During the year plus that fans have been waiting for Drake’s fourth official album Views From the 6, we’ve been wondering which Drake would ultimately show up. Would it be the Tough Drake of releases like If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late and What a Time to Be Alive, or would it be the more poppy Crooning Drake of recent hits like “Hotline Bling,” Rihanna collaboration “Work,” and 2013’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Today Drake shared two new singles that (judging from the #Views hashtag) will feature on the long-awaited LP, and the answer seems to be one that, in retrospect, appears obvious: both.
The single that will grab the most early headlines is “Pop Style,” which, contrary to its title, is not pop-style at all. Instead, the Sevn Thomas– and Frank Dukes–produced track would have fit right in on If You’re Reading This, with Drake bragging about how all he does is “hang with the young and heartless” and worrying about how “they still out to get me.” Drake’s flexing has always been a defensive posture, and here he keeps an eye on the challengers to his throne—but at least he reserves a respectful place beside him for his OGs: Kanye shows up mostly to plug his newest album (“They like Pablo … Take the devils out my life and preach the gospel”), and Jay Z only gets two lines, but they’re still credited respectfully as “The Throne.” Drake also tries to put over the line “Got so many chains they call me Chaining Tatum,” which is such an obviously terrible pun that I’m almost tempted to take it as another nod to West’s love of same.
Though “Pop Style” is the one with the attention-grabbing features, it’s “One Dance” that seems poised to be the breakout. Drake and his team have scoured the Earth to find the perfect sound to follow up the smash success of “Work” (which just scored its seventh week at No. 1), and the globe-trotting result sounds designed to get the whole world dancing along. Over a reggaeton rhythm and a house-style piano loop, Drake is joined by Nigeria’s Wizkid and a sample of U.K .funky singer Kyla’s “Do You Mind,” along with what sounds like some West African blues guitar (think Tinariwen). The club anthem’s lyrics are more universal, too, with a tipsy, vocodered Drake asking for one more dance before he goes. No matter where you’re from, or what flavor of Drake you prefer, it’s easy to relate to that.
