Drake Hints He Could Retire His Rihanna Duet “Take Care” From the Stage

Drake has left fans wondering whether one of his most cherished songs could disappear from his live shows. The rapper suggested that he may not perform “Take Care” again, the 2011 collaboration with Rihanna that also gave his album its name. The possibility follows an earlier decision involving another hit the pair recorded together. At a February 2024 concert in Tampa, Florida, during his It’s All a Blur Tour, Drake told the crowd he no longer performs “Work,” their 2016 collaboration from Rihanna’s album Anti. The song spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Take Care” has its own place in Drake’s catalogue. The title track reached No. 7 on the Hot 100, and the album later won the Grammy for Best Rap Album. The song was produced by Jamie xx and draws on his reworking of Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care of U.” Drake and Rihanna first joined forces on her 2010 single “What’s My Name?” and collaborated again on “Too Good,” from Drake’s 2016 album Views. Their relationship also attracted attention beyond the music. At the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, Drake presented Rihanna with the Video Vanguard Award and told the audience he had been in love with her since he was 22. More recently, listeners have interpreted lyrics from Drake’s 2023 song “Fear of Heights” as a jab at their past. That history has made any decision about their shared songs especially open to speculation, though the article notes that Drake has not confirmed “Take Care” is permanently out of his setlist. Removing it would also mean dropping a track closely tied to one of his best-known albums. For now, concertgoers can only wait to see whether Drake leaves the song behind or brings it back for a future performance.