Time Flies
"Time Flies" is one of the more introspective tracks on Dark Lane Demo Tapes, using the familiar adage of its title to anchor a meditation on aging, momentum and the speed at which relationships and opportunities pass. Produced by OZ — the same producer behind the album's No. 1 single 'Toosie Slide' — the track moves between regret and gratitude, the lyrics widely read as a stocktaking moment from an artist conscious of how quickly his career and personal life have moved. It touches on lost connections and the difficulty of maintaining intimacy while constantly working, a recurring concern across his catalog. Drake previewed it (along with 'Deep Pockets,' 'Landed,' 'Pain 1993' and 'Demons') on an April 7, 2020 Instagram Live before the mixtape's release. Its production stays subdued, giving the reflection room to breathe in keeping with the project's unpolished, diaristic feel. Rather than offering resolution, the track sits with the unease of watching time accelerate, reading as Drake in confessional mode, less interested in flexing than in accounting for what speed has cost him.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Time Flies" and Dark Lane Demo Tapes. Drake Universe catalogs songs by album placement, verified collaborators, producers, samples, and themes, and avoids unsupported lyric-level claims.
- Dark Lane Demo Tapes — WikipediaWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Primary reference for full track-by-track producer credits (adapted from Tidal/BMI), features, samples/interpolations, release date (May 1, 2020), recording history, critical reception and chart performance. Source of the producer corrections replacing the fabricated 'Vinylz' placeholder on all 14 tracks.
- Stories From the Making of Drake's 'Dark Lane Demo Tapes'Complex · 2026-05-18 — Producer-sourced making-of detail cited via Wikipedia: Plain Pat co-produced 'Deep Pockets' (originally a Scorpion cut) with 40; MexikoDro co-produced the 2017 plugg-music 'From Florida with Love' with 40; Foreign Teck on the secluded LA sessions that produced 'Gold Roses' and 'Losses'; Southside's 2017 origin of 'D4L'; JB Made It producing 'Demons.'
- Every Producer Who Worked on Drake's 'Dark Lane Demo Tapes'Variety · 2026-05-18 — Corroborating per-track producer roster (Shirley Ju, May 3, 2020), cross-referenced against the Tidal/BMI credits to confirm replacement of the fabricated 'Vinylz' placeholder.
