Drake’s new album is acceptable as a time-filler but…
This is teenAGE’s album review for Drake’s 20-track VIEWS.
General thoughts
Drake’s album dropped last night after much fanfare and promotion. After almost a two-year wait, from the first time we knew the title would be Views From the 6, the album is here. But much like the name – which has been shortened to just VIEWS – the album is lacking something we expected.
Better than Nothing Was The Same, but nowhere close to Take Care, the album is great for a time-filler from a talented artiste, but disappointing as a three-year project from an artiste is widely believed to be, and widely proclaims himself as one of Hip-Hop’s future greats.
Many of the common elements from a Drake album were missing. The witty emotionalism, the hard-hitting lyrical song to end, and a clear vision in the structure were all lacking. In terms of album dropped so far, it might just edge out The Life of Pablo for first, but if it ends up being Album of the Year then hip-hop will have had an underwhelming year.
Favourite songs
1. Keep The Family Close
This is just how to start an album. A hard hitting beat which promises more along with some of the best quotables, Keep The Family Close details Drake’s journey and contemplates some very Drake ideas: friendship, love, disappointment.
2. Hype
When Drake raps, he is one of the best. He has some of the catchiest lyrics and when that impeccable flow is comined with tough talking, it is always gonna be a hot song.
3. Too Good ft Rihanna
Simply, this song will be on the radios and dominating the parties.
Honourable mention to U With Me? and Views.
Quotables
We can already see: “All of my “let’s just be friends” are friends I don’t have anymore” in so many tweets and IG captions already.
Here are some others:
“You like to slide on a late night. You send the “are you here?” text without an invite” – U With Me?
“I just know I found myself getting lost with you. Lately you just make me work too hard for you” – Too Good
“They wanna pre the movements, gotta start to make ’em sooner” – Views