Rapper / Singer Drake took the stage at Apple’s 2015 WWDC to talk about and present the Connect feature in Apple Music, Apple’s new streaming service. During this presentation, Drake announced that his next album will be released through the new service. He also spoke about how technology like Apple has helped him rise to worldwide recognition from relative Canadian obscurity in within a time-span of five years. Drake says,
“As a kid growing up, I always wondered if my city or even my country would have somebody break into the global scene as a true superstar. The dream of being an artist like myself and connecting directly with an audience has never been more close and reachable than right now.”
According to theverge.com:
Connect is designed to allow artists, both major and unsigned, to share their output and connect directly with fans with lyrics, behind-the-scenes photos, remixes, and more. If that sounds familiar, it should — Ping, Apple’s shuttered social music network, hinged on connecting listeners to artists. However, Drake stressed how Apple’s new solution, unlike competitors like, say, Spotify and Tidal, is a simple and elegant one for fans and musicians alike. “Focus on your body of work,” he said. “Instead of having to post your stuff on these different and sometimes confusing places, it’s all in one place: Connect.”
As for Drake’s new album, he didn’t offer up much in the way of details about when it would see release. However, if it gets a surprise release like his last surprise effort, you can expect it to be as big a win for Apple as it was for Spotify at the time.
