Luckily, Make Me Proud is up next, and it absolutely shines as one of the better tracks on the album. For some reason, Birdman is relegated to nothing but some random (and frankly, stupid) ad-libbing at the end of the song, so after about three minutes you’ll probably skip past it. Despite the lyrics, I still found myself singing “Are you down? Are you down? Yeah, you all the way down” all the time. We’ll Be Fine is another lyrical letdown, but the beat is so catchy that it still stands as the ultimate party song on the album. The creepy strings that play throughout the background break through the monotonous lyrics, although the chorus definitely makes a better impression than the verses do (“People always ask how I got my nice things/Take my crown to the grave, I’m an underground king”). Luckily it’s short, and Underground Kings gets the album back on track with another radio ready song. Drake has matured in the short time between albums, and Marvin’s Room is the perfect example of how much he has done so.Īfter this amazing track is Buried Alive (Interlude), which is slightly disappointing after the excellence that was just put on display. The bare bones beat sets the mood perfectly, as if he were truly alone, calling from a place tucked away inside himself. The emotion is palpable, and lines like “I’m just saying you could do better/Tell me have you heard that lately?” are delivered perfectly.
Songs this intimate are a rare treat, but Drake’s retelling of a drunk call to an ex-girlfriend is absolutely painful to listen to. Marvin’s Room is probably the best song that Drake has written thus far into his career, if only for the beautiful outpouring that is put on display in his lyrics. The Weeknd’s high-pitched crooning blends beautifully with Drake’s familiar voice, hopefully paving the way for more collaborations from these two. Dropping the R&B elements for a more traditional hip hop sound, Drake absolutely kills the track, letting his personal issues bleed into the lyrics with lines like “If they don’t get it they’ll be over you/That new s**t that you got is overdue.” Changing on a dime, Crew Love lets frequent collaborator The Weeknd shine in a track that makes use of ephemeral beats that sound fitting behind Drake’s voice. Fans will already be familiar with the first single off of the album, Headlines, and they’ll already know why it’s such a great single: it’s as catchy as a cold. Similarly, Shot For Me transitions from a soft first verse to the traditional rap verses that made Thank Me Later so popular. Drake’s raw delivery in the verses meld with the delicate hooks in a way that other artists wouldn’t be able to make work. Featuring beautiful vocals from Chantal Kreviazuk, it’s a first track to remember, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Opener Over My Dead Body opens with a beautiful piano melody that plays throughout as Drake tears through the verses. The hype surrounding this album must have opened the creative floodgates in Drake’s head, because Take Care does everything it can to separate itself from the pack. With only a little more than a year in between releases, Drakehas been able to refine his sound into a synthesis of soulful R&B and hip hop that hits hard.