Views
| Drake
Views
Views is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 29, 2016, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Recording sessions took place from 2015 to 2016, with both Drake and his longtime collaborator and record producer 40 serving as the record's executive producers. 40 also primarily handled the production on the album alongside each of these several other record producers such as Nineteen85, Maneesh Bidaye, Kanye West and Jordan Ullman, among others. The album contains the elements of genres such as R&B, dancehall, hip hop and pop, among others. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Pitchfork
Drake's fourth proper album feels claustrophobic and too long and weirdly monotone, but the occasional tweaks in sound lead to a few great moments.
-
NME
On first listen, it’s Drake’s most diverse and all-encompassing record to date, combining all the elements he’s showcased before it: straight-up rap next to moody R&B, boastful while introspective. It’s pretty much the whole spectrum of Drake.
-
The Guardian
The rapper’s latest album offers a lengthy inventory of miseries, cleverly offset by a sly sense of humour and eclectic sound. It is compelling evidence that this is the defining pop artist of the moment
-
Rolling Stone
Drake tours his hometown and continues weighing the burden of being awesome on an occasionally brilliant album that feels like a missed opportunity.
-
The New York Times
“Views” shows how Drake’s original sound has become a genre unto itself — not just as a template for others but also for Drake himself.
-
Consequence of Sound
Given all the resources he has, the album may have been too big to fail, but he’s still maintained enough of his unique talent that it’s unlikely anyone could have done it better.
-
The New Yorker
Drake’s songs, one of the featureless exes whose only purpose is to support him, to hold a mirror up to him, stuck in a relationship where sweet nothings are tossed off for the sake of a clever phrasing, where you are little more than furniture in someone else’s movie.
-
Hot NE Whip Hop
Though there are a few more cringeworthy lyrics and a bit less cohesion than usual for Drake, "VIEWS" is still an album that only he could make.
-
Spin
Smack in the middle of Views, Drake does it: He drops a nearly perfect song. Suddenly, it doesn’t matter that his fourth studio album is overly dramatic, too braggy, so bloated, and a little delusional.
-
The Verge
He’s become one of this decade’s defining musicians, and it doesn’t really feel like much has changed since the salad days of So Far Gone: same charisma, same laughable bars, same questionable relationships with women, same disdain for editing.
-
Slant
Until he’s ready to face his real demons, Drake seems doomed to circle about in the same stylish, faux-soul-searching limbo, perhaps mounting ever-higher structures to adequately express his essential feelings of existential emptiness.
-
Crack
If there was a single weather captured on Views, it would be the one depicted in the artwork. A kind of half-lit grey casting a thin shadow over Toronto’s CN tower with Drake superimposed in the middle, somehow not quite present.
-
Pretty Much Amazing
-Drake’s growing up. I suspect we haven’t yet seen him at his best.
-
Tiny Mix Tapes
But the reality of VIEWS, his highly-anticipated new album, is something far less earth-shaking than it was hyped up to be: a casual, only slightly-different-than-usual release smothered in atmosphere with one solid R&B song (that’s reportedly been kicking around in a vault for a while) left stranded in the album’s penultimate slot.
-
Plugged In
Twenty downbeat tracks exhibit a worldview that's still as empty—filled, as it is, with self-love, sex, drugs, alcohol and crates of cash—as it was when last we heard from Toronto's native son.
-
Idolator
The majority of the album is a blast to listen to, moving deftly between vibing late-night cuts, club-ready, dancehall-influenced R&B tracks, hip-hop bangers with angry verses and the type of emotional, limber sing-song raps that Drake basically made his career on.
-
The AV Club
He turns his verses into Drake Mad Libs, filling each blank with the usual, self-absorbed musings on displacement, insecurity, and his dual fears of commitment and abandonment. He used to be great at this stuff.
-
The Odyssey Online
"Views" all-in-all is an 82-minute testament to his insufferable insecurity. Next time around hopefully someone gives him a hug while he's recording an album.
-
Music OMH
There are enough moments of glory and splendour here to validate Drake’s position at the head of the hip-hop table, but you wonder whether he can stay there much longer without doing something drastically different.
-
NZ Herald
"I don't run out of material," he boasts on Hype. He's right. For now. Unless he gets those feels under control, saturation point might be coming sooner than Drake thinks.
-
Entertainment Weekly
Views is a weird one for Drake—vague, a little aimless, and at least a few songs too long. And it’s saddled with big ambitions: anytime an artist says an album is based on the seasons of the year, that should send up a red flag. Drake still remains a master at producing low-key mesmerizing rap, but the Views are slightly less breathtaking here.
-
The Hot Box
Views falls short of that, but it shouldn’t be listed as a failure on his part, because it’s not. I’m just sayin, he could do better.
-
Vibe
Drake’s sound on VIEWS is right for the season. When he’s ready to snap, it will happen and as much as many like to deny, you’ll be back around to hear it.
-
Independent
Definitely less dancefloor-orientated than his recent efforts, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Tracks I immediately want to listen to again: '9', 'Hype', 'Grammys', 'Still Here', 'With You', 'Fire & Desire', 'Views'.
-
Vulture
Views is a realization that there are better jobs than Most Successful Rapper, and a step toward pop dominance. Less a handful of stray cuts and bad puns, this could’ve been his best album yet. As is, it’s a noble try.
-
PPCORN
Drake has baby stepped us into the evolution of his sound. With “Views” he let his sound mature and when we were ready for it, he unveiled the full-fledged Drake sound at its best yet.
-
Mashable
Drake didn't reinvent himself, but he very easily does the ting he's best at. He's the heartbreak king of the 6, comfortably at the top of his game. The view's still pretty nice from here.
-
Hip Hop DX
There’s no real shred of the man that claims to not take himself “too seriously” on this 82-minute testament to insufferable insecurity.
-
Amino
I think this album isn't awful its just that a lot of songs are awful and some are boring. The tracks that I actually enjoy help this album but the negatives outweigh the positives by the slightest.
-
Magnetic Magazine
Even a decent project like Views is still better than most of the artists trying to get in this lane. It shows why Drake is the king and has no intention of stepping down any time soon. We’re still in Drake season and will continue to be at least till next summer.
-
Dozens of Donuts
You could look at it as one final salute, Drake overlooking his home before taking off, a la Superman, to seek further ventures.
-
Bustle
Drake has given us all a gift with this album. A very long, very wonderful gift. No, seriously, these songs are amazing.
-
Dope Cause We Said
"Views" was not made for the radio stations or the clubs; it was definitely made for the city of Toronto, from the way Drake shouts out local rapper Top 5 in the song “Hype” with track names like “Weston Road Flows,” and the way Toronto slang is thrown throughout each and every song.
-
Lyrical Lemonade
Drake can make bangers in his sleep at this point, and most of the album seemed to be just that, quick bangers to hold us over.
-
Distract
It’s the range of sounds on offer that really cooks up this lyrical feast. His ability to speak so candidly on relationships that makes Drake the current King of Pop.
-
Chicago Tribune
No matter what, Drake's won, and the majority of his prior output shows he deserves it. But when given the choice between something like "Views" or the politically and emotionally salient "Lemonade," I'll go with Bey every time.
-
The Fader
In spirit, sound, and execution, Views is a record by someone seeking validation from a city that’s ultimately too small and reliant on being part of his orbit to challenge him for more.
-
Drowned in Sound
Drake is far too talented to turn in an album of dregs, and a lot of the content featured of Views is of the same breed of quality we would expect, like the instantly contagious 'Grammys', featuring Future.
-
Dead Shirt
It might be a few more releases before we see Drake tapping into the foreign idea of using his powers for good, but in the interim, it would be nice if he can at least be reintroduced to the concept of brevity.
-
The Music
Jumping the same heights he jumped last time, with a few tweaks thrown in, is less than his previous efforts have led us to expect. That means that even though Views is searing stuff it's a little like watching a man catch bullets in his teeth when he should be dismissing them with a wave of his hand.
-
The VLM
Views is hopeful. It shows the Toronto-rapper’s ambition at times but becomes background music at points. It all comes down to facing the challenge of becoming slightly lost because of the way in which it varies from chart hits and aggressive hip-hop beats to something that feels like nothing.
-
Exclaim
So while he still has fame and fortune, VIEWS raises the question of whether Drake can still "Keep the Family Close," even if it's all taken away tomorrow.
-
Mic
Call it part of his world-building; call it part of his reinforcing the Drake persona he's been building over the past 10 years. But for fans thirsting for something new out of the 6 god, they won't be finding it in any of the following lyrics.
-
Edmondton Journal
If only he’d exercise this restraint on the rest of his fourth studio album. He didn’t need to dilute it with 20 tracks. He should have just picked the 10 best — then we’d have some spectacular Views.
-
The Urban Buzz
As I’m writing this review, I’m realizing how much I enjoyed this album. It’s safe to say Views is what remade me a drake fan.
-
The Hot Pot
“VIEWS” is far from a classic album, but it still has some really great tracks. There are slow jams for those inclined to sit and reflect while sullenly nursing a glass of red wine, but for people who want to get up and move, the album provides tracks for livelier scenarios as well.
-
Berkeley B Side
There are some great tunes here, as is to be expected by someone with his connections and experience, but Views is an ocean away from the great album Drake promised, that he’s spent years working to perfect.
-
Bearded Gentlemen Music
Views is light on substance, but good enough to be satisfying.
-
Ranting About Music
VIEWS, meanwhile, plays as Drake’s least personal album to date, and even a loose “winter to summer to winter” cycle simulating a year’s weather in Toronto and traffic ambiance don’t sell the concept.
-
Give Uh Damn
VIEWS is a good album thanks to long time producer Noah “40” Shebib who saves the project in the long run. It’s not trash but no where close to a classic.
-
The Knockturnal
Overall Views is an enjoyable record, and I think Drake is closing space on defining his sound more solidly than on past records. There’s no doubt that Drake carved out a lane for himself the minute he stepped into the music world, but Views is drawing in the borders.
-
The Atlantic
There is no journey on Views, nor is there a notion of common cooperative struggle. The idea that life—romance, professional achievement, pride—should be approached as anything other than a basketball tournament or some other zero-sum affair never occurs to him.
-
KSDB FM
Did Drake make good on his optimistic claim that he was going to sell a million copies in the first week? Yes. But did he make a classic album like he seems to believe and so many of his fans were expecting? No.
-
Metro Weekly
Even if his introspection starts to grate by the end of the album, there is a lot to enjoy along the way — and a lot to remind us how he got so high up in the first place.
-
Pelican Magazine
Whilst a handful of these tracks are susceptible to instant-skipping and the release will hardly thrill bandwagon fans of “Jumpman” or “Hotline Bling“, it’s an obvious must for fans of his earlier work, and sonically suitable for Perth’s most miserable winter weather.
-
Michigan Daily
Views shines more brightly as an idea than an actual body of work.
-
Thrillest
listening to the album in its entirety resembles eating a meal at the Cheesecake Factory. Then throwing up.
-
Bandwagon
The album grows on you as the filler nature of the majority of the songs make for easy listening. Although it’s not the dazzling release we’d hoped for, Views showcases Drake doing Drake in the Drakiest way; it’s how we know him and it’s why many people love him.
-
The AU Review
As it stands, Views is more on the level of Thank Me Later in terms of quality, and that’s a bit disappointing for someone who has come so far.
-
TIME
It's by no means a perfect album. It's too long, and Drake's attitudes toward women who don't have the status of Rihanna leave much to be desired. But it's still a fascinating document--one that will no doubt influence other artists and the audiences that follow them.
-
Cleveland.com
Yet, it's a boast from the menacing track "Hype" that sums things up best: "Views already a classic," Drake claims. I don't know about that. But hey, it's not a lie if you believe it.
-
News Day
Drake is certainly successful and “Views” will continue that, but he has a way to go before that success becomes respect.
-
STEREOGUM
But after playing it on repeat all day, I have to report that Views is a bloated, self-regarding bore. When the album hit the internet last night, I made it through maybe six songs before falling asleep.
-
Fact Mag
Without the storylines from his past that drive his previous albums, his focus flags and his precision flails.
-
Nappy Afro
Drake shines on some of this album, but when there are low points there are LOW points. To be honest I think Drake is peaking, or he’s just being lazy.
-
The Line of Best Fit
Depending on who you ask, the very public crisis of identity that has formed the crux of Drake’s career in music has either been his strongest suit or his Achilles heel.
-
El Broide
The production on the album is fire and all these elements together really make for a strong album.
-
USA Today
He once told us “no new friends,” but it seems like he’s losing all his old friends as well. Which leaves him sitting on top of that tower, by himself, rapping to us about his problems.
-
Exepose
Drake’s insular and revealing lyrics persist in Views, rapping and singing about his family and friends, his city and his many, many ex-girlfriends.
-
Clash
Despite all the melodrama, you can be sure that good old Aubrey will continue to dad dance in meme-worthy fashion all the way to the bank for the foreseeable future.
-
The Young Folks
Views is in no way shape or form a bad album, but it’s a touch underwhelming because this is mostly stuff we’ve heard from Drake before.
-
Totally Dublin
Views isn’t a rap album, however. In fact, the feeling it gives off is that of a diary written by a man whose day job is rapping, who comes home after a long day’s work, kicks off his shoes, voice activates his mood lighting, pours a glass of wine and considers his life.
-
Sputnik Music
...he is truly the king of the hip-hop throne and still the game-changer he has always been. Raise your champagne glasses to another strong ten years.
-
Pop Matters
Is Views a failure? It can’t be -- the numbers say otherwise. But it’s a disappointment for an artist who’s managed to get better and better with every subsequent release up until this point.
-
Rapper Talk
All-in-all, Drake should be commended for putting together another strong body of work, the backbone of which is formed by the truly beautiful music masterminded by it’s genius executive producer Noah “40” Shebib.
-
Golden Plec
On ‘VIEWS’, it is largely apparent that Drake has become a parody of himself.
-
The National
Most of Views wallows in negativity, which is not particularly novel in rap, but here Drake lacks the inventive beats and vocal energy to escape the gloom.
-
We Plug Good Music
Views is an amalgamation of Drake through the years. It’s diverse and succinct with strokes of perfection. It’s a masterclass of artistry, demonstrating that Drake knows himself better than anyone else.
-
Soul in Stereo
At times, Views harkens back to the old Kanye/chop up the soul Kanye, splicing classic R&B tracks to provide new soundscapes. “Mary’s Joint” is repurposed for “Weston Road Flows,” where Drake waxes nostalgic about childhood before throwing shots at his detractors.
-
BET
Views never creates a zone, never transcends the listener like So Far Gone or Nothing Was The Same did. It has no mission statement.
-
LA Times
What's truly staggering is that he sees himself, men's-rights-style, as the victim in these dramas.
-
Financial Times
Awful puns (“Got so many chains, call me Chaining Tatum”) compound the odd mix of production depth and lyrical shallowness.
-
The Four Oh Five
When Drake says, "Views already a classic" on album-cut 'Hype,' he isn't boasting. In the city of Toronto, it really is.
-
The Bulletin
“Views” is not an album of bangers; it’s a blue-mood piece that supposes downcast music is the most serious.
-
Recommended Listen
If you can figure out a way to put him on mute throughout most of it, VIEWS still edges by as a winner in the rap game.
-
Tattoo
One can only hope that Drake comes to a clearer understanding beyond the inner view from his pockets expanding.
-
Complex
But classic or trash, VIEWS is his most Toronto—an album he made in the city, for the city. How could I—who was raised in Toronto—not get behind that?
-
The Fresh Committee
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” should be an artist’s antithesis. Instead, it is what fuels this album. That can only mean one thing: better luck next time, dude.
-
411 Mania
Less the effortless wisdom of a king perched atop his throne and more the soundtrack to trudging up each and every one of CN Tower’s 2,579 steps.
-
The Edge
With as much hype as this album has received, the end result is displeasingly dull.
-
Wazzup Tonight
The snowy views, city heights, and highlights of his estate take you on a journey into what was and is.
-
International Business Times
Reminding fans of his early mixtape work that he's still got it when it comes to rapping his ass off, the album's title track fires off quotables like fireworks on July 4th.
-
Spice UK
Musically, the album is good, really good.
-
The Star
It’s one of the best records you’ll hear operating at its level this year, without a doubt.
-
FETSWL
With its mish mash of lazy lyrics, humdrum production, and unfocused direction, Views has simply left me cold.
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments