Drake has his own solo song on Camila Cabello's new album without her: Here's why

Drake is set to appear on Camila Cabello's album and she "luvs it."

The "I Luv It" songstress is set to release her fourth solo album "C,XOXO" since leaving "X Factor"-formed girl group Fifth Harmony in 2016, and the Toronto rapper is slated to appear on two songs. In a new interview with Billboard, she opened up about the surprising collaboration and sliding into the streaming titan's Instagram DMs.

"I showed him the album when I felt comfortable enough and he really liked it. (The feature) came out of a non-transactional place. He had this idea of a song called 'Hot Uptown,' and it just felt like I was in the city. I was in Miami," she told Billboard.

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Drake, who she called the "GOAT," also has his own solo track on Cabello's album – without her – called "Uuugly," a two-minute interlude directly following their collaboration "Hot Uptown."

"Why does he have his own song? Because selfishly, I just want to hear Drake on my own album. I love that for me — it's like that rebellious mood. Who says I can’t do that?" Cabello told Billboard, while her album co-producer  Jasper Harris added that the interlude was Drake's idea.

Billboard also shared that the lyrics on "C,XOXO" are all written by the "Havana" hitmaker. The album, which is due June 28, will arrive two months after Drake's highly publicized rap beef with Compton peer Kendrick Lamar. The beef came as the rappers traded barbs in numerous songs from Drake's "Family Matters" to Lamar's "Not Like Us."

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Cabello has sparked criticism on the internet for her upcoming album, which features collaborations with several Black artists — including "I Luv It" collaborator Playboi Carti, Drake and Lil Nas X. One viral X post said, "From a racist to now depending on black people to try and sell this," adding "this rebrand sucks and she sucks."

Another X post said, "one thing about Camila, she's going to use blk culture for herself!" Cabello has been the subject of past accusations of racism. In 2019, she apologized, saying she was "deeply ashamed of" using language when she was younger that she "will regret forever."

"I was uneducated and ignorant and once I became aware of the history and the weight and the true meaning behind this horrible and hurtful language, I was deeply embarrassed i ever used it," she wrote on social media.

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Cabello appeared on a March episode of "Call Her Daddy" and addressed rumors about a romance between her and Drake after confirming her past relationship with Shawn Mendes didn't "feel right."

"Call Her Daddy" host Alex Cooper asked Cabello about photos that came out last December of Cabello and Drake vacationing together in Turks and Caicos. The photos, which saw the artists riding on jet skis, smiling and laughing together on a yacht, came up during a conversation about what "single Camila" is like.

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"I try to really prioritize that part of my life. It's just so fun. I honestly love being single," before later telling Cooper, "I will say, you know what, I love that man. I love him."

Camilla Cabello responds to 'I Luv It' criticism about 'C,XOXO' lead single

Cabello released her first single "I Luv It" for "C, XOXO," in late March and the internet did not, well, love it. She addressed the criticism of the song, which she called "weird" and "new territory," and has since became a viral sound on TikTok.

"The unpredictability of it is so different for me," she says. "It's such a kick-the-door-down moment, sonically, that it makes me feel strong and powerful," Cabello said. "At least for me, in this stage of my life, it would feel so unfulfilling to just have a song that was big but felt like something that I've already done before."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake has new song on Camila Cabello's album without her