There was a lot to take in during the eighth annual OVO Fest last night, but one moment that really stood out was when Drake brought out the Weeknd as a surprise guest. The crowd was treated to performances of “Starboy,” “The Hills,” and “Crew Love,” Drake’s 2011 collaborative track with the XO artist.
Following the set, Drizzy took a moment to address the Weeknd and the sold-out crowd, insisting that an OVOXO project was inevitable. The crowd went crazy.
“I want you to understand what this is,” Drake tells the singer. “First of all, I don’t want to do this to you on stage, but I feel like that OVOXO project has to happen at some point. I just want to say that.”
In addition to “Crew Love,” the Weeknd earned a handful of credits on Drake’s 2011 album Take Care. The Starboy singer is listed as writer on “Shot for Me,” “Practice,” “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude,” and “The Ride”; the latter two also feature his vocals.
During a 2016 interview with Zane Lowe, Abel opened up about his friendship with Drake, whom he said played a big role in his career.
“He came in as my big bro and showed the world what I could do,” the Weeknd explained. “From then on, he’s always been supporting me and I’ve always been supporting him. Behind the scenes, we’re still very close but it’s cool that the world can see us doing our own thing. OVOXO will always be there.”
The Weeknd also revealed he was open to a collaborative project with Drake.
“It’s cool to have both monsters work together as opposed to one monster and one little guy coming in... It’s dope, like Kanye and Jay Z when [Watch the Throne] happened.”
Let’s hope this happens soon.
