Album Review: Drake & PartyNextDoor, Some Sexy Songs 4 U

Drake & PartyNextDoor

$ome $exy $ongs 4 U (released February 14, 2024)

We’re a week removed most viewed Super Bowl halftime show in history, where the world watched a bell-bottomed Kendrick Lamar stomp the final nail in the coffin of Aubrey Graham, culminating the end of the most one-sided feud I’ve EVER seen in hip-hop.

And we thought Ja Rule had it bad in 2003.

However, in the days that followed that public massacre, streets have had just one question – has Drake been officially excommunicated from the culture?

My answer? Eh, not much changes. Because Drake was never part of the culture in the first place.

Now I know the Court of Owls will be down in the comments hooting and hollering after that statement, but that’s not an out-of-touch old head diss. It’s simply a fact.

Strictly in terms of sales, steams and visibility, Drake is arguably the most successful rapper of his era – “rapper” being the key term. But rap is just one element of hip-hop culture. Drake has made a lot of money from rap but he’s never represented the culture of hip-hop. Breaking, DJ’ing, fashion, film, politics, activism, visual arts, community – Drake has never been that.

And that’s fine. The last thing we need is Activism Aubrey pretending to be something he’s not.

Drake is a rapper, plain and simple. And a rapper is always one hit away from mainstream redemption.

If you thought the road to Drake’s redemption would be a blistering bar-fest to prove that he’s truly among rap’s elite, you’re in for a disappointing evening. Instead we get Some Sexy Songs 4 U, a batch of (allegedly) romantic songs with longtime minion PartyNextDoor to set off your Valentine’s Day.

The strategy is pretty brilliant when you think about it. Instead of dropping a strict hip-hop release that inevitably would get compared to Kendrick’s massive GNX album from last year, Aubrey does a complete 180 and leans into the loverman role that endeared him to his female audience years back. Plus, it’s a collab album – if it’s well received, his base will scream “DRAKE BACK!”; if not, they’ll say “calm down, it’s not a REAL Drake album, the real album is coming soon!” It’s a smart way to check the temperature of his fanbase.

If his base in anything like me, that temperature is colder than a dead fish. Some Sexy Songs 4 U is corpse music.

A few seconds into the opener “CN Tower” and it’s clear that Drake’s very bad 2024 hasn’t motivated him to step his pen game up. It’s the same ol’ listless, plodding R&B that he’s been unloading on us for the past decade. It’s like if the only thing to drink in Marvin’s Room was Nyquil.

“Moth Balls” has a pinch more energy but that goodwill is destroyed by the album’s other big flaw – MASSIVE amounts of autotune. Drake has never been Lutha Vandross in the booth but he was a serviceable crooner in his early days. Now, every verse is saturated in vocal sweetening, and it’s incredibly distracting. And the verses are no prize either: “swimming in that cat till I drown/b**** wanna take a dip in my accouuuuuuunt.” Aight, playa.

The first third of this album is everything I’ve criticized Drake for in the past decade – disastrous robo-karaoke (“Something About You”), obnoxious sad boi lyrics that demean his girl even though he’s clearly the bad guy (“Crying in Chanel”) and songs that drone on and on and on (“Small Town Fame”). Even when we get glimpses of goodness, like the 2000s-era guitar licks on “Spider-Man Superman,” they get overwhelmed by autotune.

Oh and if you wonder why I haven’t mentioned PartyNextDoor yet, it’s because he adds nothing to the proceedings. He’s just Drake but worse – his bars are sillier, his auto-tune is screechier and his delivery is more grating. I swear he’s gargling McDonald’s Sprite on “Deeper.”

Things get a little more interesting with “Brian Steel” and “Gimmie a Hug,” both of which address his various beefs in very passive-aggressive ways. “Put all the beef on the side, I can’t/I’m heated now/ N****s want meet up, talk about s***, I’m vegan now,” he proclaims on the former. Drake is a little more forceful on the latter, throwing shots at Joe Budden one minute but also claiming that without Drake’s music, women would be … twerking with dictionaries? Huh?

And I thought his line about Kendrick rapping like he’s “freeing the slaves” was the height of self-indulgent privilege.

See what I mean about not representing hip-hop culture?

I was excited about the Aaron Hall sample of “I Miss You” on “Gimmie a Hug” but it’s just used as an excuse for Drake to shower sing alongside it on the track. Neither of those two songs are good but they’re at least somewhat memorable, which is the best we can get on an album this lifeless.

Credit where it’s due though – the second half of the album is vastly superior to what came before it.

“Raining in Houston” is yet another snoozer, but it seems to be one of the few times that Drake is being honest with the listener, and himself:

But these guys would die to see me losing, my love
The hate from this year alone is confusing, my love
I can’t see things getting much smoother, my love

Homie really feels like he’s in over his head.

Drake and PND graciously switch up the pacing on the last half of the album – “Meet Your Padre” delves into Latin grooves, “Die Trying” showcases some of Drake’s crooning over acoustics (Yebba is the real star of the track, but of course she only shows up for a few seconds at the very end) and then there’s “Nokia” – the only song on this album that doesn’t cause narcolepsy. “Nokia” is a playground of absurd synths – Hotline Bling’s 80s-obsessed big unc. It’s absolutely preposterous but very catchy, easily the brightest spot on the album.

The last few tracks are a mixed bag as the album limps to the finish line. “Celibacy,” featuring Drake and PND begging their girl to break her vow, could have been something special  with more dynamic production. It’s way more interesting than the rambling mess of  “OMW” – and is it me, or does it sound like Drake is biting Ice Spice of all people on “Glorious?” It’s Canadian-flavored “Munch.”

Things mercifully end on a decent note with “Greedy” the best example of mood music done right on the album. The production is low-key but not lazy, the autotune refrains from being overbearing – it’s 2025 Rhythm&Begging, and y’all know I’m here for that.

If I was trying to rebound from hip-hop’s most public beating EVER, the last thing I’d do is put out a lesser-quality version of the same music I’ve been dropping for a decade, but here we are. The first half of this album is a total disaster – I can’t even say Drake and PND were in cruise control, they sound totally asleep at the wheel (and after listening to those songs, you would be asleep too). The second half is the only thing keeping this album on life support.

Some Sexy Songs 4 U is another underachieving project from an artist who has been synonymous with mediocrity far longer than he’s been associated with greatness.

The past year has shown that fans are finally realizing that the so-called emperor has no clothes. Drake may have never truly represented hip-hop, but if he doesn’t tighten up real soon, even his rap kingdom may begin to crumble.

But hey, calm down, it’s not a REAL Drake album! The real album is coming soon … right?

Best tracks: “Nokia,” “Greedy”

2 stars out of 5