Views
Drake
(Island)
Two-and-a-half stars
It takes a confident performer to place his biggest song right at the end of a new album, as Drake does on Views, his fourth studio outing. The mighty single Hotline Bling is almost a bonus track, an encore, as if the popular Canadian is saying, "Hey, you've heard that one already, here are 19 [yes, 19] other jams just as good". That confidence proves to be wildly misplaced. Drake's new record is, frankly, a drag. It was originally titled Views from the 6, but that presumably sounded too reminiscent of a jaunty J-Lo record, which this definitely isn't.
The "views" he espouses here are primarily that various people disappoint him, so this 82-minute ordeal serves as the ideal forum to drone on about them. "You're so predictable, I hate people like you," he says, two minutes into the album, which certainly sets the tone. Actually that track, Keep the Family Close, is one of the highlights, with its sound effects, strings and startling military-band beats, and there is arguably enough quality overall for a decent smaller album. One Dance, featuring the Nigerian vocalist Wizkid, is the cut likeliest to get Drake doing that curious jig again, with its skittering beats and sultry vocals from the UK singer Kyla. Drizzy tends to perk up when friends – and rumoured lovers – appear.
Too Good boasts an irresistible West African groove and a welcome cameo from Rihanna, who may also have inspired the lyrically intriguing but otherwise dull U With Me: "Remember you were living at The London for a month?" he sings, about a hotel liaison. "We was still a secret, I couldn't come in through the front." The penultimate track, Views, is a soulful rap-romp – if you get that far. Its painfully sluggish predecessor, Fire and Desire, often seems to stop altogether. This album was conceived as a tour through the star's hometown, Toronto, but will hardly help tourism. Most of Views wallows in negativity, which is not particularly novel in rap, but here Drake lacks the inventive beats and vocal energy to escape the gloom. Perhaps his impressive run of mixtapes in recent years has exhausted his resources; or the desperate scramble by online streaming services – Apple Music, this time – to secure big-name album exclusives may just be encouraging wilful self-indulgence.
Quality control is certainly lacking on Views. But then that's the good thing about streaming music: you can always try before you decide not to buy.
artslife@thenational.ae
