ALBUM REVIEW – $OME $EXY $ONGS 4 U IS A REMINDER OF WHAT OVO DOES BEST

Kevin Bourne

21 hours ago

In his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U album review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says the Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR is a reminder of what OVO does best.

It seemed like just the other day that Drake took to the stage at HISTORY, the Toronto venue he opened with Live Nation, to announce a joint project with with fellow OVO Sound and Greater Toronto Area artist, PARTYNEXTDOOR. Well, that day has finally come just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The project, titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, with its cover art paying homage to Party’s home city of Mississauga, is Drake’s first album since his beef with Kendrick Lamar that highjacked hip-hop for the past nine months. While many, including 50 Cent and Akademiks, advised Drake to go away for some time, and Kendrick Lamar fans will be predictably taking to social media to repeat for the millionth time “I like Drake with the melodies”, a mostly R&B album and giving his female fans the version of Drake they know and love isn’t a bad idea.

What stands out about the project are the limited number of features, including Pim, Chino Pacas, Yebba. After collaborating with big American artists since the beginning of his career, Drake seems to have closed ranks after being betrayed by his friends and brothers in the industry. One of the criticisms which has followed Drake in his career so far is him not working enough with his own OVO Sound artists, choosing to put on up and coming American artists instead. The “Drake Stimulus Package” or “Drake Effect” has been well-documented. Selfishly speaking, it would’ve been nice to get a Roy Woods feature on this album. Drake, Party, and Woods on a track would’ve been fire, but I digress.

“Got the whole 6ixside, they believe in me. We got members east of the DVP. We got members west on 401” – Drake

What also stands out is the variety of sounds on the project. Drake and PND take risks and explore sounds they’ve never explored before, especially Drake on his six solo tracks to PND’s one.

The album opens with “CN Tower” where we hear the signature OVO minimalist sound which has become synonymous with Toronto. After the first few songs, you’re left wondering whether Drake and PND will be sticking to the same formula, but the pair play with different tempos throughout and tackle everything from UK Drill and Latin to UK Drill and Adult Contemporary.

Aside from the previously teased songs “Crying In Chanel” and “Somebody Who Loves Me”, there are a number of standout songs on the project. There’s “Moth Balls”, “Something About You”, “Small Town Fame”, “Spider-rman, Superman”, “Pmmie’s Dilmma” with its 4Batz vibes, and “Glorious” with its Central Cee inspired R&Drill production.

Drake and Partynextdoor appear on the coverart for “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U”

They take creative and musical risks with “Nokia”, with its bouncy 80’s inspired beat. On the song, he gives Toronto a hometown shoutout rapping, “Got the whole 6ixside, they believe in me. We got members east of the DVP. We got members west on 401″. His also seemingly draws some influence from OVO Sound’s Smiley on his delivery.

They takes another creative risk on “Die Trying” which sounds like a 90’s adult contemporary song you’d hear on CHFI 98.1 in Toronto (f you know, you know). They show versatility and fit this guitar laden beat like a glove. Who would’ve thought? They do it again with Latin vibes on “Meet Your Padre” featuring Chino Pacas.

“Melissa Ford, you’re a legend from the 6ix, hate to see you with a dick sucker.” -Drake

But the R&B vibes doesn’t mean Drake doesn’t have something for the hip-hop heads. Although “Brian Steel” has what you would expect from a good Drake hip-hop track, “Gimme A Hug” is where he not only gets vulnerable about why his isn’t married yet, 21 Savage being the only person to check up on him, rap beef, and people wanting his downfall, but he also takes shots at long time nemesis Joe Budden rapping, “Melissa Ford, you’re a legend from the 6ix, hate to see you with a dick sucker”, before breaking out in to Aaron Hall’s “I Miss You”.

Some people will call this project “mid”, but this is the Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR fans have loved for years. Drake is vulnerable, flawed, layered, and seemingly contradictory at times. It’s almost as though he’s going back and forth having conversations with the angel and devil sitting on his shoulders. Some say that Drake shows no growth or evolution in his music, but he see that on this album as he contemplates life in real time. Meanwhile, PARTYNEXTDOOR is the talented singer-songwriter who is able to convey emotion with his tone and pen. Together, they fit like a glove, but from the solo songs on the album we see that they’re at their best when they’re given the room to to individually play the starring role on a song without the burden of playing off each other.

Overall, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U is a good album, a refreshing escape from that now exhausting and toxic rap beef, and a reminder of what OVO does best.

Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 300 international voters for the 81st and 8nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.