Before this article can go any further, we need to get one thing straight. Drake’s More Life is not an album. It is a playlist. The purpose of the playlist is to make it sound cohesive to his radio show,OVO Sound. As the playlist continues, the songs sound as if you are actually listening to an episode of OVO Sound.
With countless rumors of when this project was going to drop, March 18, 2017 was the day Drake fans listened with anticipation as they played each song for the first time.
The playlist is made up of 22 songs and features a few collaborations with Giggs, Kanye West, Travis Scott, PartyNextDoor, 2 Chainz, Young Thug and more. While his song Fake Love made it onto the playlist, two previously released songs did not. Those include Sneakin’ and Two Birds, One Stone.
However, now that these brand new songs are out, it means it is time for a review. If you looked at the comments and tweets shortly after the release, fans were quite pleased and excited for these new beats. Some even claimed Drake had outdone himself from his last album, Views. Although, his sound is a bit different this time around.
After listening to Drake’s new tracks, here are my reviews for each.
1. Free Smoke
“I saw people doing things. Almost gave up on the music thing.”
The playlist opens with an intro sung by Nai Palm. After her vocals, a beat drops seconds before Drake comes in with his raps. The song begins with a flashback, emphasizing the difficult come-up for Drake. Then he raps, “But we all so spoiled now. More life, more everything.” It’s true, Drake really does have everything when it comes to his worth and success. In my opinion, I think this song is a perfect way to begin his More Life playlist.
2. No Long Talk
ft. Giggs
“Just know man like me, I’m a Sixer. And I oversee the whole thing.”
Song two takes a different path from the first and has a little bit more hype. On this record, Drake has Giggs, a rapper from London, on the beat. While Drake starts out the song, Giggs ends it with his own lines. In the previous song, Drake mentioned his rough childhood as he transitioned into a rapper. When it comes to this song, Drake mentioned his Toronto heritage a few times, referring to it as 'The Six'. After all, he is the 6 God.
3. Passionfruit
“Passionate from miles away. Passive with the things you say.”
No rapping on this song. You will hear Drake just singing. To get a better idea of its sound and pace, its speed is similar to a Nothing Was The Same track, Just Hold On We’re Going Home. It is clear that Drake is referring to some woman in this song and their long distance relationship is a struggle as it begins to fall through. As soon as I heard the beginning of this track play, I knew it would be one of my favorites.
“Worried about taking my lane. They ain’t even got on the road.”
With a song named Jorja Interlude, it makes sense to get Jorja Smith on the hook and that is exactly what Drake did. Smith is also featured on the next song. At the end of this record is where you can hear a portion of Drake’s acceptance speech from the American Music Awards. This was when he won the Favorite Artist Award. The snippet then flows right into the next song, “….so watch how you speak on my name, you know?”
ft. Black Coffee, Jorja Smith
“You know, we don’t have to be dramatic. Just romantic.”
With the music sounding similar to Too Good or One Dance, both hits from previous album Views, Drake and Jorja are both heard singing together. This track is one of Drake’s slower hits from this playlist and other albums as well. With both of their different sounding voices, they were able to find a way to balance it out. Even through the music ,you can feel the chemistry.
“I cannot tell who is my friend. I need distance between me and them.”
With someone as successful and hardworking as Drake, it can be difficult to maintain friendships and keep an eye on people to see if they are true or fake. Drake wanted to emphasize this struggle since it is not easy being in the public eye or music industry.
7. Blem
“‘Cause I know what I like. I know how I wanna live my life.”
It is all Drake in this song too. Except for the outro where you can hear a quick line sung by Lionel Richie before a monolog by Lil Wayne. In Blem, he refers to his own brand of whiskey, Virginia Black. You can sense a Caribbean vibe through the music and lyrics.
8. 4422
“You built it up to break it halfway though. Just make the call, 22.”
Drake’s vocals are not featured in this slow song. But think back to Nothing Was The Same, track twelve, Too Much. Drake had collaborated with Sampha and on this song, it happened again. Even though Drake does not appear on this record, Sampha’s voice is powerful enough for this solo.
9. Gyalchester
“Hermes link, ice-blue mink.”
The beat is strong on this record. Drake references his wealth in this song and draws back to his whiskey once again. Through the lyric above, Drake also makes known his luxurious lifestyle through jewelry and clothing.
10. Skepta Interlude
“OVO, man’s so unruly.”
We have now made it upon our second interlude. Drake makes no appearance in this song. Instead, it is British rapper Skeptawho is dropping bars. Skepta raps lines that make reference to Drake’s OVO, standing for October’s Very Own and even a lyric from a previous Drake song, going back two albums. The line ,“Taliban, Halloween” is from the joint album with Future, What A Time To Be Alive. This is still a hype song even if Drake’s vocals are not included.
11. Portland
ft. Quavo & Travis Scott
“Got a torch, tryna light the way.”
Popular rappers in the industry hopped on this record with Drake. Quavo claimed the hook and a verse while Travis rapped another verse. In my opinion, I do not believe this is Travis’s strongest verse compared to some other features he has done, but with Drake and Quavo, I think the song is still a strong one.
12. Sacrifices
ft. 2 Chainz & Young Thug
“Wishing on a star, could they be like Drake.”
In all honesty, I was a little apprehensive for this song before I listened to it. With artists like 2 Chainz and Young Thug, their raps can sometimes be a hit or miss. So with both of them working together with Drake, I wasn’t sure how this track was going to turn out. In my opinion, I think it is safe to say this is not Drake’s strongest track. Could it have been better had he added on different features? All in all, it seems like many of his fans are liking this song.
“Least, do I get an invitation or something? A statement or something?”
We are (sadly) more than halfway through Drake’s More Life playlist. We are also back to a solo song. A short slow song that is full of nostalgia for Drake as he seems to be reminiscing about a girl he was once, or possibly still is, interested in. Unfortunately, she is taken now as she just got engaged. When it comes to Drake we are used to these somber relationship songs.
14. Teenage Fever
“Funny that it’s always been all about you from the start.”
After their recent rumored fling, Jennifer Lopez earned herself a spot on More Life. A sample from her song If You Had My Love can be heard on this track. There were rumors they collaborated and on her recent Ellen interview, it was confirmed. With a slower Drake track, Jennifer Lopez’s sample fits well into the record.
15. KMT
ft. Giggs
“Studio right in my yard. I’m doing ten in a week.”
Drake is back with another Giggs feature. If you have not noticed already, there is something about these two rappers working together - their songs are top-notch. Fingers crossed for more collaborative projects with them both.
16. Lose You
“Queen Street visions that nobody believed in.”
Drake had a lot to say on this track. And the chorus, “Did I lose you? Did I? Did I?” says how he is truly feeling. Drake has made it clear time and time again he is all about the music, hard work, dedication, and of course, enjoying his lavish lifestyle where he is able to afford just about anything. In this song, he wonders if he has lost people along the way, whether this be potential lovers, friends, or family. Drake also admits that he feels people support him less and less the more he becomes successful.
“We evolved, used to think vacation meant Niagara Falls.”
Drake faces the reality of fame and fortune. During the chorus he raps, “Want a lot, can’t have everything. But I want everything.” When you become rich as quickly as he did, it is easy to be taken over by this whirlwind of an industry. You want to buy things and spend money on everything you see. Drake is falling for this just as many celebrities do. He acknowledges that he cannot possibly have everything but he does strongly want it. The hit ends with an outro not done by Drake himself or any other rapper or singer for that matter. The outro is his mother speaking, sending some important advice to Drake. At the end she stated, “When others go low, we go high.”
18. Glow
ft. Kanye West
“Watch out for me, I’m about to glow. I just take the dreams I’ve been sold and sell ‘em for more.”
They reunited again after Pop Style and delivered us another hit. It is all about them shining in the music industry and continue to do so. Basically, they are not going to let any other artist take their spotlight and overshadow them. Kanye West has referred to himself as a God and Drake is the 6 God, so they know they are at the very top.
19. Since Way Back
ft. PartyNextDoor
“Six months since I’ve been back in the Six.”
PartyNextDoor is signed to Drake’s record label, OVO Sound. He signed them back in 2013 and since then, they have been in the studio together creating quite a few hits. And this is another one for us.
20. Fake Love
“I got fake people showing fake love to me.”
Devoted Drake fans knew this track months before More Life had even dropped. Drake had released the song through his OVO Sound radio show on October 24, which is his birthday. This song acted as just a small glimpse of what More Life would be all about. Sneakin’ with 21 Savage and Two Birds, One Stone were also released before the playlist.
21. Ice Melts
ft. Young Thug
“I need some satisfaction. A little less talk and a little more action.”
Drake works with Young Thug once again. Compared to the other song they collaborated on, I think this record is a bit better. Based on the lyrics, it seems that the title of the record is symbolic. Just like how ice melts, turning into another new form, so did the relationship Drake once shared with another woman. Drake also refers to the secret girl as icy.
22. Do Not Disturb
“I’ll be back in 2018 to give you the summary. More Life.”
Drake’s playlist comes to an end so now would be the perfect time to hit that repeat button. Drake leaves us with a lyric that could quite possibly hint at new music or a new album or even a new playlist that might drop in 2018. Just about nine more months to go! Drake seems to outdo himself more and more with each project he releases. He has his fans on edge to see what he does next.
