Don't Matter to Me
single
ArtistDrake and Michael Jackson
AlbumScorpion
ReleasedJuly 6, 2018
Recorded
  • 1980 (Jackson's session)
  • 2018 (official single)
Studio
  • Paul Anka's Home Studio, Carmel, California (Jackson's vocals)
  • Sandra Gale, Yolo Estate, California (Drake's vocals)
GenreR&B[1]
Length4:05
Label
Writer
Producer
  • 40
  • Nineteen85
ChronologyDrake
Prev year2018
Next year2018

"Don't Matter to Me" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, from the former's fifth studio album Scorpion (2018).[2][3][4] It was playlisted by BBC Radio 1 on July 6, 2018.[5] With Jackson's vocals being used posthumously, the song was set to be released to US rhythmic radio on July 10, 2018, alongside "In My Feelings".[6] However, its release in the country was cancelled when Republic Records decided to solely push "In My Feelings" to rhythmic and contemporary hit radio stations in the US.[7][8][9] Commercially, the song has reached No. 1 in Sweden and Greece as well as the top 10 in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Jackson's vocals were taken from part of an unreleased 1980 session between Jackson and Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. The songs "Love Never Felt So Good" and "This Is It" (a.k.a. "I Never Heard") also came from the same session.[10] In 2025, snippets of Paul Anka's 2013 rework began circulating online featuring more unreleased vocals from Michael Jackson.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Brendan Klinkenberg of Rolling Stone said, "[the song] opens like most Drake songs, with gloomy, atmospheric synths and Drake singing sweetly to an ex-lover. Then Jackson comes in; even with some digital quivering added to his vocals, he's unmistakeable. While the "featuring Michael Jackson" billing would feel like an unnecessary flourish in almost any scenario, it's close to earned here."[11] Larry Fitzmaurice of Entertainment Weekly thought "[the song] makes great melodic hay out of a headline-grabbing posthumous Michael Jackson feature."[12] Roisin O'Connor of The Independent deemed it "hauntingly beautiful", however, she felt Jackson's voice "is controversially auto-tuned to the point that it sounds more like one of his biggest imitators, The Weeknd."[13] NMEs Luke Morgan Britton described the song as "a clear-cut power move, rather than artistic posthumous collaboration," and considered it as an example of "cases of Drake doing things because he can, rather than because he should."[14] The Hollywood Reporters Jonny Coleman felt the song "is as unsettling as a Tupac hologram, but ultimately not as offensive. It sounds like a Weeknd B-side but is weird enough to break up some of the exhaustion of listening to [Scorpion] in one sitting."[15] Dean Van Nguyen of The Irish Times said, "Jackson's segment is lovely, his vocal loop floating over the warm ‘n’ woozy orchestration which comes off as a kind of downbeat version of "Liberian Girl". Unfortunately, Drake is the worst thing about the song, his depressed coos sounding formless and without conviction."[16]

Commercial performance

In the United Kingdom, "Don't Matter to Me" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, dated July 12, 2018, behind George Ezra's "Shotgun". It serves as Drake's 15th top-ten song and Michael Jackson's 44th top ten on the chart.[17][18]

In the United States, the song debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Drake's 31st top-ten song and Jackson's 30th top ten on the chart. It stands as Jackson's second posthumous top-ten entry, tying the peak of his duet with Justin Timberlake, "Love Never Felt So Good" (2014).[19]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[20][21]

  • Noel Cadastre – recording
  • 40 – production, recording
  • Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing
  • Harley Arsenault – mixing assistance
  • Greg Moffet – mixing assistance
  • Ronald Moonoo – mixing assistance
  • Michael Jackson – vocals
  • Nineteen85 – production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2018–2019)Peak
position
Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[22]1
Ireland (IRMA)[23]3
Italy (FIMI)[24]23
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[25]15
Malaysia (RIM)[26]7
Singapore (RIAS)[27]6
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[28]33

Year-end charts

Chart (2018)Position
Denmark (Tracklisten)[29]88
Portugal (AFP)[30]142
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[31]98
Chart (2019)Position
US Hot R&B Songs (Billboard)[32]48

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel(s)Ref.
United StatesOctober 9, 2018Contemporary hit radioYoung Money · Cash Money · Republic[33]

References

  1. ^ "Michael Jackson returns posthumously on Drake album". Deccan Herald. June 29, 2018.
  2. ^ "Drake's new album 'Scorpion' - release date, tracklist, tour dates and everything we know so far - NME". NME. 28 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Drake Reveals 'Scorpion' Features, Including Michael Jackson & Jay-Z". Billboard.
  4. ^ "Drake's 'Scorpion' Features Michael Jackson Vocal, References Newborn Son". Variety. June 28, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist". BBC Radio 1. Archived July 9, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Top 40-Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access. Archived July 3, 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ "Drake's "Don't Matter to Me" Scrapped as a Single in Favor of "In My Feelings"". Hiphopnmore. 10 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Top 40-Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access. Archived July 9, 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ "Top 40-Mainstream Future Releases". All Access. Archived July 9, 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ Shields, Damien (January 3, 2021). "Love Never Felt So Good and Michael Jackson's Work with Paul Anka". Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  11. ^ "Drake's Favorite Collaborators are Ghosts". Rollings Stone. 29 June 2018.
  12. ^ "On Scorpion, Drake loses sight of his own essence". Entertainment Weekly.
  13. ^ "Drake, Scorpion album review: Lacks a sting in the tail". The Independent. 29 June 2018.
  14. ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (July 2, 2018). "Drake – 'Scorpion' review". NME. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  15. ^ Coleman, Jonny (June 29, 2018). "Critic's Notebook: Drake Overplays His Hand on Bloated Double Album 'Scorpion'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  16. ^ Van Nguyen, Dean (June 29, 2018). "Drake: Scorpion review – A painfully dull barrage of lifeless tunes". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  17. ^ "Drake | Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. 19 December 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  18. ^ "Michael Jackson | Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  19. ^ Trust, Gary (July 9, 2018). "Drake Claims 7 of Hot 100's Top 10, Breaking the Beatles' Record, As 'Nice For What' Returns to No. 1 For Eighth Week". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  20. ^ Scorpion (CD liner notes). Republic Records. 2018. 86318-2.
  21. ^ "Scorpion / Drake TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  22. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 28/2018". IFPI Greece. Archived July 26, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  23. ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  24. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 27" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  25. ^ "The Official Lebanese Top 20". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  26. ^ "Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles In Malaysia". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  27. ^ "Singapore Top 30 Digital Streaming Chart Week 29". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived July 29, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  28. ^ "Top 100 Canciones – Semana 27: del 29.06.2018 al 05.07.2018" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  29. ^ "Track Top-100 2018" (in Danish). Hitlisten. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  30. ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 200 Singles 2018" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Årslista Singlar – År 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  32. ^ "Hot R&B Singles: Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  33. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases - Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates". All Access. September 24, 2018. Archived September 18, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 24, 2018.