The Weekly Coos

Drake has experienced a tumultuous couple of months since telling Kendrick Lamar to drop his response on the track “Push Ups.” During this moment in the zeitgeist, Drake showed that it didn’t faze him as he built hype for a new album. This time alongside PartyNextDoor, Drake has shifted to what he does best: R&B-centric hits. Unfortunately, it seems Drake has been drained of the fervor to care, as their collaboration album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, comes and goes with sheer forgettability, making you question this 2020s era of Drake more than ever. He floods the market with long and inconsistent records, leaving you yearning for something fantastic and tight, like what he gave us in the 2010s. Instead, he co-delivers a big snoozer. PartyNextDoor doesn’t help elevate the album to repeatability, especially when his writing is as one-dimensional as the sex he constantly sings about. It’s 21 songs with the sex appeal of high-dosage Ambien. I’m not here as a hater, but there isn’t much to commend beyond a few wasted beats and maybe three good to great Drake songs.

When the first track of $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, “CN Tower,” hits the chorus, I felt some unease; the hook felt lazy and lacked the sexual dynamism we’ve heard on tracks like “Shut It Down,” “I Get Lonely,” and “Girls Love Beyonce.” That concern was a harbinger of mediocrity at best for what was to come. The album is supposed to center around a thematic concept or tone aka romance, but the connecting parts aren’t emphatic. The homogenization of these tracks makes listening to them more of a tedious chore than an engaging experience. As the music progresses from “CN Tower,” Drake becomes noticeably absent from the emotional core needed for a great crooning album; namely visceral vocal performances. PartyNextDoor tries to showcase some gusto by seeming to care, unlike Drake, who may as well admit he sleepwalked through much of it. Whether it’s “Something About You,” “Crying in Chanel,” “Spider-man Superman,” or “Celibacy” (a somewhat cringe-worthy song), much of what’s on this album consists of immediate skips, including PND’s solo song “Deeper” and a few of Drake’s solo tracks. The negatives heavily outweigh the positives, that’s for sure.

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U has some songs I enjoyed and consider definitive highlights solely because of Drake, none for PND. These tracks have redeeming qualities that stabilize who Drake is at his peak, such as when he raps with motive and energy on “Gimme A Hug” or delivers a riotous party anthem with “Nokia.” Or tracks like “Small Town Fame” and “Raining In Houston” which effectively play to Drake’s strengths, as he doesn’t sound like he’s phoning it in or feeling cornered; rather, focusing on himself, even if he’s retreading content he’s rapped about for years. If it’s listenable and vibe, there are few complaints because sometimes artists know how to make these strengths work, making “Pimmie’s Dilemma” more striking. It oddly doesn’t involve either lead artist, with newcomer Pim taking the mantle and delivering a beautiful R&B performance that overshadows almost all the other singing elsewhere. I came into this album with optimism that a genre reset could have been exactly what Drake needed, and while it still could be, he doesn’t show much effort. The homogenization and laziness in constructing variety reveal themselves, as outside the few standout tracks, there’s nothing breaching the essence of basicness. Unfortunately, that extends over some beats that feel wasted and others that miss the mark completely.

The biggest disappointment from the album comes from the wasted production on tracks like “Deeper,” “Glorious,” “Lasers,” and a few others, where the energy doesn’t meet expectations. I’ve seen arguments online claiming this is a certain type of music, like songs for sex or for guys who attract women. However, considering these fans may have biased ears, the criticism lacks nuance. From what I’m hearing, nothing excites me much on this record. At this point, I’d rather play older, sexier Drake bangers. He continues to assimilate into current trends like corridos with mainstream appeal. It doesn’t help that “Meet Your Padre” feels like a weak attempt with an uncreative guitar melody and a forgettable Chino Pacas performance. They would have been better off with Fuerza Regida if he had that connection, as they fit their flow better. Flooding us with 21 songs also prevented these tracks from settling. As a cornerstone of Drake as an artist and how his hits have shifted the parameters for rappers trying to sing, it’s quite disappointing that he couldn’t muster more, especially when they waste a beautiful, acoustic-heavy beat with “Die Tryin.’”

Though I don’t qualify as someone who doesn’t get it, it’s more that the album has no redeeming quality. Stans and huge fans will eat it up like no tomorrow, and that’s okay. Sometimes the music is more for them than for the mass public; unfortunately, as a fan, you’d still want the project to be better. It isn’t and it makes the task of listening more grueling than you’d expect. It’s not sexy and there aren’t many redeeming factors one can latch onto. Maybe the album isn’t for me, but that doesn’t excuse it’s laziness. I can’t recommend this album, even for the curious as Drake is on the wrong foot with his first big release since the beef. Hopefully what comes next is substantially better, but until then, it’s only a wait-and-see.