fbpx
Wikipedia

Thank Me Later

January 01, 1970

Thank Me Later is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 15, 2010, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown Records. Production for the album took place at various recording studios during 2009 to 2010 and was mostly produced by longtime collaborators 40 and Boi-1da. It features contributions from Alicia Keys, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, The-Dream, and Kanye West, among others.

Thank Me Later
Studio album by
Drake
ReleasedJune 15, 2010 (2010-06-15)
Recorded2009–2010
Studio
  • Avex (Honolulu)
  • BLD&DSTRY (Toronto)
  • Cherry Beach (Toronto)
  • Metalworks (Toronto)
  • Blast Off (New York City)
  • Roc the Mic (New York City)
  • Gee Jam (Portland, Jamaica)
  • Glenwood (Los Angeles)
  • The Hit Factory (Miami)
  • The Setai Hotel (Miami)
  • Lexington, Kentucky
  • New Orleans, Louisiana
  • NightBird (West Hollywood)
  • Takeover (Houston)
  • Triangle Sounds (Atlanta)
Genre
Length61:02
Label
Producer
Drake chronology
So Far Gone
(2009) 		Thank Me Later
(2010) 		Take Care
(2011)
Singles from Thank Me Later
  1. "Over"
    Released: March 8, 2010
  2. "Find Your Love"
    Released: May 5, 2010
  3. "Miss Me"
    Released: June 1, 2010
  4. "Fancy"
    Released: August 3, 2010

Thank Me Later has a languorous, ambient production that incorporates moody synthesizers, sparse beats, obscured keyboards, minor keys, and subtle arrangements. Thematically, the album focuses on Drake's introduction to fame and his romances over the course of confessional, club-oriented, and sexual songs. Drake's emotionally transparent, self-deprecating lyrics are delivered in both rapped and subtly sung verses, and explore feelings of doubt, insecurity, and heartbreak.

Following an anticipated release, Thank Me Later debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 447,000 copies in the US, eventually selling 1.8 million copies there by August 2015. It also topped the Canadian Albums Chart and attained a platinum certification in Canada in its debut week. All four of the album's singles became top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Find Your Love" reaching number five. Reviews of Thank Me Later were generally positive, with critics applauding Drake's personal themes and drawing musical comparisons to the works of Kid Cudi and West, particularly the latter's 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak. It later ranked as one of 2010's best albums.

Background edit

Released in February 2009, Drake's mixtape So Far Gone proceeded his series of early mixtapes and achieved unexpected critical and commercial success, earning him two Grammy Award-nominations and producing the hit single "Best I Ever Had".[1][2] The single reappeared on his debut EP,[2] which was released after a bidding competition among labels and his signing with Universal Motown Records amid support from high-profile hip hop artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne.[1] Drake followed-up on So Far Gone's success with several guest appearances on other rappers' works, adding to the hype surrounding him at the time.[2]

In an interview for Complex, Drake stated that his debut album will be "a solid hip hop album" and musically distinct from his So Far Gone mixtape, which received negative comparisons to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (2008).[3] He expressed a desire to work with André 3000, Kid Cudi, and Sade for the album.[4][5][6][7][8] In an interview for MTV, Drake cited Nas and André 3000 as influences for parts of Thank Me Later, stating "Nas was somebody that I used to listen to his raps and never understood how he did it. I always wanted to understand how he painted those pictures and his bar structure. I went back and really studied Nas and André 3000 and then came back with this album".[9] In comparing the album to his previous work, he stated "It's gonna be bigger, it's gonna sound happier. More victorious, 'cause that's where I'm at in my life".[9] He told Entertainment Weekly that, "I didn't make this album for commercial purposes. A lot of the verses are extremely long. I just made it to share with people. I hope they can enjoy".[10]

Recording and production edit

 
Parts of the album were recorded and mixed at Cherry Beach Sound (control room pictured).[11]

Drake resumed work on the album in October 2009, following an onstage injury from a July 2009 concert.[12] Recording sessions for the album took place at several recording studios, including Metalworks Studios, BLD&DSTRY, and Cherry Beach Studios in Toronto, NightBird Recording Studios in West Hollywood, Gee Jam Studios in Portland, Jamaica, The Setai Hotel Recording Studio and The Hit Factory in Miami, Blast Off Studios and Rock the Mic in New York, Glenwood Studios in Los Angeles, Triangle Sounds Studios in Atlanta, Takeover Studios in Houston, and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu.[11] The track "Up All Night" was recorded on a bus "somewhere in Lexington", and "Unforgettable" was recorded on a bus "somewhere in New Orleans".[11] The album was mixed at Tree Sound Studios, Blast Off Studios, Gee Jam Studios, Cherry Beach Studios, The Setai Hotel Recording Studio, Metalworks Studios, Stadium Red in New York, and Studio 306 in Toronto.[11] Lil Wayne, Cortez Bryant, Gee Roberson, Ronald "Slim" Williams, Oliver El-Khatib, Noah "40" Shebib, Derrick "E.I." Lawrence, Jas Prince, and Bryan "Birdman" Williams served as executive producers for the album.[13]

Producers 40 and Boi-1da handled most of the tracks' programming and instrumentation.[11] Besides his Toronto-based producer team, Drake also collaborated with European producer Crada, who previously worked on Kid Cudi's 2009 debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day.[14] Drake told Entertainment Weekly that he collaborated with an indie pop band named Francis and the Lights.[10] Kevin Rudolf also participated in the album's recording,[15] contributing with keyboards on "Show Me a Good Time" and "Find Your Love".[11] R&B singer Mary J. Blige contributed additional vocals to the track "Fancy".[11] In March 2010, Drake confirmed that he had recorded a track with Eminem and Dr. Dre.[16] In early November 2009, Lil Wayne released an official statement explaining that Thank Me Later had been completed, though Drake later commented that he was still working on the album.[17] On April 26, 2010, Drake announced to a crowd during a show that he had finished recording and had turned in a final copy of the album.[18]

Music and lyrics edit

In a genre that demands boldness and bravado, Drake turns his first full-length release into an inward-looking, slow-moving, psychedelic psychodrama ... it plays like an off-kilter dream by a reluctant rap star.

– Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune[19]

Thank Me Later has a languorous, ambient production and is characterized by subtle arrangements, obscured keyboards, skittering snare drums,[20] and reverbed percussion.[21] Lyrically, Thank Me Later has moody, introspective subject matter,[22] and mainly centers around Drake's introduction to fame and his romances.[19][23] The Toronto Star describes the content as "about the sorts of doubts, excesses, betrayals and creeping paranoid suspicions that arrive hand-in-hand with celebrity".[24] Music journalist Greg Kot describes the album as "personal and eccentric, the journal of a flawed, self-doubting regular guy rather than a strutting icon-in-waiting".[19]

The album's first-half generally discusses fame directly with confessional songs about unrequited love, money, and women, followed by club-oriented and sexual songs.[25] Drake's lyrics explore feelings of doubt, insecurity, and heartbreak, while exhibiting both emotional and grammatical malapropisms.[20] He raps in a nasal voice and sings subtly, with a flow generally in A-B-AB form.[20] Music journalist Jody Rosen observes "emotionally transparent" rapping that eschews the "thuggy" style previously popular in hip hop, finding Drake's style to be "subtle and rueful rather than loud and lively".[26]

Music writers liken Thank Me Later to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak.[26][27][28] Nathan Rabin writes that, "musically, Drake favors warm washes of synthesizers that create a melancholy, fragile mood redolent of 808s & Heartbreak."[28] Comparisons are also drawn to Man on the Moon: The End of Day by Kid Cudi, a protégé of West.[19][26] By contrast, Joshua Ostroff of The Globe and Mail feels that Thank Me Later's "emotional navel-gazing lacks West's often-suffocating self-pity and offers a proper synthesis of rap and R&B."[22] Jeff Weiss of the Los Angeles Times views that the album ignores West's celebratory side "in search of anthems for the easily alienated".[29]

 
"The Resistance"
The guilt-ridden song exemplifies the album's "conflation of the glam-ridden and the everyday".[30]
"Cece's Interlude"
Drake croons in couplets on the sentimental, effects-heavy track.[30]
Problems playing these files? See media help.

"Fireworks" references the divorce of Drake's parents and alludes to his brief fling with Rihanna.[27][31] "Karaoke" features background keyboards that add to the song's 1980s musical influence,[27] with lyrics about the difficulty of relationships.[23] In "The Resistance", Drake worries about fame changing him, with lyrics veering from his ailing grandmother to a one-night stand that resulted in an abortion.[23][32] "Over" incorporates an orchestral backdrop, and according to Michael Cragg of musicOMH, contains three hooks.[33] The artful song is about the elation and confusion that accompanies fame.[34] "Show Me a Good Time" opens and closes with a squeaky yelling sound.[27] On the song, Drake talks addresses hip hop listeners who find him inauthentic.[23] "Up All Night" has menacing strings,[32] and Drake boastfully rapping about his nightlife, while trading lines with Nicki Minaj.[25] The club song "Fancy" has a predominant hook, looped samples, and backwards strings.[23][27][33] It is an ode to women who spend hours primping in preparation for the nightlife.[32] The song features vocals by producer Swizz Beatz and T.I., with additional harmonies by Mary J. Blige at the song's conclusion.[35] "Shut It Down" is a progressive soul song,[36] in the manner of a piano ballad and slow jam.[24][35]

"Light Up" features loud synth drums and plaintive piano strings.[25][32] The Jay-Z-collaboration is a critique on the hip hop industry, its detrimental effects,[23] and the trappings of being an artist: "While all my closest friends out partyin'/ I'm just here makin' the music that they party to," while Jay-Z gives advice: "Drake, here's how they gonna come at you / with silly rap feuds, trying to distract you."[25][35] Jay-Z expands on the album's overarching theme of self-doubt: "And since no good deed go unpunished / I'm not as cool with niggaz as I once was / I once was cool as the Fonz was / But these bright lights turned me to a monster."[37] "Miss Me" has Lil Wayne rapping jokes,[37] including a crude punch line about sucking "the brown" off his penis and subsequently groaning, "Ewwww, that's nasty."[20] "Cece's Interlude" has a Prince-like LinnDrum and transparent lyrics addressing a girl: "I wish I / Wasn't famous / I wish I / Was still in school / So that I could have you in my dorm room / I would put it on you crazy."[20] The pop song "Find Your Love" was produced by Kanye West and bears similarity to his 2008 song "Heartless".[38]

Marketing and sales edit

 
Drake performing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, 2010

Thank Me Later was one of the most anticipated hip hop releases of 2010.[39][40][41] Universal Motown Records announced its release date as June 15, 2010,[42][43] before it leaked on June 1 in its entirety. Drake responded on Twitter: "I gave away free music for years so we're good over here... just allow it to be the soundtrack to your summer and Enjoy! June 15th!"[44] The album was released June 15, 2010, by Aspire Music Group,[45] with Young Money Entertainment under a joint venture with Cash Money Records and distribution by Universal Motown.[46][47] When Thank Me Later was released, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and sold 447,000 copies in its first week.[48] It also debuted at number one in Canada with first-week sales of 31,000 copies.[49] By August 2015, the album has sold 1.8 million copies in the United States.[50]

In promotion of Thank Me Later, Drake performed at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 2010.[51] On June 15, Drake made an in-store appearance at a Best Buy-outlet in New York City's Union Square in promotion of the album's release, interacting with fans and signing copies of the album.[52] On the day of its release, Drake also made interviews for several radio stations through the phone.[53] A planned free concert by Drake at South Street Seaport's Pier 17 that day was cancelled by concert organizers and authorities after unruly behavior within crowds and unsafe overcrowding.[54] Following the cancellation, Drake appeared at Manhattan nightspot Amnesia for an album-release party sponsored by radio station Hot 97.[55]

Four singles were released from the album—"Over" on March 8, 2010,[56] "Find Your Love" on May 5,[57] "Miss Me" on June 1,[58] and "Fancy" on August 3.[59] All four singles reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including "Miss Me" at number 15 and "Over" at number 14.[60] "Find Your Love" charted at number five on the Hot 100 and also reached number 10 in Canada.[60][61] "Shut It Down" was originally planned for release as the first single in late 2009 and "Show Me a Good Time" was planned to be the fifth single, but both releases failed to materialize.[62][63]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.0/10[64]
Metacritic75/100[65]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [23]
The A.V. ClubB+[28]
Entertainment WeeklyB[66]
Los Angeles Times    [67]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)B+[37]
NME6/10[68]
Pitchfork8.4/10[35]
Rolling Stone     [26]
Spin8/10[21]
USA Today    [34]

Thank Me Later was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 26 reviews.[65] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.0 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[64]

Tim Sendra of AllMusic complimented the album's "rich and nuanced production and Drake's thoughtful, playful, and intense lyrics", writing that his "willingness to be introspective and honest ... makes [him] unique and helps make Thank Me Later special."[23] Pitchfork critic Ryan Dombal said "Drake vies for superstardom while embracing his non-drug-dealing, non-violent, non-dire history-- one that connects with most rap fans in a completely reasonable way."[35] In The A.V. Club, Rabin wrote that "on his cohesive, bittersweet, assured debut, he proves himself worthy of the sometimes-blinding spotlight".[28] Rosen, writing for Rolling Stone, found Drake to be "in total command of a style that would have been hard to imagine dominating hip-hop a few years ago".[26] In the opinion of Ben Detrick from Spin, Thank Me Later had "dynamics like few other hip-hop albums before it", and while "Drake's personal anecdotes lack the bravado of bullet-wound boasts", they were "intimate and lyrically detailed enough to draw blood".[21] Prefix critic Wilson McBee deemed it one of the few pop rap records "that comes close to being a classic".[69]

Some reviewers were less impressed. Daniel Roberts of PopMatters said none of the songs are better than "Best I Ever Had" and believed Drake was suffering from an "identity crisis", finding the record "good at parts, but never great".[27] Josuha Errett of Now felt Drake "complains about fame way too much" while calling him "humorless".[70] In MSN Music, Robert Christgau deemed Drake "neither thug nor thug wannabe ... plenty talented, but pretty shallow and without much focus as a mack". He wrote of the record: "Pleasing and hookful though it be, [it] consistently bemoans the confusing emoluments and accoutrements of fame".[37] Pete Cashmore from NME believed "it's those constant and predictable superstar interjections that prevent the album from standing out as much as it had potential to do."[68] Slant Magazine's Jesse Cataldo viewed Drake's "insistent navel-gazing" as a flimsy "concept", but commended the album for "nail[ing] confused introspection in a genre famous for willful misrepresentation of self."[30]

At the end of 2010, Thank Me Later appeared on several critics' top-ten lists of the year's best albums,[71] including Time, who ranked it fifth best,[72] and Rolling Stone, who named it the seventh best album of the year.[73] At the 2010 Grammy Awards, "Best I Ever Had" was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song.[74] In 2013 and 2022, Rolling Stone included Thank Me Later in its list of the 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time.[75][76]

Track listing edit

Thank Me Later standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fireworks" (featuring Alicia Keys)
5:13
2."Karaoke"
Francis and the Lights3:48
3."The Resistance"
  • Graham
  • Shebib
  • Samuels
  • Oliver El-Khatib
403:45
4."Over"
  • Graham
  • Samuels
  • Nick Brongers
  • Shebib
  • Boi-1da
  • Al-Khaaliq[a]
3:54
5."Show Me a Good Time"
3:30
6."Up All Night" (featuring Nicki Minaj)
  • Boi-1da
  • Burnett[a]
3:54
7."Fancy" (featuring T.I. and Swizz Beatz)
5:19
8."Shut It Down" (featuring The-Dream)
6:59
9."Unforgettable" (featuring Young Jeezy)
  • 40
  • Boi-1da
3:34
10."Light Up" (featuring Jay-Z)
4:34
11."Miss Me" (featuring Lil Wayne)
  • Boi-1da
  • 40
5:06
12."Cece's Interlude"
  • Graham
  • Shebib
  • Adrian Eccleston
402:34
13."Find Your Love"
3:29
14."Thank Me Now"
Timbaland5:29
Japanese bonus tracks[77]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Best I Ever Had"
Boi-1da4:17
16."Uptown" (featuring Bun B and Lil Wayne)
6:21
17."Successful" (featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne)
405:51
UK bonus track[78]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."9AM in Dallas"
  • Graham
  • Samuels
  • Burnett
Boi-1da3:39

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer

Sample credits

  • "Fancy" contains elements and samples of "I Don't Want to Play Around", written by Aubrey Johnson and Henry Zant, published by Ace Spec Music (BMI).
  • "Unforgettable" contains elements and excerpts from "At Your Best", performed by Aaliyah, written by Ronald Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O'Kelly Isley Jr., and Chris Jasper, published by EMI April Music Inc (ASCAP).
  • "Miss Me" contains elements and excerpts from "Wild Flower", performed by Hank Crawford, written by Doug Edwards and Dave Richardson, published by Nettwerk Tunes (BMI).
  • "Miss Me" contains an interpolation of "What's Hannenin'", performed by Soulja Boy.

Personnel edit

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Certifications for Thank Me Later
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[102] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[103] Platinum 300,000‡
United States (RIAA)[104] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. Biography: Drake. AllMusic. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Reid, Shaheem. Rodriguez, Jayson. Drake's Thank Me Later Among Our Top Five Most-Anticipated Rap Debuts June 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  3. ^ Scott, Marcus (February 19, 2009). "Drake Talks Young Money, Kanye Comparisons, & Ghostwriting". Complex. from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  4. ^ Drake, Eminem "Talking About" Another Collaboration. February 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine MTV. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Langhorne, Cyrus (November 17, 2009). . SOHH. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
  6. ^ Reid, Shaheem; Rodriguez, Jayson (May 7, 2009). "Drake Reveals Collaborations With Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Trey Songz". MTV. from the original on May 10, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  7. ^ Reid, Shaheem (June 4, 2009). "Drake Hopes To Have Kanye West,Lil Wayne, The Neptunes, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z On Debut LP". from the original on June 6, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  8. ^ "Drake Reveals Wish List of Collaborators". Rap-Up. November 17, 2009. from the original on November 21, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Rodriguez, Jayson. Drake Says Thank Me Later Influenced By Nas, Andre 3000 February 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  10. ^ a b 5 Things You Should Know About Drake's Album 'Thank Me Later' May 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Rap-Up. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Thank Me Later album
  12. ^ Graff, Gary (October 29, 2009). "Drake Confirms The-Dream Collaboration, Back To Recording After Knee Surgery". Billboard. from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
  13. ^ Drake's Thank Me Later Thank You's June 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. RapRadar. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  14. ^ "Crada – Credits". AllMusic. from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  15. ^ MikeyFresh. A Short Convo With... Kevin Rudolf April 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Vibe. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  16. ^ Drake Grabs Eminem & Dr Dre For Debut Album April 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Rap Basement. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  17. ^ Jason (November 9, 2009). "Lil Wayne Say's Drake's New Album Is Done". Rap Basement. from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2009.
  18. ^ Drake Finishes "Thank Me Later," Reveals Next Single April 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. The Boombox. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  19. ^ a b c d Kot, Greg (June 17, 2010). "Album review: Drake, 'Thank Me Later'". Chicago Tribune. from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  20. ^ a b c d e Fennessey, Sean (June 15, 2010). "Drake Fumbles Toward Superstardom". The Village Voice. New York. from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  21. ^ a b c Detrick, Ben (June 17, 2010). . Spin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  22. ^ a b Ostroff, Joshua (June 15, 2010). "All hail the melancholy prince of hip hop". The Globe and Mail. Canada. from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h Sendra, Tim. "Thank Me Later – Drake". AllMusic. from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  24. ^ a b Rayner, Ben (June 14, 2010). "Drake shoulders the weight of great expectations". Toronto Star. from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  25. ^ a b c d "Drake: Thank Me Later". Paste. from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  26. ^ a b c d e Rosen, Jody (June 15, 2010). "Thank Me Later". Rolling Stone. from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  27. ^ a b c d e f Roberts, Daniel (June 16, 2010). "Drake: Thank Me Later". PopMatters. from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  28. ^ a b c d Rabin, Nathan (June 15, 2010). "Drake: Thank Me Later". The A.V. Club. from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  29. ^ Weiss, Jeff (June 14, 2010). "Album review: Drake's 'Thank Me Later'". Los Angeles Times. from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  30. ^ a b c "Drake: Thank Me Later". Slant Magazine. June 14, 2010. from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  31. ^ . XXl. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  32. ^ a b c d Richards, Chris (June 15, 2010). "Record review: Drake's 'Thank Me Later'". The Washington Post. from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  33. ^ a b Cragg, Michael. "Drake – Thank Me Later". from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  34. ^ a b Gardner, Elysa (June 10, 2010). "Drake's "Thank Me Later" is a welcome debut". USA Today. from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  35. ^ a b c d e Dombal, Ryan (June 15, 2010). "Drake: Thank Me Later". Pitchfork. from the original on June 26, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  36. ^ "The 50 best sex songs". Time Out London. January 28, 2015. from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  37. ^ a b c d Christgau, Robert (February 8, 2011). . MSN Music. Archived from the original on March 9, 2011. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  38. ^ Lamb, Bill. "Drake's "Find Your Love" Moves in a Pop Direction as Produced By Kanye West". About.com. from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  39. ^ Vibe.com Vibe's 10 The Most Anticipated Albums of 2010 May 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. AllHipHop. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  40. ^ Staff. 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010 May 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Rap-Up. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  41. ^ Feldman, Nick. Review: Thank Me Later March 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Seattle Weekly. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  42. ^ Exclusive: Drake's Thank Me Later Due June 15 April 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  43. ^ News: Drake's Thank Me Later Suffers Setback June 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. SOHH. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  44. ^ Drake Official Twitter June 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Twitter. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  45. ^ "Drake: Summer Album Preview 2010". Billboard. from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  46. ^ Reid, Shaheem. Drake Signs With Lil Wayne's Young Money Label January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  47. ^ Columnist. Drake – Thank Me Later Leaked Songs: Listen to 2 Tracks Free June 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Damego. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
  48. ^ Caulfield, Keith. Drake Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200 May 6, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  49. ^ Williams, John. Drake beats McLachlan to No. 1[usurped]. QMI Agency. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  50. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 10, 2015). "Drake's 'If You're Reading This' Becomes First Million-Selling Album Released in 2015". Billboard. from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  51. ^ Godfrey, Sarah. In Concert: Drake at 9:30 Club October 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  52. ^ Feeney, Michael J. Drake celebrates release of his new album "Thank Me Later" in Union Square June 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Daily News. New York. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  53. ^ Rodriquez, Jayson. Drake "So Excited, So Exhausted" On Thank Me Later's Release Day June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  54. ^ . Fox 5 New York. June 15, 2010. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  55. ^ Rodriquez, Jayson. Drake Stays Busy On Thank Me Later Release Day June 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  56. ^ "Amazon.com:Over –Explicit: Drake: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  57. ^ "Find Your Love – Single by Drake". iTunes Store. from the original on May 8, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
  58. ^ . Gfa.radioandrecords.com. June 1, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  59. ^ . Gfa.radioandrecords.com. August 3, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  60. ^ a b "Drake Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  61. ^ "Drake Chart History: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  62. ^ "Drake Readies First "Thank Me Later" Single | Billboard". Billboard. from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  63. ^ "Drake Says He's Debating "Fancy" Video Re-shoot - MTV". MTV. from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  64. ^ a b "Thank Me Later by Drake reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  65. ^ a b "Reviews for Thank Me Later by Drake". Metacritic. from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  66. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (June 9, 2010). "Thank Me Later". Entertainment Weekly. from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  67. ^ Weiss, Jeff (June 14, 2010). "Album review: Drake's 'Thank Me Later'". Los Angeles Times. from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  68. ^ a b Cashmore, Pete (June 28, 2010). . NME. London. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  69. ^ "What Is Pop Rap and Why Do We Hate It". Prefix. from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  70. ^ Errett, Joshua. "Drake". Now. from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  71. ^ Dietz, Jason (December 6, 2010). . Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  72. ^ Staff (December 9, 2010). Drake, 'Thank Me Later' – The Top 10 Everything of 2010 December 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Time. Retrieved December 9, 2010.
  73. ^ "30 Best Albums of 2010". Rolling Stone. December 7, 2010. from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  74. ^ "Drake". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. November 26, 2019. from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  75. ^ "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2013. from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  76. ^ Shachtman, Noah; Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Freeman, Jon; Hermes, Will; Hoard, Christian; Lopez, Julyssa; Reeves, Mosi; Rosen, Jody; Sheffield, Rob (July 1, 2022). "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  77. ^ Drake – Thank Me Later (Japanese release) June 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. HMV. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  78. ^ "Thank Me Later by Drake on Apple Music". Apple Music. January 2010. from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  79. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Issue 1061 (Week Commencing 28 June 2011)" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
  80. ^ "Ultratop.be – Drake – Thank Me Later" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  81. ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  82. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Drake – Thank Me Later" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  83. ^ "Lescharts.com – Drake – Thank Me Later". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  84. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Drake – Thank Me Later" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  85. ^ . Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. November 16, 2011. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  86. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Drake". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  87. ^ [Thank Me Later | Drake] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  88. ^ "Charts.nz – Drake – Thank Me Later". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  89. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  90. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Drake – Thank Me Later". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  91. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  92. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  93. ^ "Drake Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  94. ^ "Drake Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  95. ^ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  96. ^ "End of Year 2010" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. (PDF) from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  97. ^ "Best of 2010 – Billboard Top 200". Billboard. from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  98. ^ "Top Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  99. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – 2011". Billboard. from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  100. ^ "Top Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  101. ^ "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200". Billboard. from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  102. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Drake – Thank Me Later". Music Canada.
  103. ^ "British album certifications – Drake – Thank Me Later". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  104. ^ "American album certifications – Drake – Thank Me Later". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 24, 2023.

Further reading edit

  • Kondo, Toshitaka; Ahmed, Insanul (June 9, 2010). "The Making of Drake's 'Thank Me Later'". Complex. New York.
  • Skinner, Mike (February 7, 2011). "Streets takeover: Charting Drake's progress". The Guardian. London.

External links edit

  • Thank Me Later at Discogs (list of releases)

January 01, 1970
thank, later, debut, studio, album, canadian, rapper, drake, released, june, 2010, young, money, entertainment, cash, money, records, universal, motown, records, production, album, took, place, various, recording, studios, during, 2009, 2010, mostly, produced,. Thank Me Later is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Drake It was released on June 15 2010 by Young Money Entertainment Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records Production for the album took place at various recording studios during 2009 to 2010 and was mostly produced by longtime collaborators 40 and Boi 1da It features contributions from Alicia Keys Timbaland Swizz Beatz Nicki Minaj Lil Wayne The Dream and Kanye West among others Thank Me LaterStudio album by DrakeReleasedJune 15 2010 2010 06 15 Recorded2009 2010StudioAvex Honolulu BLD amp DSTRY Toronto Cherry Beach Toronto Metalworks Toronto Blast Off New York City Roc the Mic New York City Gee Jam Portland Jamaica Glenwood Los Angeles The Hit Factory Miami The Setai Hotel Miami Lexington Kentucky New Orleans Louisiana NightBird West Hollywood Takeover Houston Triangle Sounds Atlanta GenreHip hop pop rap R amp BLength61 02LabelYoung Money Cash Money Universal MotownProducer40 Boi 1da Francis and the Lights Kanye West Omen Swizz Beatz Timbaland Tone MasonDrake chronologySo Far Gone 2009 Thank Me Later 2010 Take Care 2011 Singles from Thank Me Later Over Released March 8 2010 Find Your Love Released May 5 2010 Miss Me Released June 1 2010 Fancy Released August 3 2010 Thank Me Later has a languorous ambient production that incorporates moody synthesizers sparse beats obscured keyboards minor keys and subtle arrangements Thematically the album focuses on Drake s introduction to fame and his romances over the course of confessional club oriented and sexual songs Drake s emotionally transparent self deprecating lyrics are delivered in both rapped and subtly sung verses and explore feelings of doubt insecurity and heartbreak Following an anticipated release Thank Me Later debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 447 000 copies in the US eventually selling 1 8 million copies there by August 2015 It also topped the Canadian Albums Chart and attained a platinum certification in Canada in its debut week All four of the album s singles became top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with Find Your Love reaching number five Reviews of Thank Me Later were generally positive with critics applauding Drake s personal themes and drawing musical comparisons to the works of Kid Cudi and West particularly the latter s 2008 album 808s amp Heartbreak It later ranked as one of 2010 s best albums Contents 1 Background 2 Recording and production 3 Music and lyrics 4 Marketing and sales 5 Critical reception 6 Track listing 7 Personnel 8 Charts 8 1 Weekly charts 8 2 Year end charts 8 3 Decade end charts 9 Certifications 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksBackground editReleased in February 2009 Drake s mixtape So Far Gone proceeded his series of early mixtapes and achieved unexpected critical and commercial success earning him two Grammy Award nominations and producing the hit single Best I Ever Had 1 2 The single reappeared on his debut EP 2 which was released after a bidding competition among labels and his signing with Universal Motown Records amid support from high profile hip hop artists such as Kanye West Jay Z and Lil Wayne 1 Drake followed up on So Far Gone s success with several guest appearances on other rappers works adding to the hype surrounding him at the time 2 In an interview for Complex Drake stated that his debut album will be a solid hip hop album and musically distinct from his So Far Gone mixtape which received negative comparisons to Kanye West s 808s amp Heartbreak 2008 3 He expressed a desire to work with Andre 3000 Kid Cudi and Sade for the album 4 5 6 7 8 In an interview for MTV Drake cited Nas and Andre 3000 as influences for parts of Thank Me Later stating Nas was somebody that I used to listen to his raps and never understood how he did it I always wanted to understand how he painted those pictures and his bar structure I went back and really studied Nas and Andre 3000 and then came back with this album 9 In comparing the album to his previous work he stated It s gonna be bigger it s gonna sound happier More victorious cause that s where I m at in my life 9 He told Entertainment Weekly that I didn t make this album for commercial purposes A lot of the verses are extremely long I just made it to share with people I hope they can enjoy 10 Recording and production edit nbsp Parts of the album were recorded and mixed at Cherry Beach Sound control room pictured 11 Drake resumed work on the album in October 2009 following an onstage injury from a July 2009 concert 12 Recording sessions for the album took place at several recording studios including Metalworks Studios BLD amp DSTRY and Cherry Beach Studios in Toronto NightBird Recording Studios in West Hollywood Gee Jam Studios in Portland Jamaica The Setai Hotel Recording Studio and The Hit Factory in Miami Blast Off Studios and Rock the Mic in New York Glenwood Studios in Los Angeles Triangle Sounds Studios in Atlanta Takeover Studios in Houston and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu 11 The track Up All Night was recorded on a bus somewhere in Lexington and Unforgettable was recorded on a bus somewhere in New Orleans 11 The album was mixed at Tree Sound Studios Blast Off Studios Gee Jam Studios Cherry Beach Studios The Setai Hotel Recording Studio Metalworks Studios Stadium Red in New York and Studio 306 in Toronto 11 Lil Wayne Cortez Bryant Gee Roberson Ronald Slim Williams Oliver El Khatib Noah 40 Shebib Derrick E I Lawrence Jas Prince and Bryan Birdman Williams served as executive producers for the album 13 Producers 40 and Boi 1da handled most of the tracks programming and instrumentation 11 Besides his Toronto based producer team Drake also collaborated with European producer Crada who previously worked on Kid Cudi s 2009 debut album Man on the Moon The End of Day 14 Drake told Entertainment Weekly that he collaborated with an indie pop band named Francis and the Lights 10 Kevin Rudolf also participated in the album s recording 15 contributing with keyboards on Show Me a Good Time and Find Your Love 11 R amp B singer Mary J Blige contributed additional vocals to the track Fancy 11 In March 2010 Drake confirmed that he had recorded a track with Eminem and Dr Dre 16 In early November 2009 Lil Wayne released an official statement explaining that Thank Me Later had been completed though Drake later commented that he was still working on the album 17 On April 26 2010 Drake announced to a crowd during a show that he had finished recording and had turned in a final copy of the album 18 Music and lyrics editIn a genre that demands boldness and bravado Drake turns his first full length release into an inward looking slow moving psychedelic psychodrama it plays like an off kilter dream by a reluctant rap star Greg Kot Chicago Tribune 19 Thank Me Later has a languorous ambient production and is characterized by subtle arrangements obscured keyboards skittering snare drums 20 and reverbed percussion 21 Lyrically Thank Me Later has moody introspective subject matter 22 and mainly centers around Drake s introduction to fame and his romances 19 23 The Toronto Star describes the content as about the sorts of doubts excesses betrayals and creeping paranoid suspicions that arrive hand in hand with celebrity 24 Music journalist Greg Kot describes the album as personal and eccentric the journal of a flawed self doubting regular guy rather than a strutting icon in waiting 19 The album s first half generally discusses fame directly with confessional songs about unrequited love money and women followed by club oriented and sexual songs 25 Drake s lyrics explore feelings of doubt insecurity and heartbreak while exhibiting both emotional and grammatical malapropisms 20 He raps in a nasal voice and sings subtly with a flow generally in A B AB form 20 Music journalist Jody Rosen observes emotionally transparent rapping that eschews the thuggy style previously popular in hip hop finding Drake s style to be subtle and rueful rather than loud and lively 26 Music writers liken Thank Me Later to Kanye West s 808s amp Heartbreak 26 27 28 Nathan Rabin writes that musically Drake favors warm washes of synthesizers that create a melancholy fragile mood redolent of 808s amp Heartbreak 28 Comparisons are also drawn to Man on the Moon The End of Day by Kid Cudi a protege of West 19 26 By contrast Joshua Ostroff of The Globe and Mail feels that Thank Me Later s emotional navel gazing lacks West s often suffocating self pity and offers a proper synthesis of rap and R amp B 22 Jeff Weiss of the Los Angeles Times views that the album ignores West s celebratory side in search of anthems for the easily alienated 29 nbsp The Resistance source source The guilt ridden song exemplifies the album s conflation of the glam ridden and the everyday 30 Cece s Interlude source source Drake croons in couplets on the sentimental effects heavy track 30 Problems playing these files See media help Fireworks references the divorce of Drake s parents and alludes to his brief fling with Rihanna 27 31 Karaoke features background keyboards that add to the song s 1980s musical influence 27 with lyrics about the difficulty of relationships 23 In The Resistance Drake worries about fame changing him with lyrics veering from his ailing grandmother to a one night stand that resulted in an abortion 23 32 Over incorporates an orchestral backdrop and according to Michael Cragg of musicOMH contains three hooks 33 The artful song is about the elation and confusion that accompanies fame 34 Show Me a Good Time opens and closes with a squeaky yelling sound 27 On the song Drake talks addresses hip hop listeners who find him inauthentic 23 Up All Night has menacing strings 32 and Drake boastfully rapping about his nightlife while trading lines with Nicki Minaj 25 The club song Fancy has a predominant hook looped samples and backwards strings 23 27 33 It is an ode to women who spend hours primping in preparation for the nightlife 32 The song features vocals by producer Swizz Beatz and T I with additional harmonies by Mary J Blige at the song s conclusion 35 Shut It Down is a progressive soul song 36 in the manner of a piano ballad and slow jam 24 35 Light Up features loud synth drums and plaintive piano strings 25 32 The Jay Z collaboration is a critique on the hip hop industry its detrimental effects 23 and the trappings of being an artist While all my closest friends out partyin I m just here makin the music that they party to while Jay Z gives advice Drake here s how they gonna come at you with silly rap feuds trying to distract you 25 35 Jay Z expands on the album s overarching theme of self doubt And since no good deed go unpunished I m not as cool with niggaz as I once was I once was cool as the Fonz was But these bright lights turned me to a monster 37 Miss Me has Lil Wayne rapping jokes 37 including a crude punch line about sucking the brown off his penis and subsequently groaning Ewwww that s nasty 20 Cece s Interlude has a Prince like LinnDrum and transparent lyrics addressing a girl I wish I Wasn t famous I wish I Was still in school So that I could have you in my dorm room I would put it on you crazy 20 The pop song Find Your Love was produced by Kanye West and bears similarity to his 2008 song Heartless 38 Marketing and sales edit nbsp Drake performing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta 2010 Thank Me Later was one of the most anticipated hip hop releases of 2010 39 40 41 Universal Motown Records announced its release date as June 15 2010 42 43 before it leaked on June 1 in its entirety Drake responded on Twitter I gave away free music for years so we re good over here just allow it to be the soundtrack to your summer and Enjoy June 15th 44 The album was released June 15 2010 by Aspire Music Group 45 with Young Money Entertainment under a joint venture with Cash Money Records and distribution by Universal Motown 46 47 When Thank Me Later was released it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and sold 447 000 copies in its first week 48 It also debuted at number one in Canada with first week sales of 31 000 copies 49 By August 2015 the album has sold 1 8 million copies in the United States 50 In promotion of Thank Me Later Drake performed at the 9 30 Club in Washington D C on June 13 2010 51 On June 15 Drake made an in store appearance at a Best Buy outlet in New York City s Union Square in promotion of the album s release interacting with fans and signing copies of the album 52 On the day of its release Drake also made interviews for several radio stations through the phone 53 A planned free concert by Drake at South Street Seaport s Pier 17 that day was cancelled by concert organizers and authorities after unruly behavior within crowds and unsafe overcrowding 54 Following the cancellation Drake appeared at Manhattan nightspot Amnesia for an album release party sponsored by radio station Hot 97 55 Four singles were released from the album Over on March 8 2010 56 Find Your Love on May 5 57 Miss Me on June 1 58 and Fancy on August 3 59 All four singles reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 including Miss Me at number 15 and Over at number 14 60 Find Your Love charted at number five on the Hot 100 and also reached number 10 in Canada 60 61 Shut It Down was originally planned for release as the first single in late 2009 and Show Me a Good Time was planned to be the fifth single but both releases failed to materialize 62 63 Critical reception editProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingAnyDecentMusic 6 0 10 64 Metacritic75 100 65 Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 23 The A V ClubB 28 Entertainment WeeklyB 66 Los Angeles Times nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 67 MSN Music Expert Witness B 37 NME6 10 68 Pitchfork8 4 10 35 Rolling Stone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 26 Spin8 10 21 USA Today nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 34 Thank Me Later was met with generally positive reviews At Metacritic which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics the album received an average score of 75 based on 26 reviews 65 Aggregator AnyDecentMusic gave it 6 0 out of 10 based on their assessment of the critical consensus 64 Tim Sendra of AllMusic complimented the album s rich and nuanced production and Drake s thoughtful playful and intense lyrics writing that his willingness to be introspective and honest makes him unique and helps make Thank Me Later special 23 Pitchfork critic Ryan Dombal said Drake vies for superstardom while embracing his non drug dealing non violent non dire history one that connects with most rap fans in a completely reasonable way 35 In The A V Club Rabin wrote that on his cohesive bittersweet assured debut he proves himself worthy of the sometimes blinding spotlight 28 Rosen writing for Rolling Stone found Drake to be in total command of a style that would have been hard to imagine dominating hip hop a few years ago 26 In the opinion of Ben Detrick from Spin Thank Me Later had dynamics like few other hip hop albums before it and while Drake s personal anecdotes lack the bravado of bullet wound boasts they were intimate and lyrically detailed enough to draw blood 21 Prefix critic Wilson McBee deemed it one of the few pop rap records that comes close to being a classic 69 Some reviewers were less impressed Daniel Roberts of PopMatters said none of the songs are better than Best I Ever Had and believed Drake was suffering from an identity crisis finding the record good at parts but never great 27 Josuha Errett of Now felt Drake complains about fame way too much while calling him humorless 70 In MSN Music Robert Christgau deemed Drake neither thug nor thug wannabe plenty talented but pretty shallow and without much focus as a mack He wrote of the record Pleasing and hookful though it be it consistently bemoans the confusing emoluments and accoutrements of fame 37 Pete Cashmore from NME believed it s those constant and predictable superstar interjections that prevent the album from standing out as much as it had potential to do 68 Slant Magazine s Jesse Cataldo viewed Drake s insistent navel gazing as a flimsy concept but commended the album for nail ing confused introspection in a genre famous for willful misrepresentation of self 30 At the end of 2010 Thank Me Later appeared on several critics top ten lists of the year s best albums 71 including Time who ranked it fifth best 72 and Rolling Stone who named it the seventh best album of the year 73 At the 2010 Grammy Awards Best I Ever Had was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song 74 In 2013 and 2022 Rolling Stone included Thank Me Later in its list of the 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time 75 76 Track listing editThank Me Later standard editionNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length1 Fireworks featuring Alicia Keys Aubrey GrahamNoah ShebibMatthew SamuelsChristian KallaAlicia Augello Cook40Boi 1da a Crada a 5 132 Karaoke GrahamFrancis Farewell StarliteShebibFrancis and the Lights3 483 The Resistance GrahamShebibSamuelsOliver El Khatib403 454 Over GrahamSamuelsNick BrongersShebibBoi 1daAl Khaaliq a 3 545 Show Me a Good Time GrahamKanye WestJeff BhaskerErnest WilsonWestNo I D a Bhasker a 3 306 Up All Night featuring Nicki Minaj GrahamSamuelsMatthew BurnettOnika MarajBoi 1daBurnett a 3 547 Fancy featuring T I and Swizz Beatz GrahamShebibSamuelsKasseem DeanAubrey JohnsonHenry ZantSwizz Beatz40 a 5 198 Shut It Down featuring The Dream GrahamShebibSidney BrownTerius Nash40Omen6 599 Unforgettable featuring Young Jeezy GrahamShebibSamuelsJay JenkinsRonald IsleyErnie IsleyMarvin IsleyO Kelly Isley Jr Chris Jasper40Boi 1da3 3410 Light Up featuring Jay Z GrahamShebibAnthony McIntyreShawn Carter40Tone Mason4 3411 Miss Me featuring Lil Wayne GrahamSamuelsShebibDwayne Carter Jr Doug EdwardsDave RichardsonBoi 1da405 0612 Cece s Interlude GrahamShebibAdrian Eccleston402 3413 Find Your Love GrahamWestBhaskerWilsonPatrick ReynoldsWestNo I D a Bhasker a 3 2914 Thank Me Now GrahamTimothy MosleyTimbaland5 29 Japanese bonus tracks 77 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length15 Best I Ever Had SamuelsGrahamCarter Jr Danny HamiltonTommy ReynoldsBoi 1da4 1716 Uptown featuring Bun B and Lil Wayne GrahamCarter Jr Bernard FreemanSamuelsJeremy McArthurWilliam JoelBoi 1daArthur McArthur6 2117 Successful featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne GrahamShebibTremaine NeversonCarter Jr 405 51 UK bonus track 78 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length16 9AM in Dallas GrahamSamuelsBurnettBoi 1da3 39 Notes a signifies a co producer Sample credits Fancy contains elements and samples of I Don t Want to Play Around written by Aubrey Johnson and Henry Zant published by Ace Spec Music BMI Unforgettable contains elements and excerpts from At Your Best performed by Aaliyah written by Ronald Isley Ernie Isley Marvin Isley O Kelly Isley Jr and Chris Jasper published by EMI April Music Inc ASCAP Miss Me contains elements and excerpts from Wild Flower performed by Hank Crawford written by Doug Edwards and Dave Richardson published by Nettwerk Tunes BMI Miss Me contains an interpolation of What s Hannenin performed by Soulja Boy Personnel editCredits are adapted from the album s liner notes 11 Al Khaaliq producer horns keyboards and strings track 4 A Trak scratching track 5 Jeff Bhasker co producer and keyboards tracks 5 13 Mary J Blige additional vocals track 7 Boi 1da producer tracks 4 6 9 11 co producer 1 instrumentation 6 11 drum programming 4 9 additional keyboards 7 additional drum programming 1 3 Cortez Bryant executive producer Matthew Burnett co producer and strings track 6 Michael Banger Cadahia engineer track 11 Noel Cadastre engineer tracks 5 10 assistant engineer 1 3 6 7 9 12 mixing assistant 6 7 13 Noel Gadget Campbell mixing tracks 8 11 Ariel Chobaz engineer track 6 Crada co producer track 1 Drake vocals all tracks The Dream vocals track 8 Adrian X Eccleston guitar tracks 10 12 Oliver El Khatib art direction executive producer Noah 40 Shebib producer tracks 1 3 8 12 co producer 7 engineer 1 4 6 14 mixing 1 7 12 13 instrumentation 1 3 12 keyboards 8 10 piano 10 additional programming 7 additional keyboards 2 4 7 11 additional drum programming 8 executive producer Francis and the Lights producer track 2 Chris Gehringer mastering Chris Godbey mixing track 14 Philip Golebiewski artwork photography Travis Harrington assistant engineer track 8 Ghazi Hourani assistant engineer track 14 Jay Z rap track 10 Tandra Lytes Jhagroo assistant engineer track 2 mixing assistant 4 Gimel Young Guru Keaton engineer track 10 Alicia Keys vocals track 1 Anthony Kronfle assistant engineer tracks 1 8 10 Derrick E I Lawrence executive producer Lil Wayne rap track 11 executive producer Anthony Mandler photography Jonathan Mannion photography Mark Darkie Mayers design Nicki Minaj rap track 6 Ann Mincieli engineer and mixing track 1 Marq MoodyMan Moody assistant engineer track 11 Greg Morrison mixing assistant tracks 8 11 No I D co producer and drum programming tracks 5 13 Yashar Oghabi mixing assistant track 2 Omen producer and drum programming track 8 Anthony Palman assistant engineer track 14 Keith Parry mixing assistant track 5 J Prince assistant engineer track 14 executive producer Kevin Randolf keyboards tracks 5 13 Patrick Plain Pat Reynolds drum programming track 13 Gee Roberson executive producer Miguel Scott mixing assistant tracks 2 3 6 7 12 Francis Farewell Starlite instrumentation track 2 David Gordo Strickland mixing assistant tracks 8 11 Swizz Beatz vocals producer and instrumentation track 7 T I rap track 7 Pat Thrall engineer track 8 Timbaland producer and instrumentation track 14 Tone Mason producer and drum programming track 10 Dale Dizzle Virgo assistant engineer track 2 mixing assistant 4 Kanye West producer tracks 5 13 Bryan Baby Birdman Williams executive producer Ronald Slim Tha Don Williams executive producer Young Jeezy rap track 9 Charts editWeekly charts edit Chart performance for Thank Me Later Chart 2010 Peakposition Australian Albums ARIA 79 81 Australian Urban Albums ARIA 79 6 Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 80 98 Canadian Albums Billboard 81 1 Dutch Albums Album Top 100 82 71 French Albums SNEP 83 117 German Albums Offizielle Top 100 84 34 Greek Albums IFPI 85 35 Irish Albums IRMA 86 32 Japanese Albums Oricon 87 61 New Zealand Albums RMNZ 88 35 Scottish Albums OCC 89 39 Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 90 69 UK Albums OCC 91 15 UK R amp B Albums OCC 92 1 US Billboard 200 93 1 US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 94 1 Year end charts edit 2010 year end chart performance for Thank Me Later Chart 2010 Position Canadian Albums Billboard 95 22 UK Albums OCC 96 145 US Billboard 200 97 16 US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 98 5 2011 year end chart performance for Thank Me Later Chart 2011 Position US Billboard 200 99 91 US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 100 26 Decade end charts edit Decade end chart performance for Thank Me Later Chart 2010 2019 Position US Billboard 200 101 131Certifications editCertifications for Thank Me Later Region Certification Certified units sales Canada Music Canada 102 2 Platinum 160 000 United Kingdom BPI 103 Platinum 300 000 United States RIAA 104 4 Platinum 4 000 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone See also editList of number one albums of 2010 Canada List of Billboard 200 number one albums of 2010 List of UK R amp B Albums Chart number ones of 2010References edit a b Kellman Andy Biography Drake AllMusic Retrieved June 20 2010 a b c Reid Shaheem Rodriguez Jayson Drake s Thank Me Later Among Our Top Five Most Anticipated Rap Debuts Archived June 18 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 15 2010 Scott Marcus February 19 2009 Drake Talks Young Money Kanye Comparisons amp Ghostwriting Complex Archived from the original on December 28 2010 Retrieved November 10 2012 Drake Eminem Talking About Another Collaboration Archived February 4 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved November 10 2012 Langhorne Cyrus November 17 2009 Drake Eyes Big Features For Thank Me Later LP I Really Wanna Get Andre 3000 SOHH Archived from the original on December 12 2009 Retrieved December 6 2009 Reid Shaheem Rodriguez Jayson May 7 2009 Drake Reveals Collaborations With Lil Wayne Kanye West Trey Songz MTV Archived from the original on May 10 2009 Retrieved June 6 2009 Reid Shaheem June 4 2009 Drake Hopes To Have Kanye West Lil Wayne The Neptunes Kid Cudi Jay Z On Debut LP Archived from the original on June 6 2009 Retrieved June 6 2009 Drake Reveals Wish List of Collaborators Rap Up November 17 2009 Archived from the original on November 21 2009 Retrieved November 27 2009 a b Rodriguez Jayson Drake Says Thank Me Later Influenced By Nas Andre 3000 Archived February 26 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 20 2010 a b 5 Things You Should Know About Drake s Album Thank Me Later Archived May 18 2010 at the Wayback Machine Rap Up Retrieved June 17 2010 a b c d e f g h Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Thank Me Later album Graff Gary October 29 2009 Drake Confirms The Dream Collaboration Back To Recording After Knee Surgery Billboard Archived from the original on July 20 2013 Retrieved November 27 2009 Drake s Thank Me Later Thank You s Archived June 14 2010 at the Wayback Machine RapRadar Retrieved June 12 2010 Crada Credits AllMusic Archived from the original on July 17 2012 Retrieved November 10 2012 MikeyFresh A Short Convo With Kevin Rudolf Archived April 27 2010 at the Wayback Machine Vibe Retrieved June 12 2010 Drake Grabs Eminem amp Dr Dre For Debut Album Archived April 1 2010 at the Wayback Machine Rap Basement Retrieved June 20 2010 Jason November 9 2009 Lil Wayne Say s Drake s New Album Is Done Rap Basement Archived from the original on November 28 2009 Retrieved November 26 2009 Drake Finishes Thank Me Later Reveals Next Single Archived April 30 2010 at the Wayback Machine The Boombox Retrieved June 20 2010 a b c d Kot Greg June 17 2010 Album review Drake Thank Me Later Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on June 21 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b c d e Fennessey Sean June 15 2010 Drake Fumbles Toward Superstardom The Village Voice New York Archived from the original on November 10 2012 Retrieved November 10 2012 a b c Detrick Ben June 17 2010 Drake Thank Me Later Aspire Cash Money Young Money Spin Archived from the original on June 17 2011 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b Ostroff Joshua June 15 2010 All hail the melancholy prince of hip hop The Globe and Mail Canada Archived from the original on October 22 2012 Retrieved June 23 2010 a b c d e f g h Sendra Tim Thank Me Later Drake AllMusic Archived from the original on May 31 2012 Retrieved June 23 2010 a b Rayner Ben June 14 2010 Drake shoulders the weight of great expectations Toronto Star Archived from the original on June 18 2010 Retrieved June 23 2010 a b c d Drake Thank Me Later Paste Archived from the original on June 18 2010 Retrieved June 23 2010 a b c d e Rosen Jody June 15 2010 Thank Me Later Rolling Stone Archived from the original on June 12 2018 Retrieved November 10 2012 a b c d e f Roberts Daniel June 16 2010 Drake Thank Me Later PopMatters Archived from the original on June 19 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b c d Rabin Nathan June 15 2010 Drake Thank Me Later The A V Club Archived from the original on June 19 2010 Retrieved June 23 2010 Weiss Jeff June 14 2010 Album review Drake s Thank Me Later Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on June 18 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b c Drake Thank Me Later Slant Magazine June 14 2010 Archived from the original on June 17 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 Drake Thank Me Later Gets an XL XXl Archived from the original on June 26 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b c d Richards Chris June 15 2010 Record review Drake s Thank Me Later The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 10 2012 Retrieved June 23 2010 a b Cragg Michael Drake Thank Me Later Archived from the original on June 29 2011 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b Gardner Elysa June 10 2010 Drake s Thank Me Later is a welcome debut USA Today Archived from the original on June 13 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 a b c d e Dombal Ryan June 15 2010 Drake Thank Me Later Pitchfork Archived from the original on June 26 2010 Retrieved June 24 2010 The 50 best sex songs Time Out London January 28 2015 Archived from the original on November 24 2015 Retrieved January 23 2021 a b c d Christgau Robert February 8 2011 Jazmine Sullivan Drake MSN Music Archived from the original on March 9 2011 Retrieved February 11 2011 Lamb Bill Drake s Find Your Love Moves in a Pop Direction as Produced By Kanye West About com Archived from the original on January 20 2013 Retrieved November 10 2012 Vibe com Vibe s 10 The Most Anticipated Albums of 2010 Archived May 27 2010 at the Wayback Machine AllHipHop Retrieved June 12 2010 Staff 10 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010 Archived May 7 2010 at the Wayback Machine Rap Up Retrieved June 12 2010 Feldman Nick Review Thank Me Later Archived March 27 2012 at the Wayback Machine Seattle Weekly Retrieved June 15 2010 Exclusive Drake s Thank Me Later Due June 15 Archived April 7 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 20 2010 News Drake s Thank Me Later Suffers Setback Archived June 6 2010 at the Wayback Machine SOHH Retrieved June 20 2010 Drake Official Twitter Archived June 10 2010 at the Wayback Machine Twitter Retrieved June 12 2010 Drake Summer Album Preview 2010 Billboard Archived from the original on October 7 2014 Retrieved February 2 2015 Reid Shaheem Drake Signs With Lil Wayne s Young Money Label Archived January 2 2011 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 15 2010 Columnist Drake Thank Me Later Leaked Songs Listen to 2 Tracks Free Archived June 5 2010 at the Wayback Machine Damego Retrieved June 15 2010 Caulfield Keith Drake Debuts At No 1 On Billboard 200 Archived May 6 2020 at the Wayback Machine Billboard Retrieved June 23 2010 Williams John Drake beats McLachlan to No 1 usurped QMI Agency Retrieved June 23 2010 Caulfield Keith August 10 2015 Drake s If You re Reading This Becomes First Million Selling Album Released in 2015 Billboard Archived from the original on August 11 2015 Retrieved August 10 2015 Godfrey Sarah In Concert Drake at 9 30 Club Archived October 11 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post Retrieved June 16 2010 Feeney Michael J Drake celebrates release of his new album Thank Me Later in Union Square Archived June 17 2010 at the Wayback Machine Daily News New York Retrieved June 16 2010 Rodriquez Jayson Drake So Excited So Exhausted On Thank Me Later s Release Day Archived June 16 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 16 2010 Drake Concert Shut Down Fox 5 New York June 15 2010 Archived from the original on November 10 2010 Retrieved June 16 2010 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Rodriquez Jayson Drake Stays Busy On Thank Me Later Release Day Archived June 20 2010 at the Wayback Machine MTV Retrieved June 19 2010 Amazon com Over Explicit Drake MP3 Downloads Amazon Archived from the original on May 2 2010 Retrieved May 4 2010 Find Your Love Single by Drake iTunes Store Archived from the original on May 8 2010 Retrieved May 6 2010 R amp R Going For Adds Urban Gfa radioandrecords com June 1 2010 Archived from the original on March 2 2014 Retrieved November 9 2012 R amp R Going For Adds Urban Gfa radioandrecords com August 3 2010 Archived from the original on March 2 2014 Retrieved March 2 2011 a b Drake Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Archived from the original on April 24 2020 Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Chart History Canadian Hot 100 Billboard Archived from the original on April 26 2020 Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Readies First Thank Me Later Single Billboard Billboard Archived from the original on August 8 2018 Retrieved August 7 2018 Drake Says He s Debating Fancy Video Re shoot MTV MTV Archived from the original on June 13 2018 Retrieved August 7 2018 a b Thank Me Later by Drake reviews AnyDecentMusic Archived from the original on October 31 2016 Retrieved October 31 2016 a b Reviews for Thank Me Later by Drake Metacritic Archived from the original on October 22 2012 Retrieved November 10 2012 Vozick Levinson Simon June 9 2010 Thank Me Later Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on January 21 2016 Retrieved August 19 2016 Weiss Jeff June 14 2010 Album review Drake s Thank Me Later Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on December 8 2015 Retrieved September 21 2016 a b Cashmore Pete June 28 2010 Album Review Drake Thank Me Later Young Money Island NME London Archived from the original on December 8 2015 Retrieved November 9 2012 What Is Pop Rap and Why Do We Hate It Prefix Archived from the original on January 26 2016 Retrieved January 30 2016 Errett Joshua Drake Now Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved June 24 2010 Dietz Jason December 6 2010 2010 Music Critic Top Ten Lists Metacritic Archived from the original on December 10 2010 Retrieved December 9 2010 Staff December 9 2010 Drake Thank Me Later The Top 10 Everything of 2010 Archived December 12 2010 at the Wayback Machine Time Retrieved December 9 2010 30 Best Albums of 2010 Rolling Stone December 7 2010 Archived from the original on December 17 2010 Retrieved December 7 2010 Drake National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences November 26 2019 Archived from the original on October 9 2019 Retrieved May 7 2020 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time Rolling Stone October 13 2013 Archived from the original on December 9 2019 Retrieved May 7 2020 Shachtman Noah Browne David Dolan Jon Freeman Jon Hermes Will Hoard Christian Lopez Julyssa Reeves Mosi Rosen Jody Sheffield Rob July 1 2022 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time Rolling Stone Retrieved July 1 2022 Drake Thank Me Later Japanese release Archived June 8 2010 at the Wayback Machine HMV Retrieved June 12 2010 Thank Me Later by Drake on Apple Music Apple Music January 2010 Archived from the original on June 26 2017 Retrieved June 13 2017 a b The ARIA Report Issue 1061 Week Commencing 28 June 2011 PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Archived from the original PDF on July 10 2010 Retrieved March 3 2013 Ultratop be Drake Thank Me Later in Dutch Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Chart History Canadian Albums Billboard Retrieved June 7 2020 Dutchcharts nl Drake Thank Me Later in Dutch Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 Lescharts com Drake Thank Me Later Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 Offiziellecharts de Drake Thank Me Later in German GfK Entertainment Charts Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Thank Me Later Charts org nz Hung Medien November 16 2011 Archived from the original on December 16 2013 Retrieved November 16 2011 Irish charts com Discography Drake Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 サンク ミー レイター ドレイク Thank Me Later Drake in Japanese Oricon Archived from the original on June 7 2020 Retrieved June 7 2020 Charts nz Drake Thank Me Later Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved August 9 2023 Swisscharts com Drake Thank Me Later Hung Medien Retrieved June 7 2020 Official Albums Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved June 7 2020 Official R amp B Albums Chart Top 40 Official Charts Company Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Chart History Billboard 200 Billboard Retrieved June 7 2020 Drake Chart History Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard Retrieved June 7 2020 Canadian Albums Billboard Archived from the original on July 25 2018 Retrieved August 14 2018 End of Year 2010 PDF UKChartsPlus Archived PDF from the original on October 4 2018 Retrieved January 18 2021 Best of 2010 Billboard Top 200 Billboard Archived from the original on January 10 2018 Retrieved December 31 2010 Top Billboard R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2010 Billboard Archived from the original on January 10 2018 Retrieved August 14 2018 Top Billboard 200 Albums 2011 Billboard Archived from the original on February 1 2018 Retrieved August 14 2018 Top Billboard R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2011 Billboard Archived from the original on February 1 2018 Retrieved August 14 2018 Decade End Charts Billboard 200 Billboard Archived from the original on March 20 2020 Retrieved July 10 2020 Canadian album certifications Drake Thank Me Later Music Canada British album certifications Drake Thank Me Later British Phonographic Industry Retrieved March 18 2023 American album certifications Drake Thank Me Later Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved October 24 2023 Further reading editKondo Toshitaka Ahmed Insanul June 9 2010 The Making of Drake s Thank Me Later Complex New York Skinner Mike February 7 2011 Streets takeover Charting Drake s progress The Guardian London External links editThank Me Later at Discogs list of releases Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thank Me Later amp oldid 1222824649, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.