On April 29, 2016, the much awaited album from Drake dropped, Views, and the world went crazy. For a new Drake fan, like myself, who was pushed into the wave because of my then boyfriend, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for it to drop like everyone else.
Now I've always known who Drake was, listened to his music, purchased a couple of albums and songs, but was never really into him, like my boyfriend was. However, over the course of time I realized how talented and relative Drake's music was, I just couldn't have enough. I said "Thank you" to my boyfriend at the time for putting me onto the wave.
When Views dropped I couldn't wait to purchase it through iTunes and hop on Twitter to see how the world was soaking it in. I cringed at those who felt the first listen was not good enough and had to go a second round. Meanwhile, my first listen was amazing and I couldn't stop myself from putting the album on repeat. At the time, I was supposed to be studying for finals, however Drake was just so much more important along with the memes and comments made about Views.
If you haven't listened to it yet, I'll break it down for you. Views is a journey from Winter and Summer, you entering the mind of Drake through 20 tracks of trap and dancehall. He expresses his emotions of heartbreak and redemption.
VIEWSis the sound of Drake loosening his belt and letting his gut hang out. (Yes, I know he's in better physical shape than ever, but for the sake of the metaphor, hear me out for a second.) He's sounded toned, mean, and lean in the past few years, trimming himself and his styles down to racing weight to beat his competition up that hill to superstardom. Reaching that goal last year, he's allowed himself to let go a bit-- maybe not focusing on signing the most relevant hot artists, maybe not attempting to remain cutting-edge at all times. His legacy's already impeccable to the point where anyone that mentions hip hop from 2010-2015 hasto mention him, as he's done more to define the genre's course than anyone in that time period. He was furtively looking over his shoulder on IYRTITL, defending his spot, and he's still got choice words for his rivals onVIEWS, but it's more in that post-BlueprintJay Z way, snickering at the thought of anyone even coming close to toppling him. His bars are looser, but they sound more honest-- maybe he even wrote the majority of them himself! His beats are more free-wheeling and fun. All of this perfectly lends itself to the over-the-hill narrative critics and fans are currently pushing, and though that may be a good description of what's happening on VIEWS, I think it's a much more awesome proposition than most people are making it out to be. Drake could still very easily double back and pick up his genre-revolutionizing game where he left off, but for now, he seems okay with a little aimless sprawl, a little bit of extra fat around his waistline.
In my opinion, Views by Drake is a must listen. Just check it out and try something different. You don't have to like it, give it chance.
“I’m not saying you have to love me, I’m just wishing one day you will.” – Drake
