Drake turns 40, joins Backstreet Boys for 'I Want It That Way'

Drake marked his 40th birthday with a New York party that ended in a sing-along with a pop group he has long praised. The Backstreet Boys took the stage, and the rapper joined them for one of their best-known songs, Billboard reported.

The party came on the same day as a big milestone in his career. The RIAA handed Drake a new batch of sales awards on Oct. 23, Billboard said, and he became the first artist to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units, according to Billboard.

Key facts

• Drake held his New York party on Friday night, Oct. 23, a few hours before he turned 40 on Oct. 24, Billboard reported.
• The Backstreet Boys played the party, and Drake came up to sing their 1999 hit "I Want It That Way" with them, per Billboard.
• The RIAA granted Drake 30 new certifications on Oct. 23, Billboard reported.
• Drake is now the first artist to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units, Billboard said.
• With 18 Diamond plaques, Drake has more than any other artist, Billboard noted.

Background

The New York show was not the first time Drake and the group shared a stage. In July 2022, the Backstreet Boys invited him up during a concert at Toronto's Budweiser Stage and introduced him as their sixth member, Billboard recalled. That Toronto date was part of the group's DNA World Tour, and Drake blended parts of his own song "Hold On, We're Going Home" into their version of "I Want It That Way," Billboard said.

During that 2022 appearance, Drake ranked the track among the best songs ever made, according to Billboard. His tie to the song goes back to his youth. Drake has said the tune played during a moment at his bar mitzvah, when a girl he had a crush on asked him to dance, Billboard reported.

The birthday week began well before the New York party. Drake spent time with friends at the CN Tower in Toronto, where they surprised him with a collage of photos and memories, Billboard reported. The artist Popcaan was among the guests at that Toronto gathering, Billboard said. Drake also sat courtside at the Toronto Raptors home opener during the week, Billboard reported.

He then flew to New York on Air Drake, his custom Boeing 767, Billboard said. On Thursday night, Oct. 22, he ate at Mamo, a restaurant in SoHo, per Billboard.

Some party details have not been confirmed by other outlets. TMZ reported that guests went home with Chanel and Hermès handbags, Billboard said in citing TMZ. TMZ also reported, as cited by Billboard, that a game show at the event offered cash prizes of up to $1 million, according to Billboard.

The new RIAA awards

The Oct. The tracks "In My Feelings" and "Marvin's Room," earned Diamond status for the first time, while "God's Plan" climbed to 2x Diamond, Billboard reported. The hit "One Dance" reached 15x platinum in the same round, Billboard listed.

Several albums moved up as well. Scorpion reached 9x, More Life reached 6x, Certified Lover Boy reached 5x and So Far Gone reached 3x, according to Billboard's list. His newest album earned platinum status five months after it came out in May, Billboard said.

What it means for you

For fans, the New York set brought back the 2022 moment when Drake first sang the song with the group, Billboard noted. It also shows how a song from 1999 still connects two very different acts, based on Billboard's account.

The awards say something about how people listen to music now. RIAA certifications track the units a song or album earns, and Drake's total is the highest of any artist, Billboard reported.

Drake summed up his outlook in a short line: "It's about being alive, staying alive," he said, per Billboard.

Practical steps

• Read the full rundown of the new awards in Billboard's list of Drake's latest RIAA certifications.
• Check which of your favorite Drake songs or albums moved up a level in the Oct. 23 batch, using the same Billboard list.
• Treat the handbag and prize claims with care, since they trace back to TMZ and have not been confirmed elsewhere, as Billboard's report makes clear.

What happens next

The New York night closed out several days of birthday events that started in Toronto, Billboard said. On the music side, the RIAA totals will keep shifting as songs and albums earn more units, so the record set this week may grow.

FAQ

What song did Drake perform with the Backstreet Boys? He joined the group for "I Want It That Way," their 1999 hit, Billboard reported.

When did Drake turn 40? He turned 40 on Oct. 24, the day after his Friday night party in New York, per Billboard.

What record did Drake set? He became the first artist to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units, Billboard said.

How many Diamond plaques does Drake hold? He holds 18, the most of any artist, according to Billboard.

Have the Backstreet Boys performed with Drake before? Yes. They brought him onstage in Toronto in July 2022 and named him their sixth member, Billboard reported.

How else did Drake spend his birthday week? Friends surprised him at Toronto's CN Tower with a photo collage, and he later dined at Mamo in SoHo after flying to New York on his Boeing 767, Billboard reported.

Which songs reached Diamond in the new batch? "In My Feelings" and "Marvin's Room" went Diamond for the first time, and "God's Plan" hit 2x Diamond, per Billboard.