Tonight, thousands will listen to Drake’s music and cry
Two phoney Facebook events invite participants to get in touch with their sensitive sides
When his eight-month relationship came to an end last Thanksgiving, Allan Pham turned to Drake and social media for comfort.
What started as funny Snapchats sent to his friends ended in a fake Facebook event for Dec. 31, with more than 24,000 people “attending.” The event calls for two simple acts: listen to Drake on New Year’s Eve and cry.
“I made it as a joke,” said Pham, 17, who lives in Southern California. “People were telling me (my Snaps) were pretty funny so it motivated me to do the page.”
Pham invited a few friends and expected about 20 people to join. “The next day, it grew pretty big,” he said. “It was unexpected.”
Pham has a kindred spirit in Jon Ou, 19, of Toronto.
Unaware of Pham’s page, Ou and several friends created a similar fake event on Facebook. The only difference: they’re planning to cry to Drake’s older songs. More than 27,000 people are “attending” that party.
“I actually feel really proud of myself and my friends,” said Ou. “People started inviting their friends from other schools, other cities and other countries.”
The event has attracted Facebook users from all corners of the world.
For Jenny Gurvich, a 27-year-old from New York, clicking “Going” on the event meant joining a community who feel the same way about music.
“When you look at the type of songs, they’re relatable regardless of where you are,” she said. “Whether you’re on this side of the world or the other.”
Polls and memes about past breakups and Drake’s sensitivity flood the Facebook event pages.
According to one poll, Drake’s top five sad songs are: “Marvin’s Room,” “Shot for Me,” “Doing It Wrong,” “Hotline Bling” and “Take Care.”
What everyone seems to agree on: the Toronto-born rapper is sensitive.
“The girl is tired of the guy or is seeing someone else, and that could happen to a lot of guys,” Ou said. “He’s not singing from a girl’s perspective.”
But for Gurvich, that’s not a barrier. “When I was in that situation a few years ago, those are the ones I had on repeat. You listen to it and think: this is exactly how I feel.”
“I actually feel really proud of myself and my friends.” JON OU EVENT ORGANIZER