Is The Weeknd throwing shade at Drake in his new single? Twitter certainly thinks so.
Numerous fans spoke out on the social media platform to speculate about a potential reference to Drake on The Weeknd’s new single “Lost in the Fire,” Released on Thursday, it contains a lyric that many are taking to be about the “Nice for What” rapper’s son.
Drake, 32, is the father of a 14-month-old son named Adonis, whom he shares with French artist and former adult-film star Sophie Brussaux. He revealed the news on numerous tracks on his double album Scorpion, which was released in June.
Fans who subscribe to the shade theory are hearing the lyric in question as, “I just want a baby with the right one / ‘Cause I would never be the one to hide one.”
“Damn The Weeknd taking shots at Drake in his new song,” one user tweeted, adding a crying laughing and fire emoji, while another joked of the Toronto-born stars: “Drake vs the Weeknd is pretty much a Canadian civil war.”
On the flip side, many argued that the lyric was “hurt” and not “hide,” with one fan tweeting a slowed-down clip of the song and writing, “Ppl making s— up again. Listen to this in slow-motion.”
The artists have famously worked together in the past, with many crediting Drake for helping to launch The Weeknd’s career.
In a 2013 cover story with Complex, The Weeknd — who contributed to multiple tracks on Drake’s sophomore album Take Care — said the rumors about a rift between the musicians were “definitely not true.”
“I told [Drake] what my decisions were going to be. And he was down with it from the beginning,” he said. “I don’t like to spoon-feed people. I don’t like to be like, ‘You know what? I’m going to let the world know that we’re cool. We’re going to take a picture together. Everyone’s cool.’ It’s all about the mystery, and people like it.”