Drake's "Don't Matter to Me," last year's Scorpion cut featuring previously unheard vocals from Michael Jackson, was absent from the OVO Sound co-founder's setlist for his tour kickoff in Manchester over the weekend.
As Variety and a slew of others pointed out Monday morning, the song was indeed not a part of the proceedings at Manchester Arena, where Drake launched his Assassination Vacation tour with Tory Lanez and Tiffany Calver. The track, co-produced by 40 and Nineteen85, notably did appear on setlists for his previous Aubrey and the Three Migos tour in 2018.
Of course, no official reason has been given by Drake's team regarding the omission of the track from the setlist.
On the addition front, Drake's Manchester Arena stop on Sunday saw the inclusion of fellow Scorpion cut "Peak." As well-studied fans know, this is a big deal:
Last week, the Simpsons team announced their controversial move to scrub a classic 1991 episode featuring Jackson's voice from rotation. "I'm against book burning of any kind," executive producer James L. Brooks said at the time. "But this is our book, and we're allowed to take out a chapter."
The Jackson family, meanwhile, has released multiple statements condemning the HBO documentary that preceded these kinds of moves. In response to a tweet about her father's legacy being "ruined" and his name "smeared forever" earlier this month, daughter Paris Jackson called for the continuation of a message of love and peace.
