‘Views’ delivers personal sound

Rapper Drake released Views on Friday and the album offers a more personal sound from the rapper/singer.

Rapper Drake released ‘Views’ on Friday and the album offers a more personal sound from the rapper/singer.

By Alexis Malapitan

Fans ears have been blessed with Drake’s voice yet again as he dropped his fourth studio album, “Views,” which offers a more personal look into the rapper’s life and mind.

This 20-track album features songs like “Hotline Bling” and his new single, “One Dance” featuring Wizkid and Kyla. “Views” starts off with a family-friendly track and one I took a quick liking to, “Keep the Family Close.”

“All of my ‘let’s just be friends’ are friends I don’t have anymore. How do you not check on me when things go wrong. Guess I should’ve tried to keep my family closer. Much closer. All of my ‘let’s just be friends’ are friends I don’t have anymore. Guess that’s what they say you need family for. Cause I can’t depend on you anymore.”

The familiar deep beats and drops add to the sadness of the song as Drake raps about his trust issues.

“9,” “Views” second track, is another one of my favorite songs because of the passion in Drake’s voice. I like that the song is almost angry-sounding. The familiar thumps from “Keep the Family Close” make an appearance once again in “9,” and the passion from his voice is very apparent as he raps about his hometown. I like this song because it reminds me of the saying, “ever forget where you came from”, and Drake definitely sticks to his roots in “9.”

Another song I took a liking to is “Faithful”, the album’s ninth track. This song features Pimp C and Dvsn as they rap about being invested in a girl who wants nothing more than to focus on her independence. I like this song because it shows that Drake has a sensitive side. It also reminds me of songs from his 2011 album, “Take Care,” which promote a female’s independence from relationships and bad influences of men.

“Hotline Bling,” the last song on Views, is another one of my favorites and a summertime jam. I like the song because “Hotline Bling” has an electronic type of sound with pops and a little bit of salsa incorporated into it, which makes it unique from the rest of his songs on this album. Also, the fact that he talks about an old flame shows that he has a sensitive side. It is a definite toe-taper.

“One Dance” is the last song I like on “Views” because it is completely different from all the songs on the album. “One Dance” gives off that spicy, Latin, fun vibe ­­— somewhat similar to “Hotline Bling.” This is a great choice as a new single and I could definitely see it as a new summer hit.

I enjoy Drake’s music, so seeing him come out with new music is always good to hear. He is very talented and I admire that he is trying to expand his audience by experimenting with different sounds but also staying true to the classic rap and vocal combo he is known for.

“Views” is his most personal album yet – and the work Drake put into the production of the album shows.