The Student News Site of Redwood High School

Redwood Bark

Redwood Bark

Redwood Bark

Sophomore Mimi Wood darts toward the goal holding the ball.
Girls’ varsity lacrosse conquers Terra Linda in blowout match
Larkin MoffettMarch 26, 2024

On March 26, the girls’ varsity lacrosse team went head-to-head with Terra Linda High School (TL) in a blowout Marin County Athletic League...

Incoming juniors and seniors can simultaneously take a history course and Advanced Placement African American Studies (Photo by Lauren Poulin).
Diverse perspectives: Redwood set to launch Advanced Placement African American Studies
Emily GarciaMarch 26, 2024

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course will officially be launched and offered...

Meet the Captains: Spring sports
Meet the Captains: Spring sports
Julia Delsol, Emily Block, and Mason GarboMarch 26, 2024

Dear [Name of Customer], by Julia Delsol

Drake album highlights thoughtful lyrics

“This is nothin’ for the radio, but they’ll still play it though, cause it’s that new Drizzy Drake, that’s just the way it go.”

Drake could not be more accurate with his lyrics in “Tuscan Leather,” the first track off of his newly released third album Nothing was the Same, which was released Sept. 20. Although the record was expected to be filled with Top 40 oriented songs, there are hardly any radio cuts on the record, completely diverging from the sound of his last Grammy award winning album “Take Care.”

Courtesy of OVO Sound
Courtesy of OVO Sound

“Nothing” was one of the three most anticipated rap albums of the year, alongside JAY Z’s “Magna Carta… Holy Grail” and Kanye West’s “Yeezus.”

The record mainly highlights Drake’s verses and their introspective lyrics. Drake portrays himself through these lyrics as confessional and genuine, separating him from Kayne West and JAY Z, who rapped about becoming confrontational and dismissive on their most recent releases.

Although Nothing wasn’t made for the radio, it has certainly been getting airplay. The first single off the album, “Started from the Bottom”, peaked at Number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and to date has sold nearly 1.8 million copies worldwide. The current single, “Hold on We’re Coming Home” peaked at Number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The music on Nothing is filled with R&B style beats and glistening synths that give the songs a relaxed yet modern flair.  Many tracks on the album also tastefully sample sped up Soul vocal and harmonies.

Songs like “Pound Cake” “Come Thru” and “Too Much” all sample mostly un-comprehensible vocals, mirroring Drake’s confusion with what is going on in his life. Although these songs are lyrically unique, the music and beats behind the lyrics sound very similar. With nearly identical tempos, it seems like these three tracks flow together into one long and boring song.

The plethora of featured artists on the album should help with sales. Drake tastefully collaborates with both massive superstars and smaller names, and utilizes his guests’ abilities wisely. Among the big names on the album are JAY-Z, 2 Chainz and Big Sean. Drake also works with some lesser-known artists such as Canadian producing duo Majid Jordan, singer/songwriter Jhense Aiko, and rapper Detail.

Fans of Drake’s music will not be disappointed with his newest album, and although the songs on the record are divergent to modern pop-oriented hip-hop, the album is bound to perform well on the charts.

 

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Nick Lopez, Author