Drake to release his next album using Apple Music’s new Connect feature

Aubrey “Drake” Graham took the stage at WWDC this afternoon to break down the Connect feature in Apple Music, Apple’s new streaming service. And, in a moment calling back to Tidal’s unveiling, Drake announced that his next album will be released through the new service.

Connect is designed to allow artists, both major and unsigned, to share their output and connect directly with fans with lyrics, behind-the-scenes photos, remixes, and more. If that sounds familiar, it should — Ping, Apple’s shuttered social music network, hinged on connecting listeners to artists. However, Drake stressed how Apple’s new solution, unlike competitors like, say, Spotify and Tidal, is a simple and elegant one for fans and musicians alike. “Focus on your body of work,” he said. “Instead of having to post your stuff on these different and sometimes confusing places, it’s all in one place: Connect.”

As for Drake’s new album, he didn’t offer up much in the way of details about when it would see release. However, if it gets a surprise release like his last surprise effort, you can expect it to be as big a win for Apple as it was for Spotify at the time.