Who Is Drake's New Single "Madonna" About?

I think it's fair to say that surprise album releases deserve a national day of recognition and observance. With "pulling a Beyonce" becoming a regular thing now, it's only right to have a designated day to put off all other obligations and soak in whatever has been quietly dropped on the Internet in the middle of the night. On Thursday night, Drake released a surprise full-length album called If You're Reading This It's Too Late, proving that surprise albums are the new regular albums. (And there still isn't a national holiday to celebrate this??) One song on the album to note is "Madonna," in which Drake expresses affection for a young maiden who could one day "be as big as Madonna." So who is Drake's song "Madonna" about?

If the lyrics are any indication, whoever Drake is talking about in "Madonna" is clearly someone who, according to Drake, is about to blow up in a big way, or is maybe "as big as Madonna" in Drake's heart. Aww. Drake isn't known for being subtle, and he does drop a few hints as to who "Madonna" could be (including Madonna.)

Here are five possible theories about who "Madonna" is really about:

Lira Galore

Last October, rumors linked Drake to Instagram-person Lira Galore, who might have been the inspiration behind "Madonna." She was reportedly living with Drake at one point during their reported relationship, or at least spending a lot of time taking selfies in his bathroom.

Gianna Nicole

Rumor has it that Drake celebrated New Year's Eve with Instagram twerk model Gianna Nicole, though there doesn't seem to be any photo evidence of their evening together on either of their Instagram feeds. It's possible that these two are having a low-key hookup sesh and that Gianna Nicole is the up-and-comer that Drake seems to be describing in the song as having "potential."

Nicki Minaj

As someone who invests an unhealthy amount of emotional energy in Drake's romantic relationships, it is my life's dream to see Drake and Nicki Minaj together as soulmates. In the opening verse of the song "Only" featuring Drake, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne, Minaj maintains that her relationship with Drake has always been strictly platonic. In the following verse, however, Drake says, "I never f*cked Nicki cause she got a man/But when that's over then I'm first in line/ And the other day in her Maybach/ I thought god damn, this is the perfect time."

Conclusion: Drake loves Minaj, Minaj isn't ready to settle down, and in the meantime Drake is waiting for Minaj to text him back and maybe writing songs about her for a new album.

Rihanna

Isn't every Drake song kind of about Rihanna? In "Madonna," Drake says "We should get out/We haven't talked in a while/ We should roll to see where it goes/I saw potential in you from the go." Drake and Rihanna did used to date, so it's entirely possible that she continues to rule his life and his lyrics. The problem with this theory is that Drake also says in the song, "I don't know if you know but I know who you are/ You could be as big as Madonna." It's difficult to argue that Rihanna wouldn't know that Drake knows that Rihanna knows she's the queen of everything and is arguably as big Madonna.

Madonna

Rumors started floating around that Drake and Madonna might be a thing following a flirty Twitter exchange that went as follows:

Drake posted a photo of Madonna captioned "I wanna ride with you."

Madonna: "Where to?"

Drake: "What if I pick you up from your house? We should get out?"

Madonna: "I'm good with that!"

Translation: They're totally doing it.

A seemingly unlikely pairing for sure, but not entirely impossible. Sometimes the correct answer is the most obvious.

Images: Giphy (2); @officialgianna/Instagram (1); @lira_galore/Instagram (1)