On Oct. 6, Drake released his eighth studio album, “For All The Dogs,” after months of anticipation. The album is composed of 23 diverse songs and features various other popular artists like Yeat, SZA, 21 Savage, Bad Bunny and more. Only hours after its release, “For All The Dogs” was already making huge numbers, accumulating millions of listens and climbing the charts; declaring it an album worth listening to.
The album opens with “Virginia Beach,” a slow style song that references the remnants of a past relationship. The multi-layered lyrics are said to juxtapose Drake’s lavish life with a raw and intimate connection with someone else. “Virginia Beach ” is like the epitome of a classic Drake hit, starting out slow then working its way into a catchy beat with lyrics following its faster pace. The song also features a Frank Ocean sample in the instrumental, which had fans buzzing due to his extended absence from the music scene.
On “Fear of Heights” and “Daylight,” Drake shocks listeners with an intense beat drop following a very slow and almost serene, ethereal beginning. He raps quickly, creating a very upbeat and hype tempo, perfect for pre-game rituals or parties. Drake exhibits some of his classic qualities in these songs, some even arguing that this album revives peak music from 2016 and 2018.
In “For All The Dogs” Drake includes an assortment of different styled songs, featuring slower tunes like “Bahamas Promises” and faster more energetic hits like “Rich Baby Daddy.” Listeners can appreciate these diverse qualities as they enjoy all sides of Drake music.
Drake is also said to diss Rihanna and Esperanza Spalding in this album. On “Fear of Heights” he sings “Why they make it sound like I’m still hung up on you?/That could never be.” Because Drake and Rihanna had a very infamous, complicated relationship with each other, fans like to often speculate that Drake still has feelings for Rihanna. He also repeatedly uses the word “gyal” instead of “girl,” possibly to mock Rihanna’s Barbadian accent. Drake also alludes to the fact that he’s frustrated with the Recording Academy for often crediting Spalding to “better” music work than him; he sings “Four Grammys to my name, a hundred nominations, Esperanza Spalding was gettin’ all the praises, I’m trying to keep it humble, I’m trying to keep it gracious, Who gives a f–k Michelle Obama put you on her playlist?” This shade supports Drake’s overall message of the album, the only “dog” in his world is himself. Regardless, the songs are catchy and the rhyming ballads are lines that will stick in listeners’ heads.
Despite all of the masterpieces in the album, the obvious shining star is “First Person Shooter.” This song opens with J. Cole, as he talks about his and Drake’s success as music creators, then drops into an intense beat with fast paced rapping. About halfway through the song the beat switches to a lower and slightly slower one where Drake leaves no room to take a breath and goes hard on each line. This song brings the energy and elevates the album as a whole.
Whether you’re a “Fire and Desire” person or like to turn up to more “Nonstop” vibes, “For All the Dogs” has everything and more. This diverse album showcases all sides of Drake and is perfect for any occasion.
