
Music video edit
The song was released alongside a music video beginning with a skit starring Adonis, Drake's son. In the skit, Adonis details how he created the For All the Dogs cover. He explains that the drawn goat on the cover represents his father, a reference to the "Greatest of All Time" acronym.[4] In the video, Drake raps alongside his son and his team.[5]
Reception edit
"8AM in Charlotte" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the track's sampling and Conductor Williams producing the song, as well as Drake's improved lyricism. Writing for Billboard, Carl Lamarre said that he sought to win back the trust of fans with "8AM in Charlotte".[6] Alexander Cole of HotNewHipHop praised Drake's "focused" rapping and "incredible bars". He also praised the "nice piano passage" and chopped vocal samples on the beat.[7] XXL writer C. Vernon Coleman II also praised the track's piano background and choir samples.[5] Complex writer Trace William Cohen also praised the song's "deep" lyrics.[2] Writing for Clash, Shahzaib Hussain stated that the track "sees [Drake] unleash pointed missives over soft chords and a looped chipmunk choir." He concluded his review of the song as he noted that, "["8AM in Charlotte" is] less about which rap rival he's throwing shots at, and more a personal dictum and a winding confessional about legacy: a reorienting of his priorities."[8] Pitchfork's Dylan Green stated that the track "[represents] the stark tonal binary that's come to define Drake's music over the past decade."[9] Writing for Rolling Stone, Mosi Reeves notes that the song is Drake's "latest entry in his time-stamped freestyles and perhaps his best display of orthodox rapping" on For All The Dogs. He notes that the song has a "muffled, dreamlike quality that recalls Drake's most spellbinding songs."[10] Billboard's Kyle Denis ranked the track at number six out of the 23 songs on Drake's For All the Dogs.[11] In his review, he noted that the track "is a worthy addition to Drake's timestamp songs collection that also honors Griselda's impact with soulful production." He finally stated that "with three meaty metaphor-packed verses that feature Drake standing staunchly in his rap bag, this, in many ways, is the proper return to 'old Drake' that he promised so many months ago."[11]
Charts edit
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[12] | 60 |
| Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[13] | 22 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] | 13 |
| France (SNEP)[15] | 149 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[16] | 21 |
| Greece International (IFPI)[17] | 17 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[18] | 65 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] | 30 |
| Portugal (AFP)[20] | 57 |
| South Africa (Billboard)[21] | 13 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[22] | 13 |
| UK Streaming (OCC)[23] | 28 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[24] | 17 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] | 13 |
References edit
- ^ Chelosky, Danielle (October 5, 2023). "Who produced Drake's '8AM In Charlotte?'". Uproxx. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Cowen, Trace William. "Drake Surprises Fans With "8AM in Charlotte" Video Starring Adonis". Complex. from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Minsker, Evan; Monroe, Jazz (October 5, 2023). "Drake Shares Video for New Song "8AM in Charlotte"". Pitchfork. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (October 5, 2023). "Drake Heralds Forthcoming Album With Single '8 AM in Charlotte'". Rolling Stone. from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Coleman II, C. Vernon (October 5, 2023). "Drake Drops New Song and Video '8AM in Charlotte' - Watch". XXL. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Lamarre, Carl (October 5, 2023). "Ranking Every Song in Drake's 'AM to PM' Series". Billboard. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Cole, Alexander (October 5, 2023). "Drake Shocks Fans With Incredible New Track "8AM In Charlotte"". HotNewHipHop. from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Hussain, Shahzaib (October 6, 2023). "Drake - For All The Dogs". Clash. from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Green, Dylan (October 6, 2023). "5 Takeaways From Drake's New Album For All the Dogs". Pitchfork. from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- ^ Reeves, Mosi (October 7, 2023). "Drake Sounds A Little Tired of Being Drake On 'For All the Dogs'". Rolling Stone. from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Denis, Kyle (October 6, 2023). "Drake's 'For All the Dogs': All 23 Songs Ranked". Billboard. from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 16 October 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1754. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 16, 2023. p. 4.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Drake – 8AM in Charlotte" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Drake Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ . IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ "2023 41-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Drake – 8AM in Charlotte". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "Drake – 8AM in Charlotte". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "Drake Chart History (South Africa Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 41". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.