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mainstream rapDrake Rings In 40 With a Backstreet Boys Singalong in New York
According to Billboard, Drake capped a week of birthday festivities with a lavish celebration featuring the Backstreet Boys, designer gifts and a $1 million game show.
October 24, 2026 at 8:00 AM ET

Drake’s birthday celebration took a turn into boy-band territory. According to Billboard, the rapper celebrated his 40th birthday in New York with the Backstreet Boys, joining them to sing “I Want It That Way.”
The appearance gave an already lavish occasion a crossover centerpiece: Drake marking a milestone birthday alongside the group behind the song, rather than keeping the entertainment strictly within rap. For this celebration, at least, the singalong was the headline.
Billboard reports that the New York bash closed out a week of festivities. The celebration also included designer gifts and a $1 million game show—details that put the Backstreet Boys moment inside a much bigger birthday production.
A Birthday Set With a Pop Twist
The clearest musical takeaway is also the simplest: Drake sang “I Want It That Way” with the Backstreet Boys. That is a birthday-party moment, not an announced collaboration, and the supplied report offers no indication of a new recording or release tied to the appearance.
That distinction matters. A shared song at a celebration can stand on its own without becoming a teaser for someone’s next era. Here, the appeal is the unexpected pairing: a rap superstar stepping into the Backstreet Boys’ lane for his own birthday entertainment.
It also gives the story a different focus from the usual luxury-party rundown. The designer gifts help establish the scale, but the performance supplies the specific image that separates this bash from another expensive night out.
Big Spending, Limited Details
The $1 million game show is another attention-grabbing element in Billboard’s account. The supplied summary does not explain its format, identify contestants or say how that figure was allocated. It should not be read as confirmation that any particular guest walked away with a seven-figure prize.
Likewise, the designer gifts are mentioned without brands, recipients or individual price tags. Those details remain outside the information provided, even as they underline the celebration’s lavish framing.
What is reported is a weeklong birthday run ending in New York, with luxury touches and a Backstreet Boys singalong at its center. Drake’s milestone celebration did not need a new track to produce a music headline—just a familiar pop song and the group that made it theirs.
Source: Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop
