Why Drake’s ‘Which One’ single just isn’t a TikTok-first monitor

Drake’s new single ‘Which One’, that includes Central Cee dropped on July 25, 2025 – not irregular. Much less regular: he launched it with no warning midway by way of a 41-minute episode of Iceman, a YouTube collection he’s streaming prematurely of his album of the identical identify. One other uncommon facet: the tune has little formal presence on TikTok.

The artwork of the obscure launch 

Iceman just isn’t a conventional launch technique. The primary two episodes run over 40 minutes lengthy and had been uploaded three weeks aside. The content material itself has lots of silent footage of uneventful partitions stretching on for as much as 5 minutes. They resemble artwork home cinema greater than the flashy, catchy content material we have now turn into used to on social. 

But episode two has amassed 2.1 million views in three days (up from 1.1 million for episode one). The feedback sections are overwhelmingly constructive, and the movies are performing nicely. So is the tune itself: ‘Which One’ has over 4.1 million streams on Spotify (in response to Viberate). Whereas its official YouTube video has solely 383K views, different unofficial variations have between 70 and 100+Okay views as nicely.

Technically, the video isn’t fairly the primary launch. The tune was first performed throughout Drake’s Wi-fi efficiency in Manchester in mid-July, the place he shone the highlight on Central Cee. The efficiency ties into the second Iceman episode, which was largely shot in Manchester. 

Briefly, the entire launch is seemingly an easter egg for Drake superfans who had been on the live performance and / or watching the complete size of the YouTube collection.  

What about TikTok? 

Usually, music releases demand extremely concerned social media methods with the entire tune and dance of pre-release teases and influencer partnerships. This has not been the case for ‘Which One’.

Drake doesn’t do TikTok. He has no official account and no formal presence on the platform. The sound for ‘Which one’ has solely 134 official posts, in response to Viberate information. He did submit in regards to the tune on Instagram – however with a clip from Iceman Episode 1 that includes the tune that turned into ‘Which One’, quite than the tune itself.

A day and a half after the tune’s launch, Central Cee posted a 7-second TikTok in regards to the tune that includes Drake and Cole Palmer (a UK soccer star). The video has 12.2 million views, and a couple of.5 million likes. Nevertheless, this engagement just isn’t registering on platforms like Viberate. The tune just isn’t a full-length drop and has not promoted use of the tune throughout the platform in a significant approach. It merely showcases to his followers there that the tune exists, and they need to go forth and discover it.

A post-social album?

The true query this raises is whether or not music may be profitable with out all of the bells and whistles of social media promotion.

For Central Cee, a more moderen artist, TikTok is a big a part of the best way he connects to his fanbase. Earlier songs of his have seen him submit three or 4 occasions across the launch. ‘Which One’ has solely that single 7-second clip, which is relatively understated. Drake has barely promoted the tune in any respect on his socials, outdoors of Iceman.

Central Cee is a rising artist, so attaining attain continues to be vital – however partnering with Drake gives attain in a approach mere social promotion wouldn’t. As a long-time family identify, Drake already has mainstream attain. His focus now’s on participating his superfans, the individuals who actually assist his work. This isn’t solely a sensible fan-first technique but additionally displays his seeming broader private focus after Drake’s very public spat with Kendrick Lamar final 12 months.

Because of this, ‘Which One’ appears to be solely a small a part of the broader push behind his subsequent album. The top of Iceman Episode 2 options the early beats of what’s prone to be his subsequent tune. The feedback part has extra enthusiasm for this subsequent drop than the complete launch of ‘Which One’. The general image is one among a technique leaning onerous into reside efficiency (like Wi-fi) and YouTube, with the Iceman collection drip-feeding singles and hints of the album to return.

It’s an unconventional transfer for Drake to attach together with his core followers by hiding a brand new launch midway by way of a 40-minute art-house YouTube video. But it performs to the altering wants of promotion and efficiency. The discharge feels genuine and distinctive, and it’s particular for the followers who discovered it first. It requires buy-in of time and vitality and is a part of an even bigger promise of the following album. It additionally leverages the partnership between the 2 artists, with out prioritising mainstream channel blasts.

‘Which One’ might not be a viral monitor, nevertheless it has good streams and has constructed on the connection with followers. It additionally acts as a reminder that going to the reside present is about greater than seeing previous songs; it may be your first likelihood to see new ones, too. In right now’s aggressive setting, which will skip the social stage however achieves all the most important benchmarks of success.