Drake fans are discovering Ellie Goulding played a part in ‘Pound Cake’
8 January 2026, 12:11
Drake and Jay-Z’s hit track ‘Pound Cake’ has been resurfacing with its unlikely connection to British singer, Ellie Goulding. But do you know where she features? Here are all the details.
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Drake’s iconic song with Jay-Z, ‘Pound Cake’, which appears on his infamous ‘Nothing Was The Same’ album, has a surprising link to one of the most recognisable British voices of the 2010s, Ellie Goulding.
The song is arguably one of the rapper’s most iconic tracks, with it being the essence of that distinct Drake sound that helped him carve his path.
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‘Pound Cake’ features multiple iconic samples to create its own sound, but the ‘Burn’ singer's vocals are sampled throughout the whole track, making it the most prominent.
Her vocals are taken from her 2013 song ‘Don’t Say A Word’, featuring her acapella atmospheric riff.
Ellie’s voice is chopped up and played in the background of ‘Pound Cake’, making up the four main vocal phrases that can be heard throughout, adding to the somber sound of the song.
Some fans consider it to be one of the greatest rap samples ever, showing the power of the 6 God to truly transform the vibe of a song entirely.
The British hit-maker is clearly very proud of her contribution, posting a TikTok back in 2020, letting everyone know that it was her vocals on the song, which now has over 1 million likes!
One fan commented: “Drake 🤝🏽 sampling any and everybody.”
Another said: “Literally can’t unhear it!!! This song gets me in my feels, man.”
However, the ‘Burn’ singer isn’t the only sample featured on the hip-hop track; the iconic Wu-Tang Clan’s voice also adds to the ambiance.
At the beginning of the song, the recognisable ‘Cash rules everything around me, dollar dollar bills y’all’ is scratched in.
Ellie’s now iconic riff from ‘Don’t Say A Word’ is also featured on the more recent song by Lil Baby, ‘Don’t Say A Word’, and has fans debating, just which sample beats the other.
