Over (Drake song)

2010 single by Drake

"Over"

Single by Drake
from the album  Thank Me Later
Released| March 8, 2010
Recorded| 2009
Genre| Hip hop
Length| 3:54
Label|

* Young Money
* Cash Money
* Motown

Songwriter(s)|

* Aubrey Graham
* Matthew Samuels
* Nick Brongers
* Noah "40" Shebib

Producer(s)|

* Boi-1da
* Al Khaaliq

Drake singles chronology
| "4 My Town (Play Ball)"
(2009)  | "Over"
(2010)  | "Find Your Love"
(2010)

|
|

Music video
"Over" on YouTube

"Over" is the debut solo single by Canadian rapper Drake. The lead single from his debut album, Thank Me Later, it was written by Drake with Boi-1da, and produced by the latter and Al Khaaliq (Nick Brongers).[1] The orchestral samples were composed and arranged by Brongers.[2] The single was released for digital download on March 8, 2010. The song is midtempo hip-hop with an orchestral backdrop, whose lyrics concern an introduction to fame.

It peaked in the top twenty of the United States and Canada, becoming Drake's fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the U.S. It also charted within the top five on the U.S. R&B and rap charts, his fourth consecutive top five on those charts. The song also charted in the United Kingdom and its R&B chart. The song's accompanying music video features Drake reflecting on an experience, and the struggle between his old life and the new. Several artists have made a freestyle over the track, including Eminem, Trey Songz, and Diggy Simmons, among others. Drake performed the song a number of times, including at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards. The track received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards.[3] The song is also featured on the NBA 2K11 and The Hip Hop Dance Experience soundtracks.

## Background

[edit]

"Shut It Down" was originally planned to be released as the first single from Thank Me Later in late 2009,[4] but Drake ultimately chose "Over", a song produced by Boi-1da, producer of his previous singles "Best I Ever Had" and "Forever".[5] Drake chose to premiere the song on his hometown Toronto's radio station Flow 93.5.[6] Drake did a lot of work for the song and the album in Jamaica.[7]

## Music and lyrics

[edit]

"Over"

A 30-second sample of "Over" featuring the chorus, hook, and beginning of the verse by Drake.

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The song "touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom"; Drake told MTV News that the song was "definitely" a choice of his for releasing as a single, and that it was a song he did for himself.[7] Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly called the song "a prideful track about a guy who fought for notoriety, gained it, and now struggles with what comes with it: criticism, groupies, and the pressure of expected greatness".[8] The song makes heavy use of an orchestral backdrop, while Drake delivers confident, aggressive raps in a paced fashion.[9] Drake makes references to film critics Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper, as well as actress Jada Pinkett Smith and her 1996 film, Set It Off.[10] According to Michael Craggg of MusicOMH, the song contains three hooks.[11] Several lines in the second verse are a flip of hip-hop group Dead Prez's "Hip-Hop", from their 2000 debut, Let's Get Free.[12] He also references Michael Jackson's iconic attire in his "Thriller" video, and commented, "He was young and had the world excited and anticipating his every move. That was my homage to him and the impact that he had on the world that I live in. It's also ... great for people to say. Especially, unfortunately what happened to him, just to honor him was great".[12]

## Music video

[edit]

### Background

[edit]

The video was shot on March 12, 2010, in Los Angeles,[13] directed by Anthony Mandler. Mandler previously worked with Drake on the video for his collaboration with Mary J. Blige, "The One". It premiered on VEVO on April 12, 2010.[14] In an exclusive with Rap-Up, Mandler said he was a big Drake fan, and that Drake told him "that nobody had really captured him" on video".[15]

### Synopsis and reception

[edit]

Drake paying homage to Michael Jackson's attire in "Thriller" in the music video.

British singer Rita Ora plays Drake's distant love interest in the video.[8] It begins with Drake dressed sitting in a room on a bed, reflecting on his new life. Several images including explosions and cityscapes are shown on him and on the wall before the performance begins.[16] Drake is later shown throughout the video in front of a gray backdrop, as he seems to be thinking about two women in his visions, Ora, who seems to portray the good girl, and another woman, who remained yet to be seen fully, portrayed as dangerous as she dances provocatively in the background.[14][16] Wete of Entertainment Weekly called the video "artistically contradictory", said scenes of Drake sitting "alone in his bedroom" are "pensive and rebellious", and called them "controlled chaos", but said that it worked in the video.[8] Wete also said that "He chose not to go the cliche rap-video route and fill his four-minute flick with nearly naked women, Ciroc bottles, and Beamers", and that he stuck with "one leading lady".[8]

## Remixes

[edit]

Several artists have remixed or made a freestyle over the beat, including Eminem, B.o.B, Sean Kingston, Royce da 5'9", Trey Songz, Fat Joe, Teairra Marí, and Diggy Simmons.[17][18][19][20][21][22] Simmons, the first to release a freestyle over the track, told Vibe, "With that freestyle, I heard the track, loved it, then got the instrumental from a friend of mine and just did it on the whim. It wasn't really anything I planned. I wasn't even ready for this to be a big thing because I've had tracks out before. I put my all into everything, but sometimes some tracks come out better than others. It got such a big buzz maybe because it came out the day after and people enjoyed it."[22]

## Live performances

[edit]

Drake performed the song at MTV's Spring Break 2010 in Acapulco, Mexico, and at the 2010 Juno Awards.[23][24] He also performed the song at the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards.[25] "Over" was also performed alongside "BedRock" with Nicki Minaj on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on June 25, 2010.[26] Drake also performed the song at the 2010 BET Awards on June 27, 2010, in a medley along with "Fireworks" and a remix of Young Jeezy's "Lose My Mind".

## Critical reception

[edit]

Mariel Conception of Billboard said that the single lived up to its expectations, and that "Drake continues to prove he's worthy of the hype." She commented, "It definitely isn't over for Drake-this is only the beginning.".[9] Chris Ryan of MTV News said the song sounded "very much a first single" and that Drake "is almost overwhelmed by the opportunity to officially go off". Ryan also said that "it sounds like he's pouring all of himself into every corner of the song".[27] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media said the song "does not back down" as the album's lead track, with "royal fanfare-- strings, horns, the works", which he called "an emperor's welcome".[28]

Henry Adaso of About.com dismissed the song, giving it two out of five stars, not pleased with the chorus, and called the rhymes and metaphors "redundant" and "proposterous".[29] While he called the lead single a "disappointment", he said that it raises expectations for his album, hoping that "he's saving the gems for his album" and also called the "distracting music" a pro of the song.[29]

## Chart performance

[edit]

The song debuted at number thirty-five on the US Billboard Hot 100, and eventually peaked at fourteen on the chart.[30] While it peaked at number one on the Rap Songs chart, it charted at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[30] The single was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over three million digital copies in the United States.

In Drake's native Canada, the song debuted at fifty-six, later peaking at number seventeen on the chart.[30] The song peaked at number fifty in the United Kingdom, and at eighteen on the UK R&B Chart.[31] In Germany, the song peaked at seventeen on the German Black Chart.[32]

## Credits and personnel

[edit]

* Songwriting \- Drake, Boi-1da, Nick Brongers, Noah "40" Shebib
* Production \- Boi-1da, co-produced by Al Khaaliq
* Mixing \- Noah "40" Shebib, assisted by Dale Dizzle Virgo and Tandra Jhagroo
* Engineering \- Noah "40" Shebib
* Drum programming - Boi-1da
* Keys, Strings and Horns - Al-Khaaliq, additional by Noah "40" Shebib

Source [33]

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (2010)  | Peak
position

|

Canadian Hot 100[30] | 17
German Black Chart[32] | 10
UK Singles Chart[34] | 50
UK R&B Chart[31] | 18
US Billboard Hot 100[30] | 14
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[30] | 2
US Hot Rap Songs[35] | 1

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (2010)  | Position

|

Canadian Hot 100[36] | 91
US Billboard Hot 100[37] | 60

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[38] | Gold  | 35,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] | Silver  | 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[40] | 3× Platinum  | 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Release history

[edit]

Region  | Date  | Format

|
|

United States  | March 8, 2010[41] | Digital download
United Kingdom  | March 22, 2010[42] | Digital download (Clean)
May 21, 2010[43] | Digital download (Explicit)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Boi-1da [@Boi1da] (5 March 2009). "Nick Brongers AKA Al Khaaliq" (Tweet) - via Twitter.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. ^ "A Suitcase Full Of Vinyl: The Frank Dukes Interview". BeABetterProducer.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
3. ^ "Nominees". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
4. ^ Concepcion, Mariel (Sep 25, 2009). "Drake Readies First 'Thank Me Later' Single". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
5. ^ Devin (Feb 15, 2010). "Drake Chooses First Single, Reveals Producer". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
6. ^ Reid, Shaheem (March 4, 2010). "Drake Premieres First Official Single 'Over'". MTV. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
7. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (2010-03-15). "Drake Introduces 'Drake The Artist' In 'Over' Video". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
8. ^ a b c d Wete, Brad (2010-04-12). "Drake's new 'Over' video: Watch it here". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
9. ^ a b Conception, Mariel (2010-03-19). "Drake, "Over"". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
10. ^ Devin (Mar 7, 2010). "Drake Gets Thumbs Up from Roger Ebert". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
11. ^ Cragg, Michael (Jun 14, 2010). "Drake - Thank Me Later". Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
12. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (2010-06-23). "Drake Talks Michael Jackson, Dead Prez 'Over' Homages". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
13. ^ Drake Shoots 'Over' Video in Los Angeles, Rap-Up, March 12, 2010, Devin, Archived 2010-03-15 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 3-12-2010
14. ^ a b Herrera, Monica (2010-04-12). "Drake's 'Over' Video Leaks". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2014-08-31. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
15. ^ Devin (Mar 18, 2010). "Q&A with Anthony Mandler, Director of Drake's 'Over' Video". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
16. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (2010-04-12). "Drake's 'Over' Video Shows Struggle Between 'My Past Life And This New Life'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
17. ^ "Eminem - Despicable [Over + Beamer, Benz, or Bentley Freestyle]". HipHopDX. 2010-04-29. Archived from the original on 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
18. ^ "Royce da 5'9 - Over Freestyle". HipHopDX. 2010-03-08. Archived from the original on 2010-04-20. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
19. ^ "Trey Songz - Over Freestyle". HipHopDX. 2010-04-05. Archived from the original on 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
20. ^ "Fat Joe - I'm Ill Freestyle". HipHopDX. 2010-04-28. Archived from the original on 2010-05-02. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
21. ^ Devin (2010-05-07). "Teairra Mari Sings Over Drake's 'Over,' Bares Skin in Sexy Video". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-05-10. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
22. ^ a b Hova, Tray (2010-03-12). "Diggy Simmons Says 40-Year-Olds Bump His Music". Vibe. Archived from the original on 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
23. ^ Devin (March 22, 2010). "Video: Drake Performs 'Over' on Spring Break". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
24. ^ Devin (April 18, 2010). "Drake and Justin Bieber Share Stage at 2010 JUNO Awards". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
25. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (2010-06-21). "Drake, Justin Bieber Overcome Technical Snafus, Win Big At MuchMusic". MTV News. Archived from the original on 2010-06-24. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
26. ^ Devin (June 25, 2010). "Video: Drake Raps with Jimmy Kimmel and Nicki Minaj". Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
27. ^ Ryan, Chris (2010-03-05). "Song You Need To Know: Drake, 'Over'". MTV Buzzworthy. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
28. ^ Dombal, Ryan (2010-03-15). "Pitchfork: The Playlist: Drake - "Over"". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
29. ^ a b Adaso, Henry. "Drake - "Over"". About.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-27. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
30. ^ a b c d e f "Over - Billboard.com". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
31. ^ a b "TOP 40 R&B SINGLES ARCHIVE". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2015-05-30. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
32. ^ a b "MTV Deutsche Black Charts". MTV Germany. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
33. ^ Drake Thank Me Later (Liner notes) Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Motown. (2010)
34. ^ "Drake - Over - Music Charts". Acharts.us. Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
35. ^ "Chart Highlights: Dance/Club Play, Rock Songs & More". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2010-05-31. Archived from the original on 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
36. ^ "Charts Year End: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
37. ^ "Hot 100 Songs - Year-End 2010". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
38. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
39. ^ "British single certifications – Drake – Over". British Phonographic Industry.
40. ^ "American single certifications – Drake – Over". Recording Industry Association of America.
41. ^ "Amazon.com:Over -Explicit: Drake: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
42. ^ "Over - MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
43. ^ "Over (Explicit) - Drake - MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2010-05-06.

* v
* t
* e

Drake songs

Singles discography

So Far Gone
(Mixtape / EP)|

* "Successful"
* "Best I Ever Had"
* "I'm Goin' In"

We Are Young Money|

* "Every Girl"
* "BedRock"

Thank Me Later|

* "Fireworks"
* "Over"
* "Up All Night"
* "Fancy"
* "Miss Me"
* "Find Your Love"
* "9AM in Dallas"

Take Care|

* "Over My Dead Body"
* "Headlines"
* "Crew Love"
* "Take Care"
* "Marvins Room"
* "We'll Be Fine"
* "Make Me Proud"
* "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)"
* "The Motto"

Nothing Was the Same|

* "Tuscan Leather"
* "Furthest Thing"
* "Started from the Bottom"
* "Wu-Tang Forever"
* "Worst Behavior"
* "From Time"
* "Hold On, We're Going Home"
* "The Language"
* "Too Much"
* "Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2"
* "All Me"

If You're Reading This
It's Too Late|

* "Energy"
* "Preach"

What a Time to Be Alive|

* "Jumpman"

Views|

* "Controlla"
* "One Dance"
* "Pop Style"
* "Too Good"
* "Hotline Bling"

More Life|

* "Free Smoke"
* "No Long Talk"
* "Passionfruit"
* "Gyalchester"
* "Portland"
* "KMT"
* "Glow"
* "Fake Love"

Scary Hours / Scorpion|

* "God's Plan" / "Diplomatic Immunity"
* "Survival"
* "Nonstop"
* "Elevate"
* "Emotionless"
* "I'm Upset"
* "8 Out of 10"
* "Mob Ties"
* "Can't Take a Joke"
* "Talk Up"
* "Jaded"
* "Nice for What"
* "That's How You Feel"
* "In My Feelings"
* "Don't Matter to Me"

Care Package|

* "Trust Issues"
* "Paris Morton Music"

Dark Lane Demo Tapes|

* "Chicago Freestyle"
* "Toosie Slide"
* "Time Flies"
* "Pain 1993"
* "War"
* "Desires"

Scary Hours 2|

* "What's Next"
* "Wants and Needs"
* "Lemon Pepper Freestyle"

Certified Lover Boy|

* "Champagne Poetry"
* "Papi's Home"
* "Girls Want Girls"
* "In the Bible"
* "Love All"
* "Fair Trade"
* "Way 2 Sexy"
* "TSU"
* "N 2 Deep"
* "No Friends in the Industry"
* "Knife Talk"
* "7AM on Bridle Path"
* "Race My Mind"
* "Fountains"

Honestly, Nevermind|

* "Falling Back"
* "Sticky"
* "Massive"
* "Jimmy Cooks"

Her Loss|

* "Rich Flex"
* "Major Distribution"
* "On BS"
* "Spin Bout U"
* "Circo Loco"
* "Pussy & Millions"
* "Jumbotron Shit Poppin"

For All the Dogs /
Scary Hours Edition|

* "Virginia Beach"
* "Amen"
* "Calling for You"
* "Fear of Heights"
* "Daylight"
* "First Person Shooter"
* "IDGAF"
* "7969 Santa"
* "Slime You Out"
* "8AM in Charlotte"
* "Gently"
* "Rich Baby Daddy"
* "Evil Ways"
* "You Broke My Heart"

Drake–Kendrick
Lamar feud|

* "Push Ups"
* "Taylor Made Freestyle"
* "Family Matters"
* "The Heart Part 6"

Other songs|

* "Forever"
* "0 to 100 / The Catch Up"
* "Charged Up"
* "Back to Back"
* "Right Hand"
* "Summer Sixteen"
* "Sneakin' "
* "Two Birds, One Stone"
* "No Frauds"
* "Signs"
* "Yes Indeed"
* "Duppy Freestyle"
* "Only You Freestyle"
* "Laugh Now Cry Later"
* "Bubbly"
* "Search & Rescue"
* "On the Radar Freestyle"
* "Wah Gwan Delilah"
* "It's Up"

As featured artist|

| 2009|

* "Throw It in the Bag (Remix)"
* "The One"
* "Money to Blow"
* "I Invented Sex"
* "Say Something"
* "4 My Town (Play Ball)"

|

2010|

* "Gonorrhea"
* "Wavin' Flag (Haiti Mix)"
* "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) (Remix)"
* "Right Above It"
* "Loving You No More"
* "What Up?"
* "Aston Martin Music"
* "Deuces (Remix)"
* "What's My Name?"
* "Fall for Your Type"
* "In the Morning"
* "Moment 4 Life"

2011|

* "Feel Love"
* "Unusual"
* "I'm on One"
* "She Will"
* "It's Good"
* "Still Got It"
* "Round of Applause"
* "Mr. Wrong"

2012|

* "Champion"
* "Stay Schemin'"
* "No Lie"
* "Pop That"
* "Amen"
* "Enough Said"
* "Diced Pineapples"
* "We in This Bitch 1.5"
* "Fuckin' Problems"
* "The Zone"

2013|

* "Poetic Justice"
* "Right Here"
* "Love Me"
* "No Guns Allowed"
* "No New Friends"
* "Live For"
* "I Do It"
* "Cabaret"
* "Know Bout Me"
* "Mine"

2014|

* "Odio"
* "Who Do You Love?"
* "Trophies"
* "Believe Me"
* "Recognize"
* "Tuesday"
* "Only"

2015|

* "Truffle Butter"
* "Blessings"
* "100"
* "R.I.C.O."
* "Where Ya At"

2016|

* "Work"
* "Come and See Me"
* "Why You Always Hatin?"
* "For Free"
* "No Shopping"
* "Back on Road"
* "Big Amount"
* "Used to This"

2017|

* "Both"
* "Come Closer"
* "To the Max"
* "No Complaints"

2018|

* "Look Alive"
* "Walk It Talk It"
* "Lemon (Remix)"
* "Girls Need Love"
* "Bigger Than You"
* "Sicko Mode"
* "No Stylist"
* "Never Recover"
* "Flip the Switch"
* "Mia"
* "Going Bad"

2019|

* "No Guidance"
* "Gold Roses"
* "Won't Be Late"
* "Loyal"

2020|

* "Life Is Good"
* "Oprah's Bank Account"
* "Greece"
* "Popstar"
* "Mr. Right Now"
* "Outta Time"
* "You're Mines Still (Remix)"

2021|

* "Talk to Me"
* "Solid"
* "Having Our Way"
* "Wasting Time"
* "Over the Top"

2022|

* "P Power"
* "Wait for U"
* "I'm on One"
* "Churchill Downs"
* "Staying Alive"

2023|

* "We Caa Done"
* "Who Told You"
* "Parade on Cleveland"
* "Oh U Went"
* "Meltdown"
* "Needle"

2024|

* "Act II: Date @ 8"
* "U My Everything"
* "Modo Capone"

* v
* t
* e

Rita Ora

* Discography
* Awards

Studio albums|

* Ora
* Phoenix
* You & I

EPs|

* Bang

Singles|

* "How We Do (Party)"
* "R.I.P."
* "Shine Ya Light"
* "Radioactive"
* "I Will Never Let You Down"
* "Poison"
* "Body on Me"
* "Coming Home"
* "Your Song"
* "Anywhere"
* "For You"
* "Girls"
* "Let You Love Me"
* "Only Want You"
* "Carry On"
* "Ritual"
* "How to Be Lonely"
* "Big"
* "You for Me"
* "Follow Me"
* "You Only Love Me"
* "Praising You"
* "Don't Think Twice"

Featured singles|

* "Where's Your Love"
* "Hot Right Now"
* "Lay Down Your Weapons"
* "Black Widow"
* "Doing It"
* "New York Raining"
* "Lonely Together"
* "R.I.P."

Promotional singles|

* "Bang Bang"

Other songs|

* "Torn Apart"
* "Grateful"
* "After the Afterparty (VIP Mix)"

Concert tours|

* Ora
* Radioactive
* The Girls
* Phoenix

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