Keep the Family Close: Starting things off, Drake discusses his trust issues over a more moody, R&B-style track. It’s clear that he’s going back to the more emotional stuff here, unlike “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late,” but that’s fine with me, as I like those kinds of songs, and Drake’s vocals remain smooth and pretty on this one. I like this one, it’s a good start to the record.
9: Turn the 6 upside down, it’s a 9 now. Here, Drake raps more loudly over a trap-inspired beat, and he definitely sounds very confident on this one. The trap-beat is pretty standard, but it’s still really head-noddy stuff. I’m not really digging the hook on this one, but all in all, this is a solid track.
U With Me?: Okay, back to the love songs on this one. And this one just feels really standard in every way. Very basic, unexciting trap beat, and while Drake’s vocals remain as smooth as ever, lyrically there’s a little bit of cheese here. Not one of Drake’s worst tracks ever, but it’s nothing all that exciting to me.
Feel No Ways: Another song about a girl, this time talking about one who isn’t with his luscious lifestyle, I actually really like the beat on this track. There’s some very smooth percussion on here, and I do get some “Hold On, We’re Going Home” vibes with said beat, and Drake’s vocals remain as smooth as ever on here. Part of me wonders why Drake didn’t release this as a single, because I think it would’ve been a hit. Really good track.
Hype: A more trap-driven track where Drake talks more about the things he’s done successfully, I like his very confident tone on this song and his catchy, impressive flow on this one. The hook is also really solid and Drake’s vocals are smooth on it, and while the trap-beat is again pretty standard, it’s still head-noddy enough to help make up for the song’s short length. Good track.
Weston Road Flows: A song that throws things back to Drake’s old days, this track samples a Mary J. Blige song (namely "Mary's Joint") and, admittedly, feels pretty old-school. I think this honestly feels like the perfect balance between Drake’s two styles: the confident performance of Drake’s rapping, combined with the brighter, R&B-style backtrack, works really well here. It’s only one verse, which shocks me because I expect this kind of song to end the album, but either way, I actually really like it.
Redemption: Back to the relationship songs! Fortunately, though, we have a relationship song that I really like! This one feels like a slow-jam, and it’s a really moody, minimal track that really works for me. I love Drake’s very pretty, nice vocals on this one, and the song gives off a kind of sexy vibe that’s pretty great! Really enjoyable track!
With You (ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR): On this track, Drake brings in his fellow OVO boy, PARTYNEXTDOOR, who essentially anchors the song given that his presence here is much larger than Drake’s. His vocals are quite nice on here, as are Drake’s, but I’m not really digging the kind of bombastic instrumentals on here. They are smooth and kind of ethereal, but just kind of inflated and unenthusiastically boring. Jeremih also provides some vocals at the very end, and as usual, he does sound nice, but he’s not enough to save the track, unfortunately.
Faithful (ft. Pimp C and dvsn): On this track, Drake takes an old verse from the late rapper Pimp C, and while Drake picked a solid verse (specifically from the “Tom Ford (Remix)”), Pimp’s appearance just feels kind of out-of-place with Drake’s smooth crooning on this one. The real highlight of this track is the guest verse from fellow OVO member dvsn, who definitely reminds me a bit of Chris Brown, but I think his very smooth, beautiful vocals mesh well with the beat of the song, and I can see him gaining a pretty dedicated fanbase if OVO markets him well, because he’s a great vocalist. Not one of my favorite tracks on this, but I appreciate it for showing me who dvsn is and introducing me to his very nice vocals.
Still Here: Here, Drake gives us the kit and caboodle of his accomplishments, but he does it over a very head-noddy, extremely fun trap beat and with the same tonal confidence that helped make “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” so successful. The hook is also really fun and I love Drake’s sing-rapping as always on this one. Definitely one of the better tracks on this album, I feel like I’ll definitely come back to this track quite a bit in the future.
Controlla: This track was my “song of the summer” from 2016, and it was one of those songs that I listened to on constant repeat throughout that summer, so maybe it’s my nostalgia speaking when I say that I still love the song. I like the very bright feel of the song, Drake’s smooth vocals, and the danceable feel of it, and while I’m still not crazy about the random patois screaming from Beanie Man on the track, it doesn’t take away from a very enjoyable song.
One Dance (ft. Wizkid and Kyla): A song that a lot of critics really tore into, I actually have to say I really enjoyed this track. I see why others didn’t like it, seeing as how it’s a kind of watered-down dancehall track with a kind of weak performance from Wizkid and an underutilized performance from Kyla, but again, I think it’s very fun, danceable, I like the very catchy hook, and Drake’s vocals are as smooth as ever. Again, it may also be my nostalgia trumping my practicality here, but it’s an enjoyable track.
Grammys (ft. Future): Another collaboration between Drake and Future, because “What A Time To Be Alive” apparently wasn’t enough for us, I like Drake’s assured performance on here, even if the trap beat on this one is not really all that exciting or fun to me. Future’s vocals are pretty decent here, but God, that hook is so boring! How many times can you repeat “they gon’ think I won the Grammy” in the exact same way until you realize that it’s extremely dull? Definitely one of the weaker tracks on this album.
Childs Play: “Why you gotta fight with me at Cheesecake? You know I love to go there” might be one of the silliest lines on this record, and it’s hard for me to take this track seriously after that. Either way, this song features Drake wanted to indulge his woman in more than just a dress, and admittedly, it’s got a pretty fun, catchy instrumental and smooth performance with some good flow from Drake, but damn, there are some really weird lyrics on that thing (beyond that “cheesecake” lyric), and the fact that Drake sampled “Rode That Dick Like A Soldier” by…HaSizzle?…is really strange. Not a terrible track, but not a great one either.
Pop Style: Not gonna lie, ever since I first heard this song, I hated the hook. Sure, Drake’s confident performance on it is great and all, but I just think it’s boring and, honestly, rather annoying. And while I love the production on this one (the instrumental might be one of the strongest on the album), some of the lyrics on this thing are really bad (I agree that the “got so many chains they call me Chaining Tatum” might be one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard, and easily one of Drake’s worst lines). Honestly one of the weaker tracks on this thing.
Too Good (ft. Rihanna): Drake sticks firmly in his comfort zone with this love song, but once again, I actually like it. I know, it’s another kind of basic dancehall song, and the patois influence on the track is pretty cheesy, but I once again love Drake’s smooth vocals, the bright, danceable vibe of the song, and the chemistry between Drake and guest artist Rihanna. Is it one of Drake’s best songs? Probably not, but it’s still a pretty fun, head-nodding track overall.
Summers Over Interlude: A very short interlude anchored by Majid Al Maskati, this is another slow-jam type of song, and it’s definitely nice-sounding, but it just doesn’t add much substance to the album for me. Not a bad interlude, just nothing special.
Fire & Desire: A dedication to one specific woman that’s devoted to another man, this song does take some time to get going, and the sampling of Brandy’s “I Dedicate” is strange because of the Alvin and the Chipmunk-esque speedup vocals on this one, but I do like Drake’s very pretty crooning and the kind of ethereal production on this one. I feel like I’ll want to come back to this one quite a bit in the future, it’s definitely a nice track.
Views: The final track on this thing (not counting the bonus track “Hotline Bling”) and one that talks about faith, I feel like this song is a bit too booming for me, and the lack of a hook definitely hurts it. Drake’s confident tone is nice and all, and he blends well with the very loud instrumentals on this one, but I just feel like this isn’t one of his strongest songs lyrically. Sure, there’s no huge silliness on it, but it just isn’t all that interesting, and it just feels too bombastic. It’s a good thing “Hotline Bling” was included as a bonus track to end things off with because this would’ve been a weak end to the record.
Hotline Bling: Ending things off, Drake included this megahit as a bonus track, and I must say, when it first came out, I thought it was really weird and silly (blame the music video!!!), but now that I hear it again, I actually really like the vibe of this track, and Drake’s smooth vocals make it really fun. And of all the more dancehall-influenced tracks on this thing, the production on this one is actually really strong. I just kind of wish the song wasn’t attached to such a silly music video because I probably would’ve dug it a lot more if the video wasn’t the thing I remembered about the song. Hearing it now, it’s actually quite enjoyable, and it’s a good end to the album.
Overall, I have to say that “Views” is easily one of Drake’s most inconsistent records to date, and I think that lyrically, it’s also one of his weakest. There are definitely some really strange lyrics on this that are damn close to being “hot garbage,” and this album does feature some of Drake’s weakest tracks of his career. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it has plenty of songs that I really enjoy and have a lot of fun with, and there’s a lot here I feel like I’ll definitely want to come back to in the future. Is it Drake’s strongest project? No, definitely not. Is it a bit too bloated and overly-long? Well, most of Drake’s records are, but yeah, it is. Did I still enjoy this album? Honestly, yes. I get why people see it as one of his weaker projects, but I feel like there’s a lot to like here, and I definitely think that a number of the tracks will get repeat listens out of me.
Phew! Now that the Drake marathon is over, back to strictly new album reviews. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Black Panther soundtrack review!
Favorite tracks: Keep The Family Close, Feel No Ways, Hype, Weston Road Flows, Redemption, Still Here, Controlla, One Dance, Too Good, Fire & Desire, Hotline Bling
Least favorite tracks: U With Me?, With You, Grammys, Pop Style, Views
Rating: Good
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