Is Drake’s VIEWS a Breakthrough?

Mahad Hangol, Editor|April 29, 2016

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(Noel Ramirez/ Lincoln Lion Tales)

Have you or anyone you know been anticipating Drake’s VIEWS? This record is Drake’s 5th studio album. VIEWS was supposed to be released on April 29th, 2016 but dropped a day earlier on April 28th at 7pm on OVO Sound Radio. The album was a highly anticipated album but for some people it didn’t live up to the hype.

  • Production: With Drake having a number of talented producers on this album, he truly didn’t do the beats justice. With A1 producers, Noah “40” Shebib, Nineteen85, and Boi-1da, felt like Drake wasted his talent and the beats he was supplied with. As Drake is known for his savvy beats and lyrics he didn’t put them to use on VIEWS. Rating: 5/10
  • Lyrics:  As Drake is known for his genius lyrics and clever wordplay, he went to work with VIEWS.  With Drake facing ghostwriting accusations and having Quentin Miller write for him (His Ghostwriter). But Drake came with legendary bars and quotable lyrics on his album. Rating: 9/10
  • Tone: The tone of the album is very emotional and feel-good. VIEWS is an album you would put on during a late night drive through the city. The album is full of just pure emotion with some sort of heavy trap feels on certain songs. This album has a similar tone to Take Care, but it doesn’t come close to that album. Rating 7/10
  • Final Verdict: This album had been hyped up for the months leading up to the release date, & I don’t think this album lived up to the hype. With VIEWS being his latest installment in his catalog of music, many critics and fans came to expect a modern-day classic. With Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole recently releasing classic albums with To Pimp A Butterfly and 2014 Forest Hills Drive, respectively, many were expecting Drake to also release a classic album. Time will tell if Drake’s VIEWS evolves into a classic, but in the early stages of the album, it seems that the answer to “Is this album a classic?” is a resounding no. Take a listen and see for yourself. Which Drake do you prefer: The sentimental Drake or the trap-heavy Drake? Put your thoughts in the comments below. Rating: 7/10