Make Them Cry

"Make Them Cry"
Song by Drake
from the album Iceman
ReleasedMay 15, 2026 (2026-05-15)
GenreHip-hop
Length5:07
Label
Songwriters
Producers
  • Boi Yanel
  • Maneesh
  • Manny Manhattan
  • O Lil Angel
  • Skeyez
  • MadeAt2AM
Audio video
"Make Them Cry" on YouTube

"Make Them Cry" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his studio album, Iceman. It was released on May 15, 2026, through OVO Sound and Republic Records, as the album's opening track.

Background and composition

Ahead of its release, Drake first teased "Make Them Cry" on May 11, 2026, via a cryptic Instagram Story showing the song title in white font on a blue background, mirroring the teaser for "What Did I Miss?" (2025).[1]

Described as a "slower, reflective track", it introduces themes of "betrayal" and isolation and establishes the tone for the rest of the album.[2] It includes references to the artist's hometown, Toronto, as well as to his feud with American rapper Kendrick Lamar.[3][4] He further compared discussions surrounding the feud and his music to the television series Twin Peaks. In the song, Drake also reveals that his father, Dennis Graham, has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.[5] Besides the news regarding his father, he reflects on family matters, referencing being an only child and caring for his parents in the present day.[6]

Another reference in the song is to the South Korean boy band BTS. In response to the shoutout, member V shared a video on his Instagram Stories showing the group reacting to the lyric, including them listening to "Make Them Cry" and exchanging looks afterward.[7][8]

Critical reception

"Make Them Cry" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone described the song as presenting Drake in an "introspective, personal mood", setting the tone for the rest of the album.[9] Joe Simpson of Clash praised the song for its "refreshing moments of vulnerability", evoking his earlier career.[10]

Charts

Chart performance for "Make Them Cry"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 9
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[12] 4
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[13] 7
Denmark (Tracklisten)[14] 23
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 50
France (SNEP)[16] 109
Germany (GfK)[17] 74
Global 200 (Billboard)[18] 6
Greece International (IFPI)[19] 10
Iceland (Billboard)[20] 9
India International (IMI)[21] 15
Ireland (IRMA)[22] 10
Italy (FIMI)[23] 100
Latvia Streaming (LaIPA)[24] 14
Lithuania (AGATA)[25] 40
Luxembourg (Billboard)[26] 12
Middle East and North Africa (IFPI)[27] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 13
Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[29] 58
North Africa (IFPI)[30] 17
Norway (IFPI Norge)[31] 44
Portugal (AFP)[32] 5
Saudi Arabia (IFPI)[33] 18
Slovakia Singles Digital (ČNS IFPI)[34] 63
South Africa Streaming (TOSAC)[35] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 21
United Arab Emirates (IFPI)[37] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[38] 6
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[39] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[40] 7
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[41] 6

References

  1. ^ Macaraan, Jeric (May 11, 2026). "Drake teases 'Make Them Cry' days before Iceman drops". Rolling Out. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  2. ^ "Drake's 'Make Them Cry' lyrics and meaning from new album Iceman". Capital. May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  3. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (May 15, 2026). "Drake's Best Iceman Lyrics, From 'Make Them Cry' to 'Make Them Know'". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  4. ^ Saponara, Michael (May 15, 2026). "From DJ Khaled to Kendrick Lamar, here's everyone Drake appeared to diss on Iceman". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  5. ^ Travis, Emelyn (May 15, 2026). "Drake reveals dad has cancer in emotional new song 'Make Them Cry,' drops 3 albums". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  6. ^ "Drake reveals his father is battling cancer in new Iceman song 'Make Them Cry'". Times of India. May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  7. ^ Martoccio, Angie (May 15, 2026). "V and J-Hope Are in Shock Over Drake's BTS Shoutout on Iceman". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  8. ^ Atkinson, Katie (May 15, 2026). "Drake sets 2026 Spotify record for most-streamed artist, album & song in a single day". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  9. ^ Ihaza, Jeff (May 15, 2026). "Inside Drake's three-album Iceman takeover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  10. ^ Simpson, Joe (May 15, 2026). "Drake – Iceman". Clash. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  11. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 25, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  12. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 25, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  13. ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  14. ^ "Track Top-40 – Hitlisten.NU – Danmarks officielle hitlister" (in Danish). Tracklisten. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  15. ^ "Drake: Make Them Cry" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  16. ^ "Top Singles (Week 21, 2026)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  17. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  18. ^ "Drake Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  19. ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 20/2026" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  20. ^ "Drake Chart History (Iceland Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  21. ^ "IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 25th May 2026 | Week 21 of 52". Indian Music Industry. Archived from the original on May 25, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  22. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 22/5/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  23. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 21" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  24. ^ "Kādas ir Eirovīzijas atskaņas Latvijas mūzikas topā?" [How is Eurovision doing on the Latvian music charts?] (in Latvian). TV Net. May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  25. ^ "2026 21-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  26. ^ "Drake Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  27. ^ "The Official MENA Chart | Weekly Chart − Week 21, 2026 − 15/05 to 21/05/2026". The Official MENA Chart (Select year 2026 and week 21 to view peak.). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  28. ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  29. ^ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: May 15th − May 21st, 2026". TurnTable. Archived from the original on May 29, 2026. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  30. ^ "The Official MENA Chart | Weekly Chart − Week 21, 2026 − 15/05 to 21/05/2026". The Official MENA Chart (Select year 2026, week 21 and North Africa chart to view peak.). May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  31. ^ "Singel 2026 uke 21". IFPI Norge. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  32. ^ "Drake – Make Them Cry". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  33. ^ "The Official MENA Chart | Weekly Chart − Week 21, 2026 − 15/05 to 21/05/2026". The Official MENA Chart (Select year 2026, week 21 and Saudi Arabia chart to view peak.). May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  34. ^ "ČNS IFPI – SK Singles Digital – Top 100 – 21. týden 2026" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  35. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 20 − Week 21, 2026". The Official South African Charts. Archived from the original on May 29, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
  36. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 21, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  37. ^ "The Official MENA Chart | Weekly Chart – Week 21, 2026 – 15/05 to 21/05/2026". The Official MENA Chart (Select year 2026, week 21 and UAE chart to view peak.). May 22, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  38. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 22/5/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  39. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 22/5/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  40. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  41. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.