When Drake released “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” in February 2015, it felt like something was missing. To me, it sounded like Drake wasn’t trying at times, and the project really did feel like more of a mixtape than an album-quality project. To be clear, I still think that “IYRTITL” was very good; after all, Drake is one of the few artists that can’t miss. The scary part is, while “IYRTITL” was good, we all knew Drake could do better.
No one really knew what to expect from Drake on “Views” because 2015 was the year of “savage” Drake. At the same time, he’s released catchy hip-hop hits like “Right Hand” and R&B hits like “Hotline Bling,” but he’s also released songs with heavy Caribbean influence such as “One Dance” and “Controlla.” Now, getting to “Views.”
“Keep the Family Close” sets the mood for the album with a stormy
intro that matches the album cover perfectly. It feels like it could be used as the intro song to a James Bond movie, with relatable lyrics and a moody tone that’s similar to previous Drake songs.
“9” is the first banger on this album. Drake’s voice and lyrics show how far he’s come in his career. He sounds mature and focused on his mission, but he is still relaxed.
Next on the album is “U With Me?,” which uses a dope DMX sample and features production from Kanye West. Drake lays down a couple verses over a smooth instrumental, balanced out by the heavy drums that have Kanye written all over them.
“Feel No Ways” is next up and is an early favorite of mine so far on “Views.” Drake pushes himself and experiments with different sounds on this album, which is exactly how an artist of Drake’s caliber stays relevant over time.
Drake is quick to remind us he can be a savage on “Hype,” where
he continues to take subliminal shots at Meek Mill and others (eye roll emoji). Drake stays true to his roots and gets back to the basics on “Weston Road Flows” (Weston Road is the road where Drake was raised).
After a fire rap song, “Redemption” puts you in your feelings again. Drake serenades us with a smooth track as he thinks back to a past relationship. “Redemption” is peak Drake.
In Drake’s interview with Zane Lowe on the night “Views” dropped, he described the album as going through the seasons, starting in winter then going into summer before circling back to winter. This can definitely be heard throughout the album, especially on “With You,” which features the OVO genius PAR- TYNEXTDOOR.
Drake follows up the chill “Faithful” with an absolute banger in “Still Here.” Drake boasts that he’s “Still Here” after nearly a decade in the game and states that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere any time soon —
until he retires at 35, apparently. After “Faithful,” Drake delivers his first summer hit on the album with “Controlla.” This song is a good observation of Drake trying a new sound. After his feature on Rihanna’s “Work,” I hoped he would continue making Caribbean-influenced music, and Drake followed through with “Controlla.”
Next up is Drake’s first ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, “One Dance,” which features Wizkid and Kyla. “One Dance” quickly shot up the charts, and it’s easy to see why. Drake’s singing over the afrobeat with Wizkid on the track and the Kyla sample combine to form the perfect summer anthem.
Drake gets back to addressing relationships and dealing with the women in his life on “Childs Play.” “Childs Play” continues the string of rap songs at this point in the album and makes for a good transition into “Pop Style.”
“Too Good” was described by Drake as a follow-up to Rihanna and
Drake’s hit “Work,” and you can see why he described it that way. Drake and Rihanna have never made a bad song together, and “Too Good” is no different.
“Views” is a great album that is extremely impressive on a number of levels. Throughout “Views,” Drake’s raps are sharp and he’s able to switch from rapping in his normal, deep voice to singing with impressive range in an instant. “Views” sold 852,000 copies in the U.S. iTunes store alone and was streamed exclusively on Apple Music a staggering 245 million times in the first week, which more than doubled the previous streaming record set by Beyonce a week before. From Drake’s rapping and singing to the production and features to the marketing behind this album and considering Drizzy went platinum in less than a week, “Views” is an easy contender for Album of the Year so far in 2016.
