"Hotline Bling" is the lead track from Drake's fourth studio album Views (2016). The song appears as a bonus track on the album. It became released for digital download on July 31, 2015, via Cash Money, Young Money, and Republic.

Hotline Bling

Song by Drake

Released July 31, 2015

Genre

PopR&B

Length 4:27

Label

Cash MoneyYoung MoneyRepublic

Songwriter(s)

Aubrey GrahamPaul JefferiesTimmy Thomas

Producer(s) Nineteen85

Drake announced the track's music video on October 4, 2015, on Instagram. The video was inspired by Sean Paul's "Gimme the Light" video. Apple Inc. financed the video, which was published on October 19, 2015, through Apple Music under a timed exclusivity arrangement. The film was shot in Toronto. Director X's video was inspired by the work of American artist James Turrell. X has indicated that he believes that the video will motivate males to dance more.

Lyrics

You used to call me on my
You used to, you used to
Yeah

You used to call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
Call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
And I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing

Ever since I left the city, you
Got a reputation for yourself now
Everybody knows and I feel left out
Girl you got me down, you got me stressed out
Cause ever since I left the city, you
Started wearing less and goin' out more
Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor
Hangin' with some girls I've never seen before

You used to call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
Call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing

Ever since I left the city, you, you, you
You and me, we just don't get along
You make me feel like I did you wrong
Going places where you don't belong
Ever since I left the city, you
You got exactly what you asked for
Running out of pages in your passport
Hanging with some girls I've never seen before

You used to call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
Call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
And I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing

These days, all I do is
Wonder if you're bendin' over backwards for someone else
Wonder if you're rolling up a Backwoods for someone else
Doing things I taught you, gettin' nasty for someone else
You don't need no one else
You don't need nobody else, no
Why you never alone
Why you always touching road
Used to always stay at home, be a good girl
You was in the zone, yeah
You should just be yourself
Right now, you're someone else

You used to call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
Call me on my cell phone
Late night when you need my love
And I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling
That can only mean one thing

Ever since I left the city...!

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Aubrey Drake Graham / Anthony Paul Jefferies / Timothy E Thomas

Hotline Bling lyrics © Emi Longitude Music, Peermusic Musikverlag G.m.b.h., Longitude Music (sherlyn), Nyankingmusic, Emi Music Publishing Ltd, Lw Music Gmr

Music critics praised Drake's emotive portrayal and production, but slammed the lyrics as misogynistic. Two months later, Director X directed a music video, which quickly went viral on YouTube and spawned numerous parodies. The song appeared on various year-end critics' polls.

"Hotline Bling" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also charted at number three in Drake's native Canada and the United Kingdom. The song won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song at the 2016 American Music Awards. It also won two Grammy Awards in 2017: Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance.

Composition

"Hotline Bling" is a pop and R&B song written by Drake and produced by Nineteen85. The song was written in D minor, with a speed of 135 beats per minute in common time with a chord sequence of Bbmaj7 - Am 7. The song was directly inspired by DRAM's "Cha Cha" and was initially viewed as a remix, with the song debuting on Beats 1 OVO Sound Radio as "Hotline Bling (Cha Cha Remix)". The instrumental prominently samples R&B singer Timmy Thomas' 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together".

Tag : lyrics