A string of pre-release listening parties saw thousands of listeners flocking to stadiums in Atlanta and Chicago for dramatic previews of the album. The release delays after an initial July 23 drop date helped give Donda one of the most drawn-out and lucrative hype cycles for a release in recent memory. Reportedly in production for the last 18 months, Donda has had a rocky road to release, as delay upon delay befell the album’s production and Kanye wrestled with a high-profile divorce, mental health battles, and clashes with his album collaborators. These aren’t the typical questions you associate with an album release, but Kanye West isn’t a typical artist, and his new 27-track album, Donda (named after Kanye’s late mother Donda West), isn’t a typical album. If you didn’t like this album, maybe it’s time to give it another listen.So what’s the deal with Donda? Did Kanye West’s label really release it without his permission? Did Kanye really light himself on fire over it? What about the TikTok panic that he inducted the huge audiences at his listening parties into some dark occult ritual? When it really comes down to it, songs like “Crew Love (Featuring the Weekend),” “Take Care (Featuring Rihanna),” and “Marvin’s Room” carried some of us through hard times. That being said, Take Care is a collective favorite. I know some people who would even argue that after this album, everything went downhill for Drake musically although, his millions of fans and dollars would beg to disagree. TAKE CARE Take Care represents the golden age of Drake. This is a no-skips kind of album and it’s still hard to believe that one album had that many hits, back to back to back.ġ. You wish this album dropped in the summer because “Live From the Gutter” and “Change Locations” would’ve hit differently under the July sun.ĭrake and Future delivered an album where the title reigned true. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE Let’s paint the picture: September 2015, it’s Spring (Fall is right around the corner). There’s no shame, I know you’re all singing “Hold on, we’re going home.”Ģ. It’s hard to not agree that Drake put his whole foot in this album.
BACK TO BACK DRAKE CRITIC REVIEW SKIN
NOTHING WAS THE SAME I’m convinced that Nothing Was The Same was the birth of the light skin dude!Įvery song on Nothing Was The Same is a sensitive, sultry bop that toes the line between being able to put you in your bag and making you want to bust a move in front of the mirror. Which further confirms that Drake made 2015 his b*tch.ģ.
BACK TO BACK DRAKE CRITIC REVIEW FULL
But to be real, the entire mixtape is full of songs that people played for months on end. If you don’t believe me, you must not remember that it was good enough for H.E.R.
IF YOU’RE READING THIS IT’S TOO LATE Even though this is technically a mixtape, it had to make it onto the list because “Jungle” was just that good. There is not a person I know who doesn’t enjoy at least one song on Views, and for good reason.Ĥ. If Drake’s goal was to create a collection of songs with the intention of forcing us to dance without giving ourselves a moment of rest, then he accomplished his goal.
VIEWS Make no mistake, Views is last on the list but that in no way takes away from the genius that is the album. As we wait for “Certified Lover Boy,” we look back at Drake’s best projects to-date.ĥ.