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The Real Meaning Behind 'Popstar' By DJ Khaled Ft. Drake

Although Drake seems to look at the upsides of his success in "POPSTAR," it wouldn't be a Drake song without also mentioning the downsides. The track begins with Drake complaining about women constantly calling his phone: "...like I'm locked up, nonstop," he sings, per Genius. This evokes a similar message to that of Drake's song "Fake Love," which is about the multitudes of people who only want to be close to him because of his success. "I got fake people showin' fake love to me / Straight up to my face," he raps on the 2016 single, per Genius

It's clear that Drake is able to see through the self-serving hangers-on around him. To onlookers, it appears as though pop stars have the perfect life surrounded by friends and fans, when in reality, it is in fact quite isolating.

Later in the verse, Drake boasts about his Visa card, which "can take as many charges as it needs to" because it's "platinum just like all of [his] releases." Here, Drake is playing into the traditional hip-hop trope of bragging about being surrounded by money and women, a departure from the more melancholy Drake we have become accustomed to.

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Martina Birk

Update: 2024-05-17