Canadian rapper Drake released his highly anticipated eighth studio album, “For All The Dogs.” After postponing the release date and canceling shows on his tour to finish up the album, the 23 tracks are finally here. The album was originally announced in June of 2023 to accompany his poetry book “Titles Ruin Everything,” which teased the return of his old sound.
“They say they miss the old Drake girl don’t tempt me,” he wrote on the website, referencing his song “Headlines” off of the 2011 album “Take Care.”
The album begins with a Frank Ocean sample. The intro, “Virginia Beach,” uses Ocean’s unreleased 2012 song “Wiseman,” originally made for a Quentin Tarantino movie; however, it did not make the final cut. Listeners begin to hear his old trap flow on this track. Money, women and haters are recurring themes, like previous Drake albums.
Up-and-coming hip hop feature artist Teezo Touchdown carries the next track. Teezo released an album of his own this year but was also featured on multiple rap albums, including Travis Scott’s “UTOPIA” and Lil Yachty’s “Let’s Start Here.” His unique style and sound bring character to “Amen,” and his spoken word surprisingly fits well with Drake’s rap.
Fans receive a flashback to the 2022 album “Her Loss” when Drake and 21 Savage come together again for “Calling For You.” The song was disappointing compared to their previous work together. An exasperating rant about flying economy is heard in the middle of the song. Once the beat switches, 21 Savage comes in for a quick verse and delivers it well.
Disses to exes and rappers begin on “Fear of Heights” when Drake plays on the word “anti” and “gyal,” referring to his ex-girlfriend Rhianna’s 2016 album “ANTI” and her Caribbean roots. His mention of Virginia is another possible diss towards the long-time back-and-forth clash between him and Pusha T. The passion in his voice and clever insults remind fans of the old Drake.
“First Person Shooter” is easily the best song on the album. Drake and J. Cole, two-thirds of rap’s “Big 3,” come together for what they call the super bowl. Two of the biggest names in hip-hop created an entertaining song that reminded listeners why they are the best. The only thing that could have made this song better was adding Kendrick Lamar, the other third.
The two interludes could have been avoided as well. Although there are some humorous lines, the singing is mediocre. Obviously, his vocals do not match up to SZA’s, but they start to get much better on “Slime You Out.” “7969 Santa” and “Polar Opposites” are perfect examples of Drake’s slow jams, and they are always a classic touch on his albums.
“8 AM in Charlotte” is what fans expected the entire album to sound like. This self-analyzing, lyrical and intuitive Drake reminds fans why they continue to listen to him after all these years. As the album plays, there are waves of old Drake and the new, trendy Drake, which makes the album feel like a mess.
Some tracks jog fans’ memories of the old Drake, yet new styles and techniques are used. Listeners were waiting to hear familiar features on Drake albums, like Nicki Minaj and Future; however, the next generation of rap took over this album. Features from Sexxy Red, SZA and Yeat bring a modern and trendy side of Drake that fans have not heard of.
“IDGAF” is basically a Yeat song featuring Drake. Despite the lack of pensive lyrics, this is one of the best songs on the album, production-wise. You do not need to know what either of them is saying to enjoy this song. The dive into rage makes Drake look like he’s going through a phase and is unsure where he wants to take his career next.
Quality over quantity is a lesson that needs to be learned. Just because 23 decent songs are made does not mean they should all make the final cut. “Bahamas Promises” and “Tried Our Best” are examples of unnecessary tracks. They aren’t bad, but they aren’t good, and the album would have been just fine without them.
Drake has struggled on past albums to tell a story from start to finish, which can make some songs feel out of place on albums. “For All The Dogs” has the same feel. Some tracks are R&B, some are trap, and some just shouldn’t be there. With Drake’s work, you are never sure what exactly you’ll get, even if he promises the return of the old him.
