Drake packed a summer’s worth of Toronto antics and new music into an hour-long, self-funded “not-so-short film” that premiered Tuesday night.
“Fear of Missing Out” took viewers inside the rapper’s lavish summer in his hometown city, from cruising Lake Ontario in a yellow speedboat to going on rides and eating funnel cake at Canada’s Wonderland.
The film premiered as a live stream on YouTube, Spotify and Apple shortly after 10:30 p.m., following a delay from its planned 9 p.m. start. It featured clips set to songs from his recent albums “Maid of Honour” and “Habibti,” along with several unreleased tracks.
Drake’s independent record label OVO Sound said the full FOMO film is out in a post to X on Thursday shortly after 6 p.m. The YouTube stream was initially set to private after the premiere just before midnight Wednesday.
Drake had described the project on Monday in an Instagram caption as “self funded surrealism” and “a story about making the absolute most of it all in one summer.”
The film featured several guests including Sexxy Red, Don Toliver, Winnie Harlow, Lena the Plug and Drake’s mother, Sandi Graham.
Toronto was also a recurring co-star and so was one distinctly local frustration.
At one point in the film, Drake lifts his phone and complains about his service. “F—-ing Rogers phone service maybe, I don’t know,” he says. It appears WNBA all-star Marina Mabrey isn’t the only Toronto celebrity having Rogers issues.
The film opened with Drake dancing to “Cheetah Print” with Sexxy Red before moving through videos for songs including “Outside Tweaking,” “New Bestie,” “WNBA,” and “Road Trips.”
Drake also previewed several unreleased songs, including his long-rumoured take on Ella Langley’s hit “Choosin’ Texas.” The slower remix features Don Toliver and includes the line,” Drinkin’ yak all by myself. She’s from Texas I can tell.” Langley also makes an appearance in the film.
Drake debuted another song with Toliver, a track with Yeat and music featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR.
The Yeat collaboration leaned heavily into Drake’s musical eras, revisiting scenes tied to some of his best-known songs including “Hotline Bling,” “Take Care,” “God’s Plan” and “Started From the Bottom.”
Another video for “Princess” featured streamer Pinkychu judging a series of outfits worn by Drake before approving an all-black look complete with leather boots and a spiked choker, while parts of the video appear to have been filmed at Medieval Times.
During the video for “I’m Spent,” Drake receives a call from his accountant questioning two recent expenses totalling $150,000.
“Wanted to just bring up some of the recent expenditures, particularly line item 64 and 65 on the recent blue mail that we sent over … it says that you spent $150,000 on two suits. Just wondering if you had some wedding to go to or,” his accountant trails off.
The camera then pans to Drake and Loe Shimmy dressed as Iron Man and War Machine walking around the CNE, the massive annual end-of-summer fair that just wrapped up on Sept. 7.
In the film, Drake even features “The Real Jerk,” a Caribbean restaurant in the east end, paying homage to where he and Rihanna filmed their 2016 music video for the song “Work.”
Other scenes include adult star Lena the Plug asking to use Drake’s pool before the film jumps to Canada’s Wonderland and Canadian model Winnie Harlow walking down a roadway as cars pass her while lyrics including “We pray for Gaza” can be heard in the background.
The film ends with Drake standing inside a set resembling the colourful rooms from his 2015 “Hotline Bling” video. A stagehand brings over a stepladder and Drake climbs out and the credits roll.
Drake began teasing the film in August with family photos captioned “FOMO 2026” on Instagram. A week later, he posted artwork resembling a CD cover for “Fear of Missing Out.”
Over the weekend, he dropped a teaser on Instagram and described the project as a “not so short film directed and scored by the family.”
On Monday night, Drake offered fans some advice before they watch.
“Nobody is coming to save you,” the rapper wrote. “You must use each day to decipher who you love and trust and march forward with them.”
Drake said he hopes the short film “serves as motivation to make that call, take that trip, drop that song, open that shop, see your parents, leave that relationship or stay in it forever, spend the bread, get some more etc.”
At Tuesday’s premiere, Drake also said he will be going on tour in 2027.
“We’ll be out in 2027 to see everybody again across the world. Hopefully you’ll watch FOMO and we’ll see you on tour soon,” Drake said. “Big-6ix God, big T-Rex, original nostalgia bosses, see you there.”
