Drake’s latest album with PartyNextDoor, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, released on Valentine’s Day, comes amid a wave of criticism following Kendrick Lamar’s highly publicized shots at him, including Lamar’s performance of Not Like Us during the Super Bowl halftime show. Despite the controversy, the album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. With 246,000 sales in the U.S., 287 million streams, and 25,000 copies solo, Drake has tied with Taylor Swift and Jay-Z for the most No. 1 albums sold by a solo act.
Nevertheless, numbers don’t mean good quality. $ome $exy $ongs 4 U was the R&B project fans have been waiting for since Drake teased an R&B album in 2014, and while it did capture elements of his older sound, it did not reach the high expectations fans had set.
The biggest issue is that PartyNextDoor barely had a role in this collaborative album. There are songs where Party doesn’t appear at all, and when he does, his contributions are frustratingly short. This is similar to Drake’s 2022 album with 21 Savage, Her Loss, where Drake dominated the album, making it seem like a solo album. Fans of PND were disappointed, clinging to every lyric said, only to realize he was more of a background player than a true partner.
However, the album has its strengths. Songs like Raining in Houston, Nika, and Something About You stood out for me. They show the smooth melody that Drake fans have been yearning for. But, even with a strong beat, the writing is not inspired, and the album leans towards Drake’s usual equation—bragging, talking about his homies, drinking, and taking shots.
For an album called $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, it honestly fits the theme. Instead of a full R&B album, Drake uses his modern personality and classic sound with rap, making the album feel mixed up. Some songs drag on, for example, a song, Meet Your Padre, includes lyrics, “I want to meet your madre, pay my respects to your padre, mi amor.” Even though iconic, it’s so cringeworthy that listeners will immediately recognize it upon hearing it.
Despite the mixed feelings, Drake still dominated. The album came right after he sued Universal Music Group for alleged defamation over Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, adding another layer of drama. Ironically, Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance of Not Like Us only shows hate against Drake, yet $ome $exy $ongs 4 U still topped charts.
At the end of the day, this album would mostly appeal to die-hard Drake fans or casual listeners who want background music, but for those who have been waiting for this album, it’s a letdown. The album is far from his best work. PartyNextDoor deserved a bigger role, which is annoying because the potential was there, but Drake just didn’t properly deliver.
