Drake Urges SZA to Release Teased Song “Joni” on Streaming Platforms

Drake has expressed his hope that SZA will officially release the long-teased song “Joni,” which the New Jersey singer first shared snippets of years ago but has yet to make available on streaming platforms.

Taking to his Instagram Story on Sunday (January 21), Drake posted a screenshot of a fan-uploaded version of “Joni” on SoundCloud. In the caption, he wrote, “My [goat emoji] pls drop this.”

“Joni” was initially introduced during an interview in early 2020 and later teased on both SoundCloud and Instagram by SZA in 2021. At that time, she mentioned that the album version would feature a collaboration, but the song has never seen an official release, and both versions were removed from her online profiles.

SZA and Drake collaborated on the 2023 track “Slime You Out,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release. However, SZA revealed in an October interview with The Wall Street Journal that she initially felt uneasy about their collaboration. She had sent Drake a demo recording of her part, intending to re-record it for the final version. To her surprise, Drake used the original recording for the official release.

“I just handed in the first draft to Drake, and he’s putting it on his album,” she explained. “I’m scared because I handed in second vocals and he didn’t use that. And now I’m like, ‘Are you trying to sabotage me?’”

Despite initial concerns, SZA clarified that she knew Drake’s intentions were not to sabotage her, stating, “I literally know that’s not true, but that’s how bad I feel about my first draft. When things come from an effortless space, I almost can’t enjoy it.”

Their collaboration sparked media attention, including a roast from Charlamagne Tha God and discussions about their past romantic involvement over a decade ago. Drake had referenced their brief dating history on his song “Mr. Right Now,” which led to discussions on social media regarding the timeline and potential age implications.

SZA later clarified on Twitter, stating, “So it was actually 2009 lol. In this case, a year of poetic rap license mattered. Lol, I think he jus innocently rhymed 08 w wait. Anybody who really knows me and was around during this time can confirm… it’s all love all peace. I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening. Completely innocent. Lifetimes ago.”