Drake has set a new Spotify milestone after becoming the platform’s most-streamed artist of 2026 in a single day following the release of his new album ICEMAN.
The record dropped on Friday 15 May 2026, marking Drake’s first solo studio album since 2023’s For All The Dogs.
According to Spotify, both the album and its opening track Make Them Cry achieved the biggest single-day streaming numbers of the year so far.
Spotify announced the achievement on Instagram, writing:
“On May 15th, Drake became Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2026 in a single day, ICEMAN became the most-streamed album of 2026 in a single day, and Make Them Cry became the most-streamed song in a single day in 2026 so far.”
Drake reveals father Dennis Graham is battling cancer
One of the most talked-about moments on the album comes on Make Them Cry, where Drake opens up about his father Dennis Graham and his cancer diagnosis.
“My dad got cancer right now, we battlin’ stages. Trust me when I say there’s plenty things I’d rather be facing (For real)/And this time, ask me to dig deeper, I’ll gladly explain it.”
Later in the song, Drake also reflects on his parents and growing older.
“I know for sure that my parents, they look at me and see an overcomer/I’m looking back at them and these days, I see an older couple.”
The rapper, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, also addresses approaching 40 and the pressures surrounding the album release.
“I’m ‘bout to turn forty, dog, I’m battlin’ ageing.”
“I’m battlin’ the fact that the album ain’t even drop and already they a**** complainin’/F*** it, I’ll battle the label/F*** it, I’ll battle the majors.”
“I’ll battle the stations ’til my a** is back in rotation/Shout out to the real fans that knew what I had in the basement/Shout out to the fake fans, I thought we had an arrangement.”
ICEMAN rollout included giant Toronto ice block stunt
The album rollout included one of the most unusual promotional campaigns of Drake’s career.
Ahead of the release, Drake’s team installed a giant ice block structure in downtown Toronto, reportedly measuring around 15 feet high, 20 feet long and 15 feet wide.
Fans were told the release date for ICEMAN was hidden somewhere inside the frozen structure.
The stunt quickly went viral online, with supporters gathering at the site attempting to uncover clues connected to the release.
Drake also recently explained during an interview with Complex that he had grown tired of traditional album rollouts and wanted to create something more challenging and unpredictable.
Surprise companion albums expanded the release
Alongside ICEMAN, Drake also surprised fans by releasing two additional projects, Maid of Honour and Habibti, on the same day.
The triple release has dominated streaming conversation across social media and is expected to produce some of the biggest opening-week numbers of Drake’s career.
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