The rollout for DJ Khaled’s recently released twelfth studio album Khaled Khaled continues today with the video for the album’s opener, the Lil Wayne and Jeremih-featuring “Thankful.” The song, which samples Bobby “Blue” Bland’s 1978 soul single “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” opens the album with a worshipful, gospel-inflected meditation on the success the three men have experienced over the course of their careers, as well as Jeremih’s recovery from a recent bout of COVID-19.
“Thankful” follows the Jay-Z and Nas-featuring “Sorry Not Sorry” (which also featured a harmonious, undercover appearance from Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce, as “Harmonies By The Hive”) and the dancehall-accented “Where You Come From” featuring Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, and Capleton as the latest single from Khaled Khaled to receive the video treatment — a departure from the video-crazy rollout for Khaled’s last album, Father Of Asahd.
The more measured release strategy seems to be paying off, as Hits Daily Double projects a No. 1 debut looming for Khaled — his third in five years, after Major Key and Grateful. Father Of Asahd debuted at No. 2 in 2019, prompting Khaled to rebuke Billboard for changing its counting rules.
Watch DJ Khaled’s “Thankful” video featuring Lil Wayne and Jeremih above.