Rapper, singer, and producer Drake announced the forthcoming release of Certified Lover Boy, his first since 2018’s Scorpion. It will be released through his OVO Sound label.
The Canadian-born artist has yet to reveal an exact date for the album’s launch, but did confirm in a video on social media that it would be out in January of 2021—two months after releasing the single “Laugh Now, Cry Later.”
The video for the song teased what appeared to be a collaboration with Nike, which was also confirmed two months later. Drake was seen in the video, which also featured the song’s collaborator Lil’ Durk, wearing a pink bomber jacket with a Nike logo. That fueled speculation about a partnership, and ultimately the jacket was made available as part of the merch line.
The Nike and Drake merch line reportedly sold out almost immediately upon launching on his Drake Related website—just days after the teaser video was released for the album announcement.
The teaser video for the album featured visual references to the rapper’s previous albums, including Take Care and Nothing Was The Same.
The announcement for Certified Lover Boy coincided with the Toronto-based rapper’s 34th birthday.