Tahlia Scherer, Features Editor
The lauded Toronto rapper, Drake, dropped his eighth studio album on Friday, October 6th. This highly anticipated album features Bad Bunny, J. Cole, SZA, Lil Yachty, and a Frank Ocean sample.
Below I rated each song on a scale of 1-10 barks.
- Virginia Beach
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (8/10)
Virginia Beach features a sample from fan-favorite Frank Ocean which was really amazing, especially because Frank Ocean has not made music since 2016. This song gets 8/10 barks because as an opener for the album, it effectively grabbed my attention, but certainly wasn’t the best song on the album.
- Amen (feat. Teeze Touchdown)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (9/10)
Amen featuring Teeze Touchdown receives 9/10 barks. This song features a sort of background choir – almost like a church choir. This song exemplifies Drake’s skilled use of metaphor to communicate deeper ideas than what can be superifcally gathered upon first listen. For me, this song got progressively better with each listen and can be considered one of the best on the album.
- Calling For You (feat. 21 Savage)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (7/10)
Calling For You is the only song featuring 21 Savage on the album. The pair released a joint album, “Her Loss” in November of last year. The song has a unique beat but the lyrics and rap were not as good as some of the other songs on the album. Additionally I felt as though the sample in the middle of the song was too long and took away from the song in general. For this reason, this song gets 7/10 barks.
- Fear of Heights
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (7/10)
Fear of Heights receives 7/10 barks. This song dramatically changes its tone and beat early into the song. Fear of Heights feels very intense – like a message of revenge. I think that this song changes the tone of the album from reflective and chill to more angry and spiteful.
- Daylight
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (5/10)
Daylight gets 5/10 barks. I really enjoyed the sample at the beginning of the song and the beat is also really strong. I think this song follows the more angry tone that Fear of Heights sets previous to this song. However, I think the Adonis feature (Drake’s son) dragged the song down – it was meaningless and sounded a little childish. Many fans took issue with Adonis’ rap at the end as well, and it left listeners unsatisfied with the song as a whole.
- First Person Shooter (feat. J.Cole)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (8/10)
First Person Shooter (feat. J. Cole), was arguably one of the better songs on the album thus far. The beat and lyrics are really solid and the J.Cole feature immediately elevates the song. This song gets 8/10 barks.
- IDGA* (feat. Yeat)
🐶🐶 (2/10)
Personally, I did not enjoy this song. Similar sentiments are shared with other listeners as well. I am not a fan of Yeat. I didn’t like the song or the lyrics, but I did enjoy the sample in the beginning, which was almost fantastical sounding.
- 7969 Santa
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (7/10)
I really enjoyed the beat and the lyrics. I enjoyed how Drake takes the tone of the song down from the previous ones. This song is slightly more relaxed, but still maintains his revenge-like tone. I think it helps to establish the progression of Drake’s feelings throughout this album. For this reason, I think this song deserves 7/10 barks.
- Slime You Out (feat. SZA)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (10/10)
I think this song is one of the best on the album. SZA’s feature is incredible and arguably makes the song, however I think Drake’s part at the end of the song where he outlines a progession over the months of the year was equally as important. This song in general, is incredibly catchy and I enjoyed the message of the lyrics. 10/10 barks.
- Bahamas Promises
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (9/10)
Bahamas Promises is a lot more melodic than any of the songs previous to it. It even features some barking in the background. This song is more reflective and healed than the ones before. I really enjoyed this song. 9/10 barks.
- Tried Our Best
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (8/10)
Tried Our Best gets 8/10 barks. I love the song and the lyrics. Just like Bahama Promises it is more melodic and deliberate sounding.
- Screw the World – Interlude
🐶🐶🐶 (3/10)
If you take a listen, the rating of 3/10 barks is pretty self-explanitory. The beat is great, but nothing else is really noteworthy about this song, granted it is an interlude.
- Drew a Picasso
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (7/10)
7/10 barks. Strong beat and lyrics, but not super special in any way.
- Members Only (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (6/10)
This song has really excellent lyrics and I liked the beat. I think the feature of PARTYNEXTDOOR contributed nicely to the song, however, just like above, the song just didn’t really stand out to me in any way. 6/10 barks.
- What Would Pluto Do
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (6/10)
6/10 barks. Not really much to say, good rhythm and lyrics but nothing more than that.
- All the Parties (feat. Chief Keef)
🐶🐶🐶🐶 (4/10)
I didn’t really like the song in general. I don’t think the Chief Keef feature was that great and the lyrics were not as good as some of the other songs. 4/10 barks.
- 8am in Charlotte
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (10/10)
10/10 barks. This song truly takes us back in time to the “old Drake.” The piano and melodic sound and the lyrics were very reminiscent of Drake’s best older songs. One of my favorites on the album for sure.
- BBL Love – Interlude
🐶🐶🐶🐶 (4/10)
Pretty self explanatory. Not much substance in lyrics or tune. 4/10 barks. Definitely changes the tone of the album once again, this song is very slow and peaceful sounding.
- Gently (feat. Bad Bunny)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (9/10)
This was a really really catchy song with a very captivating beat. I think the feature of Bad Bunny was really great and helped make not just the song, but the album better. 9/10 barks.
- Rich Baby Daddy (feat. Sexyy Red & SZA)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (10/10)
Great song, great features, great beat, great (but vulgar) lyrics. Very catchy and memorable. Many agree this is one of the best on the album. 10/10 barks.
- Another Late Night (feat. Lil Yachty)
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (5/10)
5/10 barks. I didn’t like the beat or the lyrics that much. Nothing special, definitely a bit of a disappointment after the previous couple of superior songs.
- Away From Home
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (6/10)
6/10 barks, not great again. Sounds just like all the other mediocre Drake songs.
- Polar Opposites
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (8/10)
Great way to end the album. A strong beat and melody, closes the 23-song album on a memorable note. 8/10 barks.
🐶
Many hoped this album would be a trip down memory lane to the “old Drake” that fans regard as his best work. I think many would agree that this album is a mixed bag of excellent songs and many that are simply passable. However, I think it’s all subjective.
How bark worthy do you think this album is?
