It’s hard to refer to Drake in 2025 without referencing the elephant in the room that is Kendrick Lamar. The rap beef between them saw Lamar release ‘Not Like Us’, a track that earned him his first number one single in the UK. The song was a diss towards Drake’s character and status as a rapper. It was one of the many pieces of back and forth between the musicians during the summer of 2024. But as we find ourselves in February of 2025, many fans must be hoping this era has come to an end, allowing us to enjoy the music for what it is. So many have hoped to see what new material Drake has been crafting. The Canadian artist first teased a new project last August when he appeared at PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Toronto show announcing that they had a collaborative album on the way. Now, $ome $exy $ongs 4 u is finally here.
The project is heavily R&B based, a side of Drake that he hasn’t fully immersed himself into since earlier projects like So Far Gone and Take Care. The influence of Partynextdoor is tangible and pays reverence to previous collaborations they have done together like ‘Come and See Me’. It’s typical in the land of R&B, hip-hop, and rap, for an album to provide a setting or sense of geographical inspiration. One recent example is Camilla Cabello’s C,XOXO, which pays homage to Miami. The same can be said for this project; both artists hail from Toronto and we immediately get the sense that this album is made to celebrate the city. The opening track, ‘CN Tower’ instantly sets the scene with the line “The city is pretty when it’s dead just like a flower / what colour’s the CN tower? It’s red tonight.” Drake has referenced the CN tower before in his 2016 album Views, where he sat atop the landmark for the album’s cover art. The sense of home and provenance has always been at the forefront of Drake’s music. And, no doubt the chosen title for the project along with its Valentine’s release date, displays that this could be a love letter to the city and the relationships it births.
As we progress further down the tracklist both artists tackle different areas of love and relationships. Drake’s solo track ‘Crying in Chanel’ may suggest a surface-level song, but the real topic is something seemingly personal to him. We are taken into the interpersonal issues afforded when you are someone with as much material possession and fame as Drake. He explains how treating his partner to lavish things is almost a love language for him, but this only sparks distrust and sadness in the person he loves: “She says the things I do for her, I did for someone else.” This verse showcases how his riches and fame can influence how the person he loves perceives his genuine actions. The production on the track provides a unique beat, which ends up in many different places, none of which are bad. As you start to wonder where the production is going, it switches to an upbeat 808 adding more bounce to the song just before it finishes.
In ‘GIMME A HUG’ Drake directly mentions the rap beef. He returns to his typical rap flow whilst discussing the varying reactions he has had from people after his subsequent loss at the hands of Kendrick Lamar. However, it’s clear Drake doesn’t deem it a loss, and instead remains steadfast that his presence in the music industry is integral: “usin’ you for promotion truer words had never been spoken”. He’s suggesting his contribution to the feud with Lamar has only elevated and boosted the careers of all those involved. Drake’s rap delivery on the song maintains a boastful stance and energetic playfulness. Towards the middle of the track we arrive at a beat switch aimed to layer on more hype to the song. The lyrics, “Damn they be droppin’ shit but we be droppin’ harder shit”, give us an idea of his attitude. He’s not concerned with the discourse surrounding his supposed ‘loss’ and is instead focussing his attention on the quality of the music. A particular moment that shines through is Drake’s shoutout to rapper 21 Savage. Whereby, he claims the Atlanta artist was one of the only people to check in with him in the midst of all this; this is a classy moment that shows you his main takeaways from this era in his career are the people that stayed by his side. All in all, ‘GIMME A HUG’ lets fans know that the rap beef has not left any bittersweet feelings for him, using this moment to shed some positivity back on the subject.
Despite this being a collaborative album it is safe to say Drake features more often than PARTYNEXTDOOR. When they came together, the production frequently leaves more to be desired and feels somewhat similar to their other collaborative songs. For example, ‘MOTH BALLS’ and ‘LASERS’ follow typical R&B production which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but still seems long for a 21-track album. However, one song that they experimented on was ‘DIE TRYING’. The indie-pop track is a different style for both artists that normally stick to an R&B setting when collaborating. Despite this it is handled with finesse and versatility, Partynextdoor specifically manages to adapt his flow and cadence with pleasant ease. The choice to draw from outside their regular musical zone provides a huge payoff here.
The best song on the album by far has to be ‘NOKIA’. With drastically different production compared to the rest of the album, ‘NOKIA’ offers a much-appreciated hype song for listeners. We were waiting for what Drake does best… a song for the girls. In the past, we’ve had ‘Nice For What’ and ‘Rich Baby Daddy.’ Now we have this upbeat, somewhat ’00s reminiscent club banger. The sample and beat selection is infectious, adding an uplifting nature to the project. So overall, despite the album having some filler songs with similar production styles, this project is not a skip. Whilst questions surrounding Drake’s status in the culture of rap are heavy, this showcases he is not backing down. He wishes to fight it out for his space in the industry, hopefully suggesting that we won’t have to wait long for a new solo album.
Words by Jessica Sansoa
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