Drake's "ICEMAN" Intro "Make Them Cry" Aiming For No. 1 Billboard Debut

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Drake ICEMAN Intro Make Them Cry No 1 Billboard Debut
May 30, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Recording artist Drake reacts during the second quarter in game one of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Whenever Drake lands his next No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 record, the cover art for his new album "ICEMAN" will make even more sense.

Drake had a lot to get off his chest on "Make Them Cry," the multi-faceted and stunning intro to his new album ICEMAN. It seems like this will pay off for him, as the track might reportedly cinch him yet another No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

According to Talk Of The Charts on Twitter, first-day streaming numbers for "Make Them Cry" indicate the song will challenge for a number one placement on the charts. It would mark Drizzy's 14th chart-topping record (since "SICKO MODE" with Travis Scott doesn't technically count), and would make him the male solo artist with the most number one tracks in Hot 100 history.

Of course, this adds a lot more context to the heap of meaning already attributed to ICEMAN's cover art. It features a hand with the iconic diamond-sequined glove of Michael Jackson putting up a hand sign to represent the 6ix.

The Toronto superstar already tied the King of Pop for the most Hot 100 No. 1s by a male soloist. So "Make Them Cry" could be the final, official moment with which he takes the crown. Maybe it ends up being another song from ICEMAN or the other LPs HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR. Or maybe none of this goes number one, which would be even more shocking.

We'll have to see what the final numbers are in the next two weeks. In any case, "Make Them Cry" is a commercial titan and a critical darling from this tracklist, and it's very clear to see.

Drake's ICEMAN First Week Sales Projections

Drake's three new albums also have chart-dominating aspirations, as we just got first week sales projections for each. All in all, The Boy could walk away from this triple threat drop having moved anywhere between 705K and 785K album-equivalent units in the trilogy's first week of availability.

ICEMAN is specifically aiming for a number one debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart with 480K to 520K units. HABIBTI (110K-130K) and MAID OF HONOUR (115K-135K) are challenging for top five consideration at the very least. The best-case scenario for OVO is for all of them to land in the top three, which would be a staggeringly historic feat.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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