It’s unfortunate, because this trend begins to fall off after only a few tracks, giving way to frustrating inconsistency.
Drake weaves between what he knows well, talking of texting mind games - “3 dots, you thinking of a reaction still” - and shade - “fuck them stories, fuck the shade they throwing.” The beat churns and claps, well in-sync with the hook and the verses, and the third verse reaches a level that seems like it should have all along, as Drake’s voice soars with anger. The Kanye-produced track, “U With Me,” is a particular standout. All the classic Drake-isms are covered in this streak - catchy hooks, a love for Toronto, nostalgic reminiscing and so on. The run from opening track “Keep the Family Close” to “Hype” is Drake at his very best: the production is transcendent, the vocals are (as claimed during the Zane Lowe interview) at Drake’s highest level yet and his flow feels more under-control than ever. This is not to say that this is necessarily a bad album. To add visuals to his boasts, he posted a string of meticulously staged photos throughout the release of Views - a perfectly-poised husky, a well-puffed fur coat, a Mad Men-evoking combination of suits-and-whisky.īut, as is often the case when the line that separates commercial products and albums is blurred, Views shines more brightly as an idea than an actual body of work.
He seemed at ease with himself, sounding more secure than ever.
#DRAKE CHILDS PLAY STEREO DAILY FULL#
That confidence was on full display just prior to the album’s release, as Drake gave a rare interview with the ever-enthusiastic Zane Lowe on Apple’s Beats 1 Radio. Before the album was even released, fans called it a classic based on singles “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance,” in addition to a confident assertion by Drake himself. It was incepted by a tweet in 2014, and subsequently swelled over two years into a commercial force spanning minimalist billboards and predictable Snapchat filters.