What can I say about Drake that has not already been said? Drake is one of the most important and successful music artists of all time. His influence and impact go way beyond Hip Hop music. He has had a massive effect on Pop culture in general; like Taylor Swift or The Weeknd, everything Drake says and does is scrutinized by everyone. For better or for worse, Drake is one of the people whose influence will be felt long after he stops making music. Over the last few years, perhaps slightly unfairly, Drake has been accused of letting his sound get stale. Whether he has tried doing something completely new and unique as he did on 2022’s Honestly, Nevermind, or whether he hops onto existing trends as he did on 2020’s Certified Lover Boy and 2022’s Her Loss, Drake has received a lot of ridicule for the music that he has put out in the last couple of years. Earlier in 2023, Drake decided to go on his own version of an ‘Eras Tour,’ where he decided to play a lot of his oldest music for his fans who have been there from the start of his career(I saw him perform on this tour when he came to Milwaukee in August, and it is one of the best concerts I have ever been to, which is saying a lot). While on this tour, He announced he had a new album coming out in 2023 called For All The Dogs. Drake has alluded that this record is supposed to be heavily inspired by the music he made when he first became popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s, which got a lot of his biggest fans very excited. He recently released the first single from this project, ‘Slime You Out’ featuring SZA, which has an R&B element that is reminiscent of the music from that era. This has made the build-up and excitement for this record massive, with fans being more pumped up for its release than they have been for his last few records. If For All The Dogs can live up to its hype, this record will further cement Drake’s legacy. With that being said, here is how I feel about Drake’s For All The Dogs. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.
For All The Dogs starts very strong with the song ‘Virginia Beach.’ This is a sultry R&B Trap track that is a major earworm; it is the kind of song that will get stuck in your head every time you hear it. The instrumental for this track is driven by a sample of the song ‘Wiseman’ by Frank Ocean. The way this sample is used is interesting. Whereas Frank Ocean’s ‘Wiseman’ has a super large and looming sound, this track is very sweet and light. The melody for this track is soft and smooth, and the beat matches that energy. I enjoy Drake’s vocals on this track, especially on the hook. As I said, ‘Virginia Beach’ is an earworm, as this is mainly due to how nice and polished Drake’s vocals sound. The only thing that is kind of disappointing about this track is that it is not a Pusha T diss(Pusha T is from Virginia Beach). Do not get me wrong, I am a massive Pusha T fan, but Drake and Pusha T’s beef has always been great for Hip Hop. ‘Amen,’ which features Teezo Touchdown, is an R&B Trap song with a Soulful element to it. This track is aptly named, as the melody sounds like something that one would hear in church. This melody is driven by an intricate piano melody complemented by Gospel-esque vocals. This melody is put on top of an easy-going Trap beat that drives the instrumental along effortlessly. Drake’s performance is very nice on this song; I like how his more poignant vocals contrast the light sound the song has. The real standout on this track is Teezo Touchdown, though. When I reviewed his album How Do You Sleep At Night?, my favorite tracks were the ones with R&B elements. On ‘Amen,’ Teezo once again shows how good of an R&B vocalist he can be. His vocals create a nice contrast from Drake’s, really making ‘Amen’ pop. I am already pretty certain the next song, ‘Calling For You’ featuring 21 Savage, is going to be a major hit. This song has number one smash written all over it. The first two-thirds of the song is driven by a quirky and cool instrumental driven by a passionate R&B melody put over an off-kilter Trap beat. At about the 3:00 point of the track, the instrumental changes, with the melody taking on the 90s Alternative R&B sound and the beat becoming a little faster and straightforward. Drake raps in the first part of the instrumental, and 21 Savage raps in the second part. Drake’s performance is good, but 21 Savage takes the song to another level with his verse. Everything about 21 Savage’s verse is great. From his flow to his vocal tone to his tongue-in-cheek lyrics. 21 Savage makes ‘Calling For You’ such a tough track. ‘Fear of Heights’ is the kind of song that I feel will be ridiculed for a while, but will eventually grow on people and become a sleeper hit from this record. The beginning of the track has an old-school Drake feeling, with his vocals and the instrumental having the energy of some of the softer R&B-tinted music he made at the beginning of his career. About 45 seconds into the track, the instrumental changes, taking on a very modern and tough Trap sound that sounds like something Young Nudy would rap on. Drake’s rap flow on this song is so great; it is so catchy and fun to listen to, giving the song a larger than life quality. Strangely, ‘Fear of Heights’ is the song with a Pusha T diss instead of ‘Virginia Beach.’ On this track, Drake claims that he would be safe walking through Pusha’s hometown, yet Pusha is afraid to go to Toronto(which definitely is not true, but is still a cool call out). ‘Fear of Heights’ may not be a fan favorite now, but I think it will be soon. ‘Daylight’ is the first track that truly feels like filler to me. This track just does not hit me as hard as the first four tracks do. Even though the instrumental gives the song a complete banger feeling, there is something about this track that does not grab me. For one, the song feels a bit outdated. I honestly wonder when this track was made because it does not sound new at all. This song was produced by 808 Mafia, and the instrumental does have a mid-2010s Atlanta Trap feeling to it. Something about Drake’s delivery(and lyricism) feels off on this track. It is as if he is trying to match the harsh energy that the instrumental has through the way he is rapping, and in my opinion, it does not strike me in the way it should. Near the end of the track, Drake’s song Adonis comes in on a Jazzy instrumental. This switch-up in the track is pretty strange and does not work well for me, further dragging the track down. ‘First Person Shooter,’ which features J. Cole, has quickly become a crowd favorite from this record, and it is easy to see why. This is the kind of grand and emphatic banger that one would expect from a collaboration between two titans of rap like this. The instrumental for this song is so triumphant. The first half of the song is driven by glorious synths that almost sound like they are being provided by a symphony; these synths are put on top of an easy-going Trap beat that fits the bright sound of the melody. The second half of the song has a much darker and gruff sound. The beat picks up in tempo in this section of the track, and the synths get a lot more moody and negative sounding. Drake does his thing on this track, but unsurprisingly, J. Cole takes the song to another level. Everything about his performance is great; from his witty lyricism to his addicting flow, J. Cole makes ‘First Person Shooter’ an excellent track.
‘IDGAF,’ which features Yeat, is the other song that has immediately emerged as one of the fan favorites from this record. This is one of the most ultramodern and unique-sounding tracks on the record. I hoped that Drake would lean into Yeat’s signature sound if he was going to feature him on this album, and this is totally the case with ‘IDGAF.’ This song has an intense, brash, newfangled Trap sound that is very relatable to some of Yeat’s most popular music. This song has a super fun and addicting sound. The instrumental is so intricate, bold, and hard-hitting, and the vocal performances match its energy. I enjoy how Drake adapts his tone and flow to fit Yeat’s vocals. It would be cool to hear Drake rap with this lower and faster tone and flow more in the future, as it shows a cool side to him that we have never really seen. ‘7969 Santa’ is a track that feels like it could have been left off the record. It may be at a bit of a disadvantage considering it follows the two best songs on the record so far, but this one is very underwhelming compared to what is before it. This is a mundane R&B Trap that does not have a lot of qualities that make me want to come back to it. The instrumental is pretty simple and non-arousing, and Drake’s vocal performance on the track does not grab me either. Like ‘Daylight,’ there is a slow, unnecessary beat switch at the end of the track that does not help its case in any way. ‘Slime You Out,’ which features SZA, was the first single released from this record. This song has a sweet R&B sound that is very reminiscent of some of the music Drake originally got famous from. Fans of old-school Drake love this track, and it made them think the whole album may have a sound similar to it(this is obviously not the case at all). This track has a very warm sound melody and a soft beat that is so pleasing to listen to. Both Drake and SZA deliver sultry, lush vocals that fit perfectly on this instrumental. I especially enjoy SZA’s performance on this track, as her quirky flow and higher pitch create a great juxtaposition from the more even-keeled performance of Drake. ‘Bahamas Promises’ is a slow and mellow track that has a very similar energy to the one that precedes it. This song is driven by a groovy R&B melody with an old-school feeling to it. This melody is put onto a very faded beat that goes so nicely with the faint feeling of the instrumental. Drake shows off his singing vocals on this track, with his vocal performance having a gentle and delicate feeling that makes the song feel cozy and charming. I honestly really hope that this song is not forgotten within the broad context of this album, because it sticks out in such a cool way. I could see it becoming overlooked since it is sandwiched in the middle of the album and follows ‘Slime You Out,’ but ‘Bahamas Promises’ is a stand-out from this project for me so far. ‘Tried Our Best’ follows the faint, amiable R&B feeling of the two songs preceding it. Whereas ‘Bahamas Promises’ has defining qualities that make it pop, though, this is another track that feels like it could be left off of the record. The track’s sound honestly kind of feels like an extension of ‘Slime You Out.’ Everything about this track feels so similar to that one. The instrumental basically has the same melody and beat, with the main difference being the tone of the melody is a bit sadder and colder than the one in that song. Drake’s flow on this song follows almost the same cadence as the one on ‘Slime You Out’ as well. I do not understand why ‘Tried Our Best’ does not just follow ‘Slime You Out.’ It would probably be a lot more impactful if that was the case. ‘Screw The World – Interlude’ is a track that does not make sense to me on this record. Do not get me wrong, it is a cool inclusion, it just does not make a lot of sense. This is just literally one of legendary DJ Screw’s most famous “chopped and screwed” remixes. It is an enjoyable track with a nostalgic quality, but it has nothing to do with the rest of this record and feels like it does not have any reason to be here.
‘Drew A Picasso’ brings back the R&B feeling that we got on the three tracks before the interlude. This one has a lot more of a modern sound than those three tracks though. Whereas those have beats and vocals that are reminiscent of the R&B from the late 2000s, this one feels very fresh. It has the kind of melodic R&B Trap sound that one would expect to hear from artists like 6lack or Don Toliver. I have always thought that Drake would sound very good on this kind of music, and this thought is confirmed on ‘Drew A Picasso.’ Drake’s vocal tone and flow work so well on this track. I like how shows off his range on this one, hitting some high and faint notes while also hitting some low, gruff notes, giving the song so much texture. Unsurprisingly, the R&B trend continues on the song ‘Member Only,’ which features frequent Drake collaborator and fellow OVO Sound artist PartyNextDoor. As with most of Drake’s songs including PARTYNEXTDOOR, ‘Members Only’ feels like Drake is trying to hop onto PARTYNEXTDOOR’S signature genial R&B style. This instrumental has such an all-encompassing sound that feels like it is drowning me when it comes on. Drake does not even feel like the primary vocalist on this track. PARTYNEXTDOOR’s vocals hit way more than Drake’s do on this track. This is probably because this instrumental sounds so similar to his personal music, and his vocals just fit this sound so well. ‘Members Only’ is not necessarily a bad track, but it feels too much like a PARTYNEXTDOOR song for it to have been included on this album. ‘What Would Pluto Do’ is another one with a modern R&B Trap sound that feels like Drake’s take on what has become popular within the genre over the last couple of years. Like ‘Drew A Picasso,’ ‘What Would Pluto Do’ has an instrumental that sounds like it was made for artists like Don Toliver or 6lack. This instrumental is driven by a Gospel-esque, floaty melody that is put on top of a pretty typical Trap beat. Drake’s performance is lively, contrasting the more calm nature of the instrumental. ‘What Would Pluto Do’ is a pretty good melodic Trap track that is admittedly catchy, but it probably could have been left off the record. ‘All The Parties,’ which features Chief Keef, is probably the weirdest and most original-sounding song on the record. This song has a wavy, atmospheric melody that makes me feel like I am drifting through space when I hear it. The melody in the first half of the song feels very frigid and shimmery; the melody in half of the song has a similar tone to the first half, but it changes a bit and picks up some distortion, making it feel more cozy. The beat for this track fades in and out, keeping the listener engaged and on their toes. Both of the vocal performances on ‘All The Parties’ are great. Drake and Chief Keef have vastly different tones and deliveries that contrast in a cool way and add to the riveting nature of the track. ‘8am In Charlotte’ is the second single released in anticipation of this record, having come out a day before the record was released. Like ‘Slime You Out,’ this track has a sound that is similar to some of the music Drake originally became famous for, reinforcing the idea that a lot of fans had that the album would be full of this kind of music(obviously, that is not the case). ‘8am In Charlotte’ has the kind of Jazzy underground Hip Hop sound that makes me think of Drake classics like ‘Look What You’ve Done’ or ‘Cameras/Good Ones Go.’ This track has a very simple instrumental, driven by a pitched-up Gospel-style vocal sample that is paired with a simple piano riff and put on an old-school Boom-Bap beat. Drake’s rap performance on ‘8am In Charlotte’ is great. His flow is so poignant and killer, and his verses are full of cheeky wordplay that shows how good of a lyricist he can be when he wants to be. The second interlude on the record does not feel as pointless as the first one, but it still does feel random and out of place. ‘BBL Love – Interlude’ is a brief break in the record where Drake compares love to superficial things over an old-school R&B instrumental. Although this interlude is kind of enjoyable and comical, it also seems like a silly inclusion that has nothing to do with anything else on the project. There may be some people who enjoy ‘BBL Love – Interlude,’ it is one more track that most likely should not have been included.
‘Gently,’ which features Bad Bunny, is the song that has probably drawn the most hate on this project so far. Now, if you know me personally, you know I love Bad Bunny and will usually defend his inclusion in anything, but in this case, I have to agree with the disdain that ‘Gently’ has been receiving. The instrumental for this track is all over the place and does not. It is like Drake tried to include all of his favorite kinds of Latin Music into a 2:13 song. The beginning of the song has an Acoustic Latin Pop sound, but the instrumental quickly devolves into Reggaeton, taking on two different kinds of Reggaeton in the second part of the song. Drake sings and raps in Spanish on a lot of this track, but his accent is off so it sounds very awkward. Bad Bunny is on this track for such a brief amount of time that he can not save it. ‘Gently’ just undeniably misses the mark of what it is trying to accomplish. ‘Rich Baby Daddy,’ which features Redd and SZA, is a track that I feel is going to end up being a sleeper hit. The first two-thirds of the track is especially fun and enjoyable, having the kind of energy that would get any club jumping. This first part of this instrumental is driven by a Miami Club-Trap fast-paced beat and a sparking melody provided by fat synths and sweet vocal samples. All of the vocal performances in the first part of the track are great. Drake, SZA, and Sexyy Redd all give the song so much life and positive energy. Towards the end of the track, the beat fades out and the melody gets trippier. Drake croons in this section of the song with an emotional tone that is very palpable. As we have seen many times on this record, ‘Another Late Night,’ which features Lil Yachty, is a song where Drake is just trying out the sound that his feature is known for making. This song has a strange and enjoyable melodic Trap sound that is super similar to the kind of music that Lil Yachty made back when he was first coming up. If one were to tell me this was a throwaway track from one of Lil Yachty’s original Lil Boat mixtapes, I would believe them because it sounds so much like his music from that time. As expected with this kind of instrumental, Lil Yachty sounds a lot more natural and dynamic on ‘Another Late Night’ than Drake does. Drake sounds okay on this track, but Lil Yachty excels on ‘Another Late Night.’ To me, the next track, ‘Away From Home,’ just feels like another throwaway track. There is not a lot about this one that appeals to me or draws me in. In a way, it feels like a worse version of ‘8am In Charlotte.’ Like that track, this song has a groovy R&B instrumental with a soft, old-school sound that is similar to some of Drake’s biggest songs when he was coming up. Unlike ‘8am In Charlotte,’ though, Drake’s performance on this song is pretty boring; his flow and lyricism do not punch in the same way they do on that track. There is not anything about ‘Away From Home’ that is going to pull me back to it or make me want to listen to it again. Drake closes out the record with ‘Polar Opposites,’ which is a slow R&B track with a retro-Drake feeling similar to ‘Slime You Out.’ This song has a very simple instrumental, driven by intimate, friendly, and buzzing synths that are complemented by a gleaming piano riff and put on top of a light Pop beat. The quality of this track is actually very good. Drake delivers one of his best vocal performances of the record on ‘Polar Opposites.’ Drake’s vocals on this track are so light and friendly, and he sings with a level of emotion that really draws the listener in. As far as the R&B music from this record, ‘Polar Opposites’ is easily one of the best. Its placement at the end of the record drags it down for me, though. It is not a great closing track, and it would have fit better in the middle of the album where there was music that was more similar to it. I feel like ‘Polar Opposites’ will be overlooked because it is not a good song to wind this album down with, which is honestly a shame.
If you go online and look at the discourse around For All The Dogs, the public response has been pretty negative. Critics and fans alike have been panning this record; for all of the hype surrounding the album’s release, it seems like the mark was missed for pretty much everyone. Although the discourse around this album from critics may have always been negative because music publications have not liked one of his albums in years, I have to admit that I somewhat agree with the general opinions around this album. For All The Dogs feels very uninspired and bloated. It is as if Drake is not interested in making a high-quality record anymore; he would rather throw everything he can do at the wall and see if it sticks. Because of this, his last few albums have felt like a mish-mosh, and For All The Dogs is the same way. Do not get me wrong, there are a lot of high-quality songs on this record; there are so many songs on For All The Dogs I will be listening to in the future. Like a lot of his previous records, I am sure there are quite a few songs on this record that will end up becoming hits over the next few years that are being overlooked right now. As a whole, though, For All The Dogs will not have the impact that it could have and should have had based on the hype around it. Hopefully, Drake finds the passion and fire he had for being a rapper during the hiatus he has said he is entering because it is easy to see that it has departed on For All The Dogs.
EAST SIDE VIBES 