Qendresa
Qendresa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Qendresa Sopa |
| Origin | North West London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Label | dream city discs |
Qendresa (born Qendresa Sopa; pronounced Chen-dre-sa) is a British-Kosovar singer, songwriter, and producer from North West London.[1] She is known for her self-produced electronic soul and personal songwriting. She has released two studio albums: Midnight Request Line (2020) and Londra (2024).[1] She gained mainstream recognition in 2026 through her collaborations with Canadian rapper Drake across his albums Habibti and Maid of Honour.[1]
Early life
Qendresa Sopa was raised in North West London by parents who migrated from Kosovo in the 1980s.[2] Neither of her parents were musicians, though they were music lovers who introduced her to a wide range of artists during her childhood.[2] She began performing at a young age and has stated her influence is from Frank Ocean's Channel Orange, Sade, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliott.[2]
Career
2016–2025: Early work
Qendresa released her debut material in 2016, a track called "Real Thing (Demo)," on SoundCloud.[2] Her debut studio album, Midnight Request Line, was released on November 20, 2020, followed by her second studio album, Londra, on November 28, 2024. Prior to wider commercial exposure, she released early demos through platforms such as SoundCloud, and she also hosted her own show on NTS Radio in 2018.[2]
2026: Mainstream recognition and Drake collaborations
Qendresa's collaboration with Drake originated after producer Kid Masterpiece, who has worked with Drake in the past, introduced him to her music by playing it on SiriusXM's OVO Sound channel.[1] Drake then reached out to Qendresa via an Instagram direct message after using her song "Tearz" in an Instagram post.[1] He later posted the vinyl covers of her two studio albums to his Instagram Story in February 2026.[1]
On May 15, 2026, Drake released three surprise albums simultaneously: Iceman, Habibti, and Maid of Honour.[3] Qendresa appears across four tracks on the releases: as a featured artist on "Slap The City" and as a vocal contributor on "Gen 5" and "Fort Worth" (featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR), all from Habibti, and on "Stuck" from Maid of Honour.[4][1] "Slap The City" debuted at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] The Drake collaborations boosted Qendresa from six figures to over six million monthly listeners on Spotify.[1]
In May 2026, she also released the single "Rain in July / Be the One" through dream city discs,[5] accompanied by an animated visual directed by Sofire and animated by Liffia.[4] Followed by this, she released the single "Besitos / Gave Myself 2 U" through dream city discs in August 2026.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Midnight Request Line |
|
| Londra |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Shades on, Pt. 1 (with Hugo Mari) |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "I Wonder" (with Jerome Hadey) | 2018 | Non-album singles |
| "Potpuri popullore" (with Sahiti) | 2019 | |
| "Real Luv" | 2020 | Midnight Request Line |
| "Don't Stop" | ||
| "Karma / The Source" | 2021 | Non-album singles |
| "Undercover Lover" (with Jamma-dee) | 2024 | |
| "Undercover Lover (Instrumental)" (with Jamma-dee) | ||
| "Sweet Lies" | Londra | |
| "Blocking U" | 2025 | Non-album singles |
| "Qa mke Bo" (with Leotrim Iseni) | ||
| "Rain in July / Be the One" | 2026 | |
| "Besitos / Gave Myself 2 U" |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Transition" | 2017 | Faze Miyake | Evo |
| "Violent Hour" | Abuja 336, J. Caesa, Desta French | Non-album single | |
| "Side2Me" | Only Regal | Only Regal, Vol. I | |
| "I Wonder" (Ninetoes Remix) | 2018 | Jerome Hadey, Ninetoes | Non-album single |
| "I Wonder" (feat. Qendresa) [Ninetoes Remix] [Mixed] | Jerome Hadey | Global Underground: Nubreed 12 - Denney (Mixed) | |
| "I Wonder" (feat. Qendresa) [Ninetoes Remix] | Global Underground: Nubreed 12 - Denney/Unmixed | ||
| "Pa Arsye" | Buta | Vjeshte / Dimer '18 | |
| "I Wonder" | 2019 | Jerome Hadey | Jhadey[b] |
| "Nuse" | DJ Gimi-O | Non-album single | |
| "Time" | 2020 | Kartell, Coops | Daybreak |
| "Don't Stop" (Remix) | 2021 | Dabó | Non-album single |
| "Link" | 2022 | Iglu Noise[c] | Try Don't Cry |
| "Heaven" | 2024 | Oscar #Worldpeace | Heaven and Mum, Pray for Your Son |
| "LMK" | 2025 | Logic1000 | DJ-Kicks: Logic1000 |
| "LMK" (Mixed) | |||
| "Slap the City" | 2026 | Drake | Habibti[d] |
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Saponara, Michael (8 June 2026). "How Rising Artist Qendresa Landed on Drake's 'HABIBTI' & 'MAID OF HONOUR' Albums: 'I've Always Been Inspired by Him'". Billboard Canada. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Johri, Antonio (29 May 2026). "Who is Qendresa? Meet the Singer Drake Tapped for 'Habibti' and 'Maid of Honour'". Complex. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Aswad, Jem (15 May 2026). "Drake Drops 'Iceman' Plus Surprise Albums 'Habibti,' 'Maid of Honour'". Variety. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- 1 2 "London Singer Qendresa Lands Features Across Drake's Surprise Album Releases". Urban Mag. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ Hussain, Shahzaib (2026-05-07). "Qendresa Returns With Double Single 'Rain In July / Be The One' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2026-08-17.