The Ambassador of Toronto, Drake, has finally dropped his fourth studio album, Views (or, as I still prefer to call it, Views from the 6).
Clocking in at a hefty 20 tracks and 73 minutes, the album includes the massive #2 hit “Hotline Bling,” along with a marketing rollout that leaned hard into the concept of Drake’s Views—literally inviting fans to create their own versions online. The hype surrounding Views was enormous, fueled by hit singles and talk of it being a loosely conceptual album.
But is this really Drake’s representation of Toronto? Not quite. It feels more like Drake’s view of Toronto’s upper class—the world he now occupies and reflects on throughout the record.
There are definitely highlights. “Feel No Ways” shines with its smooth, ’80s-inspired vibe, while tracks like “Hype” and “Faithful” bring some much-needed energy.
Still, I find myself thinking Drake’s best song remains “Take Care” from five years ago—though it’s hard to ignore how heavily that track borrows from Jamie xx and Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care of U.” In that sense, “Too Good” featuring Rihanna almost feels like a companion piece or unofficial sequel to “Take Care.”
Overall, Views is simply too long. The album drags, weighed down by its slow pace and an overabundance of R&B cuts. There’s far less hard-hitting hip-hop here than many listeners might expect. Adding “Hotline Bling” as a bonus track is a nice touch, but it doesn’t fully justify the runtime.
Then again—what do I really know about Drake and his music?
At least we know for certain with alot of mix reaction/surprise that it will be shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize.
I’d give Views: 📷📷📷📷📷/10.
