While Valentine’s Day coincidently fell on a Friday this year, many artists took this as an opportunity to release new music. With Drake being the biggest/most notable release, all eyes were on him. Fresh off his beef with K-Dot, we get to see Drizzy appeal to his softer side and craft something for the ladies. Made in collaboration with longtime collaborator, PARTYNEXTDOOR, the Canadian duo blended their talents for a joint album titled ‘$ome $exy $ongs 4 U,’ or ‘$$$4U‘ for short.
After previously alienating his core audience of women listeners with ‘For All The Dogs,’ making ‘$$$4U’ was such a strategic decision. What better way to get back in their good graces than with some club bangers and channeling his former self? Most would say Drake is at his best when he sounds like he’s talking directly to women as if he’s writing an intimate letter to them. There’s a lot of that in this album that almost makes you forget he was ever involved in a soul-crushing beef.
With there being minimal features, all the attention is put on Drake & PND’s chemistry. Since the early 2010s, this pair has gifted us multiple hits and they do their very best to rekindle that flame. Two years removed from their last collaboration, one can only imagine how this album would’ve sounded during PND’s prime. His performance on ‘$$$4U’ has received mixed responses, with many saying he sounds like a shell of himself. Opting for a more experimental sound this time around is not the best representation of his full potential. Lyrically, PND has not shown any growth and still sings about the same material from his 20s. Typically known for sparsely releasing, this is the first time we’ve seen him drop in consecutive years. Instead of returning to the shadows and maintaining his mystique, he’s starting to creep into the territory of over saturation.
Fans react to “$$$4U” by Drake & PND
Within hours of its release, it didn’t take long for the masses to get critical and give their initial reaction. Although expectations were high leading up, fans have given mixed reactions to the album. One X user wrote “This album was needed 10 years ago The nostalgia is gone.” On the opposing side, another X user wrote “This one’s a certified classic.” In addition, there was a lot of criticism regarding the 79-minute runtime. Overall, the reception for the album was seemingly split down the middle.
Fans Say There Was “A Lack of Soul” Throughout The Album
For this to be categorized as R&B, fans noticed that there was a “lack of soul & passion” incorporated. What sets R&B apart from other genres is how it can be sexy without being overt. All the greats knew how to utilize subtle wordplay to mask their raunchy thoughts. From the intro, “Lasers,” Drake is shown to be unpleasantly direct with his sexual fantasies, as opposed to creating imagery with his words. Reasons like this are why the first half of the album feels somewhat uninspiring to many.
But as the album progresses, so does the passion between these two. The second half of the album is where things get a little more fun and creative. Tracks like “Meet Your Padre” and “Nokia” remind you of the golden days when Drake didn’t take himself too seriously. In actuality, these songs sound like nothing Drake has ever made before, reminding you why he’s so great. It’s easy to see why people prefer the second half, as he sonically took more risks than usual.
In conclusion, this album is a solid bounce-back performance from Drake. Truly a jack-of-all-trades, this will be remembered as the album that broke his cold streak. Next up, he is prepping to be the main headliner for this year’s Wireless Festival. Stream ‘$$$4U’ by Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR below.
