Pet Shop Boys say Drake sampled their hit West End Girls without their knowledge or permission.
The duo took to social media to address the song All The Parties, lifted from Drake’s eighth studio album ‘For All The Dogs’, on which he sings ‘It’s six, our town a dead end world / East end boys and west end girls’ over the duo’s classic melody.
In a post across their channels, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe said: “Surprising to hear @Drake singing the chorus of “West End Girls” in the track “All the Parties” on his new album. No credit given or permission requested.”
Surprising to hear @Drake singing the chorus of “West End girls” in the track “All the Parties” on his new album. No credit given or permission requested.#PetText #kobaltmusic #WestEndgirls #Drake #PetShopBoys pic.twitter.com/P5siIccTw9
— Pet Shop Boys (@petshopboys) October 6, 2023
Drake has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
It comes after the rapper announced he was taking a hiatus from music for “health” reasons, sharing: “Nothing crazy, but just like, you know, I want people to be healthy in life, and I’ve been having the craziest problems for years with my stomach.”
Meanwhile, Pet Shop Boys are set to reissue their rare 1993 LP ‘Relentless’ in honour of its 30th anniversary later this month.
Released on the back of the duo’s fifth album, ‘Very’ – featuring the hit singles Can You Forgive Her? and Go West – the six-track dance collection was originally released across three 12″ records which, in the years since, has become highly sought-after.
Speaking in a press release, Pet Shop Boys said: “This album was an experiment for us 30 years ago with its six new extended dance tracks. We’re very proud of it and delighted it’s now getting the stand-alone release it deserves.”
The reissue will be available as a limited edition yellow vinyl, a CD and will have a digital release. All of which feature new artwork. It’s out October 20 and available to purchase exclusively from the Pet Shop Boys’ Official Store.