On April 29th, Drake dropped his fourth studio album “Views” on iTunes. With 19 tracks plus his hit song, “Hotline Bling”, fans everywhere were dying to download the album. Although I was hesitant to drop $13.99 on iTunes, Drake has never let me down before and “Views” was no exception. After listening to the album in its entirety, I saw an interpretation based around the changing of seasons, a concept he has never introduced before. Albums with concentrated themes have a type of complexity, and his use of such a theme on “Views” shows off his talent very nicely.
The first song to catch my attention was “9”, a well-written homage to Drake’s hometown of Toronto, Canada. Drake so cleverly mentions that he is “turning the 6 upside down”, making it a 9. This type of wordplay is why Drake is such a favorite of mine. We see the change in the next song, “Hype”. “Hype” corresponds most to the tracks “Back to Back” and “Summer Sixteen”, in which Drake is already claiming that “Views” is a classic. Songs like these are the best of Drake. They’re type of song you blast in the car, windows down, and get, well, hype to.
Another dancing tune on the album is “Controlla”, a song that resembles another current hit Drake is featured on, Rihanna’s “Work.” “Controlla” is a very popular track and it’s no surprise that it quickly became a favorite of mine. Drake continues with the dance vibes in “One Dance,” featuring Wizkid & Kyla. “One Dance” is unique for its incorporation of Afrobeats.
Even with all the dance songs, “Views” still has plenty of Drake’s trademark theme: Romance. In the track “Child’s Play,” Drake explains to a girl that her simple desires are nothing to him, and that he’s more than willing to buy her expensive outfits as long as she stays true.
Sadly, the album winds down with the title-track “Views”. This second-to-last song sends a soulful message about faithfulness and loyalty to symbolize the album as a whole. The song paints a picture of Drake’s life, so as the title track, it serves its purpose.
Finally, for sake of unity, “Hotline Bling” is thrown at the end of the album and reminds the audience that the 6 God we know and love is forever vibin’. Critics of the album will say its nothing new, just the same old boring Drake. And it’s true, “Views” is very Drake-y. But I see that as a reason to love the album more. Drake’s music is unique to him and he can produce the great tracks he does while sticking to his style. Real fans know that Drake doesn’t need to have a new sound to have a great sound.
IMAGE COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
