Hotline Bling
Released July 31, 2015 ahead of Views and sequenced as the album's closer, Hotline Bling is widely read as Drake at his most plaintive and possessive — a meditation on a former partner who has changed and moved on without him. Produced by Nineteen85 around a sample of Timmy Thomas's 1972 soul record 'Why Can't We Live Together,' it began life positioned as a remix of D.R.A.M.'s 'Cha Cha' before becoming its own phenomenon. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of the era; critics praised its emotional warmth while also noting the controlling, judgmental posture toward its subject. Director X's October 2015 video — minimalist, neon-lit and reportedly financed by Apple — turned Drake's dancing into one of the 2010s' most parodied internet memes, including a Drake-starring Super Bowl 50 spot.
Sources & verification
Citations below were matched specifically to "Hotline Bling" and Views. Drake Universe catalogs songs by album placement, verified collaborators, producers, samples, and themes, and avoids unsupported lyric-level claims.
- Pitchfork: Drake 'Views' album reviewPitchfork · 2016-05-05 — Dated album review noting the absence of Kanye features.
- Billboard: Drake's Views first album to surpass 1 billion Apple Music streamsBillboard · 2016-07-12 — Dated report on Views passing 1B streams on Apple Music in roughly three months.
- Billboard: Views debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200Billboard · 2016-05-08 — Dated chart report for Views' Billboard 200 No. 1 debut and its 13 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1.
- Beats 1: Drake on Views with Zane Lowe (2016)Apple Music / YouTube · 2016-04-29 — YouTube upload of Drake's Views release-day Beats 1 interview.
- The Ellen Show: Drake — Hotline Bling (2016)Warner Bros. / YouTube · 2016-10-26 — YouTube upload of Drake's 2016 Hotline Bling-era Ellen appearance.
- Complex: Drake — Views from the 6 coverComplex · 2016-04-15 — Complex cover story tied to Views.
- Apple Music 1 curator pageApple Music — Apple Music 1 station surface used to verify Drake Zane Lowe interviews.
- Wikipedia: Nineteen85Wikipedia — Biographical reference for Paul Jefferies, his dvsn partnership, and 'Hotline Bling'/'One Dance' credits.
- Wikipedia: Views (Drake album)Wikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Reference for Views release facts, Toronto-weather concept, dancehall/Afrobeats/UK funky palette, track-by-track production and sample credits, mixed critical reception, and chart/certification data.
- Wikipedia: Hotline BlingWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Reference for Hotline Bling Nineteen85 production, Timmy Thomas sample, D.R.A.M. 'Cha Cha' origin, Hot 100 No. 2 peak, Director X video and meme phenomenon, and 2017 Grammy wins.
- Wikipedia: Feel No WaysWikipedia · 2026-05-18 — Reference for Feel No Ways production (Jordan Ullman, 40, Kanye West), Malcolm McLaren 'World's Famous' 80s synth-pop sample, and Views all-20-tracks Hot 100 record context.
- Drake — Can I (Genius)Genius · 2026-05-18 — Confirms 2015 leak, intended-for-Views status, The Smiths 'The Draize Train' sample and Beyonce additional vocals (reportedly an 'XO' outtake).
