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Drake Hits the Media with Surprise Release
Throughout the history of music and subsequent music releases, there have been many artists to excite the media. However, looking deeper into this subject, one can find a differentiating type of music release: surprise releases. For as long as social media has existed, artists have been able to surprise fans with a new piece of music and stir up an enormous reaction. A recent example of this is Drake, who on November 17, 2023, released his fifth extended play, “For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition.” Regarding this release, it serves as the sequel to his previous extended plays “Scary Hours” and “Scary Hours 2.”
As Drake teased the album on November 16, fans’ anticipation for the extended play grew, as did mine. With this in mind, I have left myself with no choice but to review “For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition,” where I will thoroughly analyze each of the six new releases. I will conduct this by going from best to worst, contradicting the phrase “saving the best for last.”
1. The Shoe Fits
Choosing the title for a song is important because it gives the reader an idea of what is to come. Drake naming this song “The Shoe Fits” is a perfect choice because he says whatever he pleases and speaks the blatant truth, doing so as long as the shoe fits. Besides the title, this song is perfect and is chock-full of hard truths. I had expectations of a song of this caliber as the intro has lyrics like “Y’all might want to skip this one, this is a harsh truth.”
Moving from the intro, the chorus is another part that I enjoy. While it isn’t exciting or extravagant, it is full of more hard truths, adding depth to the song. The cream of the crop in this song undoubtedly is the verses. Within the verses, he raps about the relationship between a man and a woman. In the two verses, it is like he is speaking to the woman and the man, each in their respective verses. With immense double-entendres and unforgettable lyrics, this is undeniably the top dog off of the EP.
2. Stories About My Brother
Sharing similarities to “The Shoe Fits,” the lyrics of “Stories About My Brother” lay over a relaxed beat, which I find quite pleasing. This contrasts his hit songs, which fall over eccentric and lively beats. Moving on from the beat, which I love, the lyrics follow the same story-telling setup as “The Shoe Fits.” I love this new version of Drake, the Drake that can tell a genuine story through rap and helps the reader envision the song.
As for lyrical content, this song has a plethora of entertaining lines about Drake’s brother. While this is not about a biological brother of Drake, it is about a close friend, as the word ‘brother’ commonly describes a friend. As the song title says, the song is composed of Drake rapping about the stories and attributes of his brother. Not only are these interesting and somewhat funny, but they create a descriptive piece, which is something I enjoy.
3. Red Button
Serving as the lead-off track for the EP, “Red Button” was a solid choice. The song is composed of lyrics that see Drake describing himself and his past and forthcoming actions. Once again, this song is laid over a relaxing beat, which earns it a close second place to “The Shoe Fits” in regards to the quality of the beat. In contrast to the songs mentioned above, “Red Button” is not a story-telling song, it simply is a rap song. My favorite part of the track is during the middle of the singular verse, where the lyric goes “Every time that Yeezy called a truce, he had my head inflated.” Not only does the inclusion of the lyric positively affect the song, but it opens a gateway to the previous drama between the two rappers. Not only does this create a sense of gossip, I find it hilarious.
4. You Broke My Heart
I knew that Drake was multifaceted, but I was not aware of his latest facet: depressive Drake. Although this song is filled with emotion-packed lyrics, it is tolerable due to its above-par beat. I mean above-par in the sense of this EP, not in the general sense. Like everyone else, I can enjoy and become enthused by an emotional song, but this song came with its package of detriments. To expand, this song’s worst enemy must be repetition. In the bridge, over 42 seconds, Drake says “F*ck my ex” 22 times.
5. Evil Ways (feat. J. Cole)
When I first saw this on the track list, I was beyond ecstatic. I thought any song combining two of my favorite artists would result in a smash hit. However, this song was eons away from hitting that mark. For a historic spin circa 1973, samples of The Family Circle’s “Change” play throughout the background. It even directly samples lyrics from “Change” in the song’s intro. I appreciate this inclusion as the singers of The Family Circle have classic and boisterous voices, turning “Evil Ways” into an intriguing listen. Set up the same as “Red Button,” this song consists of the following parts: intro, verse and outro. Contrasting “Red Button,” the singular verse is shared between Drake and J. Cole.
To be blunt, J. Cole completely outmatched Drake on this verse, not only with the quality of his lyrics but his energy as well. It seemed like Drake lacked both a presence in this song and creative juices. Perhaps he knew that J. Cole would outdo him and soon after gave up all creative drive because that is what it seemed like.
6. Wick Man
Usually, I hate classifying a song as a ‘filler song,’ as I believe it brings a sense of uselessness to a song. However, in a scenario like this, the usage of that term is validated. As the title suggests, the song sources influence from the John Wick franchise. While I admire the John Wick movies and will frequently indulge in one, I do not feel the same about this track. In fact, this song deserves to be put on a train track and run over because it truly has no purpose. Salvageable aspects of this wreck of a song are the multiple references to guns and bullets, which at least help support the central theme and connection to John Wick.
Final Analysis
For an EP that comes just 42 days after the release of a 23-track studio album, it placed well above the line of my expectations. While there were some lackluster and weak points in the EP, there were times when my mind could affirm Drake as the rapper that I know and love. After careful deliberation, “For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition” deserves a 7/10, as it was relatable and refreshing from the chaotic state of life. This project excites me for new releases, as I hope to see him retain this current vibe yet evolve to be the best he can be.
