Every October comes the long weekend that is for Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day. And to pass this one, the Toronto born star of the rap game, Drake, released an album called “For All The Dogs”. Despite some hate from people online, it is a well rounded album with many talented artists, songs that make you want to dance, and songs you can chill out with. Fair warning: this is an explicit album, not all songs may be suitable for younger listeners.
With 23 songs and almost an hour and a half of rap and R&B with Latin influences, this album has amazing duality. The features include Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, Sexyy Red, and Lil Yachty. Drake came and delivered by putting Frank Ocean on the first track, “Virginia Beach”. Ocean has been dormant in the music industry for many years, mainly due to the unfortunate and sudden passing away of his brother, Ryan Breaux, back in 2020. As a major fan of Frank Ocean and his work, I jumped up and down when I heard his voice. This comeback has been anticipated by many fans, as his last album that he released was back in 2016. Hopefully we can expect more new music from him soon.
“For All The Dogs”, is reminiscent of Drake’s older music, which is what many fans have been begging for. There have been a plethora of negative reviews online describing the album as “A whopping 23 tracks, and yet, a significant chunk disappears into a forgettable mist of melodies that somehow fail to stir any real emotion”, or that “the album itself does not have a real concise sound or direction, it almost feels like a giant compilation”. It is true that not all the songs are cohesive, but they don’t have to be. While there may not be an exact theme to the album, or a distinct story, it’s appealing how each song has a different vibe.
For an entire album recorded while touring for “It’s All a Blur”, this mix of songs is exceptional. I guarantee that people will still be streaming it until next summer, considering all the feel good songs that just makes you want to get up and move, from “Gently” featuring Bad Bunny, to “Rich Baby Daddy” featuring Sexyy Red and SZA. And even more relaxed songs like “Amen” with Teezo Touchdown, “Tried Our Best” which is a solo, and my personal favorite, “Away From Home”. If you are considering listening to “For All The Dogs”, I’d definitely recommend it if you like Drake, rap, and/or R&B music. As a Drake fan myself, I hope that people give this album a listen and that we’ll see more work like this in the future from him.
