I hate to say this because I know it's not going to make me any new friends, but I believe that Drake and Jennifer Lopez are not dating. No, they didn't tell me. All I needed was that snuggly photo of the two of them to tell me all I needed to know. You know, the one they both posted to Instagram without as much as an explanation? It's a nice photo, I'll give them that, but there's nothing about it that screams "real" to me. Bustle has reached out to their reps, but has not yet received a response.
I know 2016 has been rough — like, the absolute worst — and it would be great to find out Drizzy and J.Lo are an item. Especially since this isn't the first time Drake and Lopez have been spotted together this year. Two weeks ago, Drake was sharing selfies from Lopez's Vegas show, where he was in charge of her pink diamond-encrusted Yankees hat.
But I just don't believe that DrayLo is a real thing. I do, however, believe it is a snapshot from a set for a surprise video these two are going to drop soon, and I have some seemingly solid proof to back me up here.
First of all, that lighting in the photo seems like it's right off a film set. Colored gels? I think so. That warm light leaves the two of them basking in a perfect golden glow, but leaves the photo looking rather cloudy. Let's blame that on a lo-res camera, likely from a phone, that can't handle such intense stage lighting.
Also, is it just me or does that room look like something straight out of one of Lopez's videos? Specifically "All I Have" with LL Cool J. Those clean lines. That gray couch. That perfectly posed snuggle. It all looks very familiar. Even the way Lopez is posed is reminiscent of a scene straight out of the video. (Head to the 46-second mark to see for yourself.)
Another clue that this could be a video shoot: their outfits. The two are in matching all-black with Lopez rocking some serious bling. Sure, she could always snuggle up with her diamond bracelet and ring, but it seems like it completes a look that just isn't right for a night in.
Did I mention that look Drake is giving? Now, being the lovable cheeseball he is, it's possible this could be the face he makes when he's trying to let the world know he's snagged his crush. Along with the selfie Drake posted with Lopez a few weeks ago, he used a heart-eyed emoji in the caption and the message "lotta these." (A photo that I should mention looked very platonic.)
That one-eyed gaze feels more like a "wouldn't you like to know what's going on here?" kind of look. It's sort of sly and mysterious, not to mention a little like he's playing us, which would also explain why this photo went caption-less. But, Drake's also letting us in on the joke, like a "don't be mad" kind of face. He's not really tricking us, just stuntin'. Heck, he gave a similar look in that DrayLo selfie.
If all of this doesn't convince you, I do have one last question for you: Who took this photo? The shot has been perceived as a romantic one, but Lopez and Drake just happen to have someone else over to take this pic? That totally seems like it would kill the mood, no?
Clearly this photo isn't a selfie, unless they used a timer, which seems a little weird to me. What wouldn't be weird would be to have someone else, say a crew member or friend on set, take a photo of them to post on social media to get people talking about whether they're dating or not, only to reveal they're working on music together.
When Drake and Lopez were first spotted hanging out, Billboard reported that the two were "collaborating on a music project." (It's the same reason given for why he was seen with Taylor Swift, who he also doesn't seem to be dating.) There hasn't been much detail about what that project is, but Drake is releasing a playlist called More Life next year, so that wouldn't be a bad guess.
Now, no one's saying the two couldn't have found a real love connection in the studio, but this photo isn't saying that. These two stars have never been forthcoming with photos of who they're dating before, and there's no reason to think they'd start now. Instead, this photo may just be a sly way of teasing a collaboration. Honestly, that's good enough for me.
