Everything Is The Same
June 29th Drake releases Scorpion, he is immediately trending on music platforms and it becomes #1 on the Billboard 200. He has a few summer anthems, a viral dance (thanks to Shiggy and the "Do the Shiggy" dance), heartbreak summer r&b songs, and some fillers. Sound familiar? The Boy hit par on the course of music. He has perfected this formula, nothing new, more of the same.
If you are a Drake fan you probably love the album, if you are not this is not the album that will win you over, and not because it is bad. The production is good and the usual, 40 on the beats, along with some new producers, and some legends. Though they all encompass the traditional Drizzy sound. It appears Drake made this album strictly for his fans.
Drake will always have my respect because he has always been the same person as far as his music goes. Some people call it soft, I call it vulnerable and it is key for any artist that truly wants to connect with anyone. I do not agree with how he approaches certain things, as far as indirect responses instead of direct, but that has always been Drake.
I do not think even Drake’s biggest fans will say this is his best album. Technically it is two albums, one rap album, one R&B album.
The album has dark almost depressing moments, revealing the pressures of fame and how it is impacting his well-being. Drake mentions a few times how he believes people want him dead, the amount of love he gives and does not receive in return, and how fickle people are. He indirectly addresses Kanye West and feels betrayed by him and Pusha T, his idols at some point.
The 6god admits he looks at social media comments and the wrong one can affect his state of mind, and change his mood for the day. That is a candid revelation from one of the most prevalent artist in the world. Very successful and famous people are thought and taught to ignore the “bottom dwellers,” and to “neva let them see you sweat.” If someone says something callous and it is ignored does that mean it does not hurt? Most of the time no, the hurt is just suppressed.
Aubrey Drake Graham has made a career of revealing his true feelings.
"Emotionless" and "March 14th" are the songs with the most depth. Drake gives the best verse of the album on the second verse of "Emotionless," it strikes a chord on various levels.
"March 14th" is the revelation and dedication to his highly speculated newborn baby. Graham explains the many times he wished he grew up with both parents in the same household. He further laments how it affected, impacted, and changed his life. Numerous times he promised to never do that to his family and now he is walking in the same footsteps as his parents. Remarkable admission.
The rest of the album is pretty much the same ole Drake. The B side is full of pop heartfelt R&B songs that a preteen to a grown adult can relate to. Not much depth but that is not the objective of pop music, it is to appeal to the masses on a relatable level and that it did.
I was disappointed in the Michael Jackson feature. I immediately went to that song, without listening to the album in order as I usually do, and once I heard the song it was meh, I expected more.
Everything else was the same.