Who is Qendresa? Meet the Singer Drake Tapped for ‘Habibti’ and ‘Maid of Honour’

Millions of listeners were introduced to the sultry sounds of singer Qendresa after she appeared alongside Drake on the slow-burning “Slap The City.”

But who is she? And where did she come from? And how did she end up on two of the three albums Drake just put out? Not only did she appear on the Habibti standout but she also landed two additional credits on the album, “Gen 5” and “Fortworth” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR. She also appears on “Stuck” off of Maid of Honour.

In reality, this is Drake, once again, playing the role of tastemaker, spotlighting emerging vocalists on his album. (He also has newcomers Stunna Sandy, Molly Santana, and Iconic Savvy on the albums.)

“He is a generational artist and brilliant A&R,” Qendresa told Complex. “I'm very grateful to be part of it all, across both Habibti and Maid of Honour.”

This is only the beginning for Qendresa, who is one of the UK’s most promising emerging voices.

Born Qendresa Sopa, the singer was raised in London by Albanian parents who migrated from Kosovo in the 1980s.

“They came to the UK with nothing… raised three children, mortgaged a house, found work, learned the language, and sent money back home as well,” Qendresa said. “I can't now do anything less than that.”

Even though music eventually became her career, neither of her parents were musicians. They were, however, music lovers themselves, exposing Qendresa to different artists throughout her childhood.

She also started performing at a young age.

“I remember taking part in a talent show in school and singing Lauryn Hill’s ‘Killing Me Softly,’” she said. “My mum came to watch and she filmed it. I need to find that footage somewhere.”

As she got older, music maintained its importance in her life. In 2013, Frank Ocean's debut Channel Orange changed everything. "When Frank Ocean dropped [is] when I started [song]writing," she said. "When Channel Orange dropped, I was like, 'I need to make music.'"

Her first release came in 2016 when she dropped a loosie, "Real Thing (Demo)," on SoundCloud. Even then, you could hear the foundations of her soulful sound in her vocals. However, the sound felt safer compared to now, where it sounds like Qendresa has a better command of her voice.

Growing up, Qendresa’s parents would play a mix of “Western British” and “Albanian” music. Her sound was further shaped by the songs her peers were playing in the late ’90s.

Legendary acts like Sade, Spice Girls, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera were early influences. She also grew to have a love for hip-hop and R&B. “When [Missy] Elliott would drop, I would just lock myself in my room and just try and copy those moves,” she said. “The golden era [of R&B] was in the ’90s… and I was just fascinated. Me and my friend… we would write our own songs… like dissing the boys in our class or something.”

Qendresa's R&B draws from funk, soul, and new jack swing. Her biggest songs, "2 Much" and "Sweet Lies," not only pay homage to '90s R&B but showcase the hazy textures that define her sound—tapping drums, lo-fi vocals, and an extremely groovy bassline.

Her songwriting explores the tension of relationships, and her music feels most nostalgic when she laments connections that existed before constant digital mediation.

Qendresa's first contact with Drake came through Sound42 and OVO Radio, which regularly spun her tracks in 2022. "I was like, 'Oh shit, maybe he does know what's going on,'" she said. "To have someone like Drake shine a light on me when he doesn't really have to—but he does it because he loves what I do—that's why the alignment just makes sense."

That indirect recognition would eventually lead to something more concrete: in August 2025, Drake used her song "Tearz" in an Instagram post, marking their first direct connection.

After connecting through Instagram DMs, the two began sharing music with one another.

“We were just messaging and it felt just so organic and so it felt right,” she said. “When he first sent me ‘Slap the City,’ we both were like, ‘Yeah, this feels like an us track.’”

The track blends the funk-driven basslines and ’80s-reminiscent synths that define Qendresa’s music with the soul-trap textures of Drake’s sound. Drake clearly connected with her artistic style beyond a single track, also bringing her onto “Fortworth” and “Gen 5.” The latter pushes even deeper into that atmospheric territory, unfolding as a mostly drumless track where Drake croons while Qendresa complements his vocals in the background.

“Drake is a music lover, he’s not just an artist,” she said. “I think I relate to him in that sense.”

When working on "Stuck," Drake had the melody idea and passed it off to Qendresa, who describes herself as a "hermit" that is always within arm's reach of her studio. She continued working on ideas for what she thought was Iceman—unaware at the time that Drake had two other albums in the works.

"[Drake] gave me the reference of him singing ['Stuck'] and he was like, 'Maybe try something, just try, do whatever you want to do, but maybe those kind of lyrics,' and I tried a few things and we both kind of liked them… but the original version I should say was the right vibe."

The process was laid-back—Drake wasn't expecting music to come out of the collaboration, but was simply seeing what they could make together. That ease comes through on "Stuck," a chill bop that feels anything but forced. "He's like, 'If something comes, it comes'…I've felt zero pressure.' It's only the pressure that I've put on myself because I'm like, 'I've got to deliver.'"

Working with Drake also shifted Qendresa’s perspective on what was creatively possible. Seeing that level of artistry and production up close pushed her to think bigger about her own music. “If I end up getting some Drake-level beats sent to my inbox, then I’m not going to complain,” she said with a chuckle.

She explained that both Drake and Bad Bunny have become major creative inspirations, particularly because of the scale and precision behind their recent releases. “I’m so inspired by working with him and also the music that I’ve heard that’s come out of the albums,” she said, before pointing to Bad Bunny’s latest album DTMF as a benchmark for the level of music she hopes to achieve herself and left her asking, “How can I get to this level of production?”