Drake's ICEMAN sculpture could take at least two weeks to fully melt, according to Professor Valentin Crépel from the University of Toronto. The theoretical quantum physicist weighed in on when fans can expect to get access to the release date for the rapper's new album while speaking with Pitchfork on Tuesday.
“If the structure were fully solid, this would correspond to roughly 350 tons of ice!” he told the outlet. “In practice, the structure is almost certainly partially hollow—either deliberately, or because of voids between stacked blocks—so the true mass is lower. Even so, it is almost certainly above 200 tons.”
After explaining that it would require "roughly 70 gigajoules" of energy to melt the structure, Crépel noted that “estimating the melt time for a structure like this is inherently uncertain.” Regardless, he expects it will remain for at least two weeks.
As for the efficacy of fans chipping away at the blocks with ice picks, Crépel added that it could expedite the process. “Not only does it directly remove ice by the kilogram,” he wrote. “But it also increases surface roughness, which in turn enhances both solar and convective heat transfer.”
When Kurrco shared Crépel's prediction on X (formerly Twitter), users expressed their impatience in the replies. "He not making us wait for a date for 2 weeks if that is true that would genuinely ruin everything," one user wrote. Another remarked, "bro edging us."
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Drake's "ICEMAN" Release Date
Drake promised to reveal the release date for ICEMAN when the sculpture melts in a post on his Instagram Story on Monday. In response, fans rushed over to the ice blocks with pickaxes, blow torches, and other tools in an attempt to speed up the process.
He began promoting the project, last year, by hosting several livestream events in which he premiered three singles. They included "What Did I Miss?," "Which One" featuring Central Cee, and "Dog House" featuring Yeat and Julia Wolf. ICEMAN will mark his first solo album since feuding with Kendrick Lamar in 2024.
