From Barking on Kick to Goth Date Night: How Pinkchyu Turned a Viral Moment into Drake’s “Princess” Music Video
Published September 17, 2026
In the unpredictable intersection of livestream culture and mainstream music, few pairings have generated as much amusement and conversation as Drake and Pinkchyu. What started as a single playful exchange during a chaotic dating special has grown into a full visual collaboration that feels both ridiculous and strangely charming. The self-described “goth baddie,” whose real name is Lin Lamar, first captured the internet’s attention in August when she won Drake’s viral “20 v 1” speed-dating show on Kick. Her defining move was simple yet unforgettable: she asked the Toronto superstar to bark like a dog, and he did. Now the pair has reunited on screen in the official visual for “Princess,” the closing track from Drake’s May 2026 album Maid of Honour. The clip follows them on a quirky mall date filled with emo attire, a nighttime walk, and a private Medieval Times show. Fans have responded with memes, Hot Topic references, praise for the fun energy, and the occasional eye roll at the transformation.
This is more than a cameo. It is a full-circle cultural moment that shows how quickly a livestream clip can reshape a celebrity narrative. Below we unpack the original viral night, the music video’s key scenes, the context of Drake’s experimental album, and why this unexpected duo continues to dominate timelines.
Drake turns into an emo goth for the “Princess” music video with Pinkchyu pic.twitter.com/Ls6DqZRaRV
— Kalshi Music (@Kalshi_Music) September 16, 2026
The Night That Started Everything: Drake’s 20 v 1 on Kick
On August 8, 2026, Drake appeared on a three-hour Kick livestream produced by NELK and hosted by Kyle Forgeard. The event celebrated the ninth anniversary of the online crypto casino Stake. One of the main segments was a “20 v 1” dating format in which Drake met a rotating lineup of mostly OnlyFans creators and influencers. He would eventually select a “wife,” a “pipe,” and a “bestie,” distributing extravagant prizes along the way.
Pinkchyu stood out immediately. The Texas-based cosplayer, streamer, and content creator arrived in pale goth makeup, a tight black outfit, and a spiked choker. During their one-on-one conversation she introduced herself as “Pink,” opened Magic: The Gathering cards with the rapper, and steered the talk toward roleplay. Drake told her she could look him in the eyes and ask him to do anything. Her reply was pure internet gold: “Would you bark for me?”
He barked. Multiple times. “Arf, arf, arf.” Pinkchyu answered with a cheerful “Good boy!” The clip spread instantly. Fans dug up older footage of Drake criticizing streamer IShowSpeed for barking at women, prompting the rapper to publicly retract his earlier comments with a humorous apology. Memes flooded every platform. Suddenly the polished king of rap was performing dog impressions for a goth streamer in front of thousands of live viewers.
Pinkchyu advanced to the final three alongside Lena the Plug and Jordyn Lucas. Drake chose her as his “wife,” citing her intrigue, Texas background, and even her fangs. When offered any prize she wanted, she asked for a house for her retired mother. Drake agreed on the spot. Later reports confirmed he followed through, allowing her to pick a listing while he covered the cost. The gesture added an unexpectedly human note to an otherwise over-the-top livestream and locked Pinkchyu into Drake’s ongoing cultural story.
The moment also matched something Drake had said publicly the previous year. On Bobbi Althoff’s podcast he had described his romantic destiny as ending up with a “goth baddie.” Pinkchyu fit the description, and the internet noticed immediately.
Drake appears in the Instagram Story of his “goth baddie” model, Pinkchyu. pic.twitter.com/nDDh3qKAaU
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) September 17, 2026
Maid of Honour and the Unexpected Sound of “Princess”
Drake released Maid of Honour on May 15, 2026, as part of a surprise three-album drop that also included Iceman and Habibti. The project remains one of his most genre-fluid works, mixing dance, Afrobeat, UK rap, and deliberate left turns. Closing the album is “Princess,” a track built around electric guitars, softer vocal delivery, and an alternative-rock, almost emo sensibility. Critics described it as Drake’s first real venture into that sonic territory and noted its experimental edge. Some compared the production to classic alternative records; others simply called it a troll of purists. Either way, the song stood apart from the rest of the album and from Drake’s usual sonic palette.
By September the track found a visual home inside Drake’s hour-long short film FOMO, which premiered with a Toronto screening before appearing on major streaming platforms. Nested inside that film is the dedicated “Princess” sequence starring Pinkchyu—the clearest on-screen reunion since their Kick meeting.
Inside the Music Video: Mall Date, Emo Makeover, and Medieval Times
The sequence opens with Pinkchyu guiding Drake through a shopping mall. The everyday setting already feels like a deliberate contrast to the usual high-gloss Drake imagery. Hand in hand they move through the space until they reach the inevitable destination for any alternative makeover: Hot Topic. Inside the store Pinkchyu becomes stylist. She walks Drake through successive looks—first a grey graphic sweatshirt, then black graphic tees, and finally a full emo-goth ensemble of studded details, chains, dark clothing, a spiked choker, baggy pants, and chunky boots.
The transformation is both literal and symbolic. Drake, long associated with tailored streetwear and polished OVO branding, fully commits to the aesthetic Pinkchyu lives in. She reacts with smiles and approving gestures as each new layer locks into place. The scene feels playful rather than forced, carrying the same lighthearted energy that defined their original interaction.
From the mall the pair moves into a nighttime park walk. Dim lighting, hand-holding, and quiet atmosphere give the date a more intimate, cinematic quality. The final destination is a private Medieval Times performance in Toronto. Seated on thrones, they watch the show together—an eccentric yet fitting climax that nods to fantasy, roleplay, and the theatrical spirit Pinkchyu brings to her content.
Taken as a whole, the sequence functions as the official music video for “Princess.” It is quirky, meme-ready, and surprisingly cohesive. Fans immediately zeroed in on the Hot Topic scenes, generating waves of jokes about early-2000s mall culture, scene kids, and the idea of Drake fully entering a “goth era.”
Fan Reactions: Amusement, Memes, and a Few Eye Rolls
Clips from the makeover and Medieval Times scenes spread across X, TikTok, and Instagram within hours of the FOMO premiere. Captions ranged from affectionate (“she really unlocked a new version of Drake”) to sarcastic (“Hot Topic Drake is the final boss”). References to Hot Topic culture dominated, with users joking about black nail polish, band tees, and the sudden return of mall-goth energy to mainstream pop culture. Some viewers celebrated the pairing as proof that Drake remains committed to the “goth baddie” ideal he once verbalized. Others treated it as pure content—entertaining, shareable, and not meant to be taken too seriously. A smaller group rolled their eyes at the perceived midlife-crisis energy or the abrupt aesthetic shift. The mixed reaction is itself part of the story: the internet rarely agrees, but it rarely stops watching.
The video also renewed interest in Pinkchyu’s own work. Beyond the dating-show fame she maintains a presence across TikTok, streaming platforms, and OnlyFans, often focusing on cosplay characters that range from Sue Storm to Makima. Her ability to turn a single viral moment into sustained cultural visibility speaks to the power of a strong, consistent aesthetic in an algorithm-driven landscape.
For Drake the collaboration continues a pattern of leaning into internet culture rather than resisting it. From the original bark to the full makeover, he has treated the Pinkchyu chapter as an opportunity for playful self-reinvention. Whether this signals a temporary experiment or the start of a longer creative partnership remains open, but the visual language of “Princess” ensures the moment will live in meme form for a long time.
Why the Pairing Works
At its core the Drake–Pinkchyu story succeeds because it feels unexpected yet strangely inevitable. Drake has spent years balancing vulnerability, bravado, and cultural fluency. Pinkchyu represents a corner of internet culture that prioritizes roleplay, aesthetic commitment, and unapologetic weirdness. Their chemistry on the Kick stream was immediate; the music video simply extends that chemistry into a narrative that matches the experimental sound of “Princess.”
The mall-date structure is especially effective. Instead of luxury cars or private jets, the video grounds the fantasy in something familiar—wandering through a shopping center, trying on clothes, walking at night, and ending at a themed dinner show. It humanizes Drake while amplifying Pinkchyu’s influence. The private Medieval Times booking adds just enough spectacle to remind viewers that this is still a Drake production, complete with thrones and exclusive access.
In an era when celebrity dating shows and livestreams constantly blur performance and reality, the “20 v 1” format and its aftermath feel like a logical evolution. Pinkchyu did not simply win a game. She introduced a new visual language into Drake’s world, and the “Princess” video fully embraces it.
What Comes Next
As of mid-September 2026 the “Princess” sequence remains one of the most discussed moments from the FOMO short film. Clips continue to circulate even as the full film’s availability has shifted across platforms. Pinkchyu has kept a relatively low public profile beyond the video, while Drake moves forward with further creative projects and tour plans. Yet the cultural footprint of their collaboration is already secure.
What began with a simple request—“Would you bark for me?”—has expanded into a multi-chapter story that includes a house for a retired mother, an earlier private castle date, and now a full music-video makeover. In the process both parties gained something lasting: Drake a memorable left-turn moment inside an already experimental album cycle, and Pinkchyu a permanent place in the ongoing Drake narrative.
Whether future collaborations appear or this remains a singular chapter, the “Princess” video stands as proof of the strange, delightful power of internet chemistry. In a mall under fluorescent lights, with studs, chains, and a spiked choker, Drake and Pinkchyu turned a viral bark into something closer to a modern fairy tale—one complete with Hot Topic, nighttime walks, and thrones at Medieval Times. For anyone who enjoys the absurd and the oddly sweet, it is a moment worth watching more than once.