Drake finally released his highly-anticipated studio album, “For All The Dogs,” on Friday, Oct. 6 after postponing its original release date in September. The musician’s fans and hip-hop enthusiasts everywhere had been teased earlier this summer when Drake hinted at the upcoming album by posting its cover art, drawn by his six-year-old son Adonis, on Instagram.
The 36-year-old rapper came ready with some prominent features on his 23-song album: “For All The Dogs” includes collaborations with J. Cole, 21 Savage, SZA, Lil Yachty, Yeat, Sexyy Red, Bad Bunny, Chief Keef, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Teezo Touchdown.
The album is very Drake-esque, tackling recent rumors, dissing ex-partners and competitors and shedding light on the artist’s seemingly ever-evolving love life. From eradicating rumors about his involvement in the death of XXXTentacion to poking fun at Rihanna’s relationship with A$AP Rocky, Drake proved yet again that he’s always bellicose. The album’s versatility and depth solidify it as one of the best of the year.
“Virginia Beach” does an excellent job of setting the stage for the album: It’s filled with Drake’s tranquil singing but is nonetheless provocative. In it, Drake disses his ex-partner Rihanna, saying: “Drawin’ conclusions like you got a Parsons degree or somethin’,” referencing when the pop sensation was honored by the Parsons School of Design in 2017. The album takes a sharp turn in its second song, “Amen” featuring Teezo Touchdown, with an upbeat, piano-based sound. While a valiant attempt by Drake to diversify his sound, the song fails to match the rest of the album.
Drake bounces back strong with his third song, “Calling For You” featuring 21 Savage. This fast-paced, energizing song exemplifies what makes this duo so unique — Drake’s soft-spoken lines blend seamlessly with 21 Savage’s harsh lyricism. In the fourth song, “Fear Of Heights,” Drake escalates the album’s tension, aimlessly throwing out subliminal disses and sharp jabs at ex-partners and competitors in the rap industry.
The album’s tension continues to build in the fifth song, “Daylight.” Drake sings: “TPS think that I bought the body / Internet swear that I bought the body / Take more than that to pop somebody.” Fans and listeners worldwide on social media expressed speculation that Drake said this to squelch rumors that he played a role in the murder of late rap sensation XXXTentacion, who was shot and killed in 2019.
In “First Person Shooter,” J. Cole and Drake deliver a spectacular song that utilizes two completely different beats: J. Cole’s slow, old-school-sounding rap and Drake’s much faster and more aggressive sound. In “IDGAF,” Yeat, a newcomer in the rap industry, brings a uniquely futuristic sound to one of the best songs on the album.
The album’s ninth song, “Slime You Out,” features SZA and successfully brings together R&B lovers and hip-hop fanatics. With SZA delivering outstanding, high-pitched vocals and Drake implementing clever lyrics, the song proves itself extraordinary. Released as a single three weeks ago, the song quickly climbed to the top of the charts.
But not every song on the album is a hit. “7969 Santa,” the eighth song on “For All The Dogs,” is a cool mix of sounds but its unorthodox beat is repetitive and an odd addition to the project. The next several songs on the album are also fairly experimental — with Drake exclusively singing on many of them — but feel too abstract and out of the musician’s wheelhouse.
In “Members Only,” a collaboration with fellow Canadian artists PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake returns strong, producing a somber, tranquil gem of a song—one of the best on the album. And in “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny, which presents the largest tonal shift on “For All The Dogs,” Drake shows off his Spanish-speaking abilities in an extremely fast-paced, Latin-beat style.
But the album dies down in a fairly lackluster fashion. “And Rich Baby Daddy” featuring up-and-coming female rapper Sexyy Red and SZA is filled with lewd sexual innuendos and a repetitive chorus and comes out as one of the album’s worst songs. And the tracklist’s final two songs, “Away From Home” and “Polar Opposites,” both seem amiss.
Despite its closing blunders, “For All the Dogs” remains a largely dynamic, provocative and versatile album that once again reinforces Drake as one of the industry’s absolute best.
Cooper Herman is a senior staff writer covering sports and arts & culture. He is a freshman from Alexandria, Virginia studying Economics and International and Public Affairs.
