13 years into his career, Drake continues to release new mixtures of music that always seem to form controversial opinions. The newest album to lead to a rise in differing viewpoints is titled For All the Dogs, and in my opinion this title is very fitting. The mixture of songs, vibes, and features is what makes this album for everyone. From songs like ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ to ‘Virginia Beach’ and features from many different artists like SZA, Bad Bunny, Yeat, and so many more popular musicians, there are lyrics and beats anyone can find enjoyable.
The first song released as a sort of teaser for the album to come was ‘Slime You Out’ featuring SZA. This had some confused on where the rest of the album was going, but SZA’s verse got many listeners hooked. At first listen, this song may not be everyone’s typical Drake song as it is a little slower, but you can hear that Drake wordplay coming out in the final verse. So let’s just say, this song can get better the more you listen.
With the release of the full album on October 6, 2023, the album as a whole is very all over the place. Every song is so different and there really is nothing that ties the songs to one another, but this variety is something common for Drake as seen in previous albums like ‘Her Loss’ or ‘Take Care’. Despite this randomness though, certain songs began to blow up on social media platforms like Tiktok and brought this album a lot of attention. Songs like ‘IDGAF’ featuring Yeat or ‘Rich Baby Daddy’ featuring Sexyy Red and SZA have gotten quite a bit of notice, but the better parts are for sure the features like a couple other popular songs on this album.
Even though many of the songs rely on the featured artists to make the tune what it is, Drake still has some pretty solid solo songs on this album. In songs like ‘Virginia Beach’ and ‘Tried Our Best’, you can see that Drake is a pretty talented lyricist and has some real creative lines throughout. One good example is in tried our best where Drake says “I swear to God you think I’m Shakespeare, that’s why you always wanna playwright?” These creative puns and word usages make the songs interesting to listen to and try to understand their deeper meanings. This is one of the reasons that Drake songs can stay so relevant, there’s always a deeper story to uncover.
Some may believe that Drake has fallen off or they “miss the old Drake”, but with this release of his 8th studio album I would say Drake has and is continuing to make something for everyone.
