After what can only be described as a catastrophic year for a rapper, Drake returned this week with new music. Instead of lying low, focusing on fatherhood, or even wrapping up his Australian tour, he has chosen Valentine’s Day to release his latest project, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U—an album that feels less like a passionate love letter and more like a halfhearted apology text sent at 2 a.m.
His decade-long cold war with Kendrick Lamar erupted into an all-out battle, leaving behind a trail of scathing diss tracks, lawsuits (all courtesy of Drake), and deeply unsettling accusations, ranging from domestic violence to pedophilia. The saga seemingly reached its climax when Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, a final, brutal victory lap.
Now, with $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, Drake is desperately trying to shift the narrative, armed with murky, brooding “love” songs and atmospheric beats. Alongside his OVO sidekick PartyNextDoor, he serves up 21 tracks that’ll likely pacify his core audience but may leave casual listeners feeling like they’re drowning in a sea of monotony.
PartyNextDoor described the album as one for people to “fuck to,” but someone should’ve reminded his mans of that. Party sounds like he’s ready for love and some lovin’, while Drake sounds like he’s too sad for all of it.
Below, we break down the highs and pitfalls of this lukewarm attempt at a comeback.
The music is technically good, but it’s as exciting as watching paint dry.
No one—whether a devoted fan, a hater, or an indifferent bystander—expected this album to sound bad in a technical sense. The production is polished, and, as Party and Drake will remind you repeatedly through its runtime, the vibes are present. But does it captivate the listener? A few standouts manage to shine, but overall, $$$4U feels like an endless loop of the same sounds, the equivalent of scrolling through an Instagram feed where every post is just another variation of the same aesthetic. For the first time in Drake’s career, his songs blur into one another so completely that naming a favorite feels like identifying different shades of beige.
Too many beat switches—and not in a good way.
Recently, the idea of reheating someone else’s “nachos” to describe artists recycling tired formulas has gone viral online. In Drake’s case, he’s not even reheating someone else’s–he’s nuking his own leftovers into oblivion. Beat switches, a once-reliable trick in his playbook, are now an overused gimmick. It’s not just that there are too many–it’s that they often kill the momentum entirely. Take “Moth Balls,” for example. The first half simmers with a slightly distorted R&B groove and raw vocals before Drake inexplicably hands the reins to Party for a lifeless conclusion. Tracks like “Something About You,” “Raining in Houston,” and “Crying in Chanel” suffer the same fate–starting strong but veering into uninspired territory.
THIS ALBUM DIDN’T NEED 21 SONGS
Album as creatively barren as this one has no business being 21 tracks long. It’s as if Drake tried to disguise the lack substance with sheer quantity, hoping that somewhere in the excess, fans would find something worth clinging to.
AUTOTUNE CAN’T MASK THE VOCAL MEDIOCRITY
Neither Drake nor Party are powerhouse vocalists. For over a decade, they’ve coasted on R&B’s shift to moody, nasal singing rather than traditional belting. But $$$ makes their vocal limitations glaringly obvious. Autotune, which should be a tool for refinement, becomes a crutch that buckles under their weight. Party, in particular, screeches his way through “Moth Balls” in a way that’s anything but sexy–more like nails on a chalkboard.
“NOKIA” IS ACTUALLY FUN
Recognizing the album’s lethargic tone, Drake and Party attempt to inject some energy in the middle section. Most of these experiments fall flat– “Die Trying” and “Meet Your Padre” are prime offenders–but then there’s “Nokia.” The hypnotic, bass-heavy banger feels tailor-made for TikTok virality. Its fusion of Atlanta and Miami bass pulsates with frenetic energy, making it one of the album’s only true moments of excitement. The beat even slows down unexpectedly to introduce an 80s-inspired drum break and producer Elkan’s eerie drawl, commanding the crowd “Shake that ass in the club with your homegirls / Take a pic for the ‘Gram, show the whole world.” Finally, something with life.
RAPPING DRAKE IS STILL SUPERIOR
Drake spends as much time avoiding direct references to the Kendrick beef as he does trying to dismiss it altogether. On “Gimme A Hug,” he takes a few jabs at Kendrick’s intricate lyrism before attempting to brush off the whole battle: “fuck a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit / Tryna get the party lit for the bitches.”
It’s a weak attempt at damage control, and it feels forced. We know he;s stick licking his wounds––he just doesn't want to admit it. Too bad because when he does het honest, the results are elite rapping.
DRAKE IS STILL GETTING PLAYED BY YOUNG WOMEN—AND IT’S GETTING OLD
For years, Drake has built his brand around writing odes to bottle girls and strippers, stories the internet gleefully pieces together. What was once endearing now borders on unsettling. As he approaches 40, his inability to move beyond these narratives feels more like arrested development than romantic longing.
BEST SONGS
Drake gifts us with great songs including “Gimme A Hug,” “Glorious,” “Small Town Fame,” “Greedy,” and “Nokia.”
WORST SONGS
Where there are highs, there are devastating lows. “Meet Your Padre” is particularly painful, but there’s also “Die Trying,” “Something About You,” “Brian Steel,” and “When He’s Gone” that stink just as bad.
WHERE DOES THIS RANK IN HIS DISCOGRAPHY?
Does Drake have a worse album than this? Thank Me Later was flawed, but at least it had heart. $ome $exy $ongs 4 U lacks emotion, sincerity, and even a clear artistic vision. If his previous projects were a buffet, offering something for everyone, this one is a lukewarm plate of leftovers with little to no seasoning.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Ultimately, how you feel about $ome $exy $ongs 4 U depends on what kind of Drake fan you are. If you’re like Kendrick and enjoy Drake with the melodies , you might find something to enjoy. But if you live for rapping Drake, you’ll pick out a song or two and move on, likely never looking back. One thing is certain—his attempt to shift the conversation feels desperate, and worse, uninspired. If this was meant to be his redemption arc, he’s still got a long way to go.
