For All the Dogs: An Obituary for Certified Lover Boys
Condolences are in order for all the Certified Lover Boys worldwide as Drake makes an album strictly for the dogs. It's October, and it’s only right that we get a Drake album. October’s Very Own, himself, released his long-awaited 8th studio album on October 6th. Before giving my review, I wanted to give the album some air before I compiled my final thoughts and, after playing the album on repeat, I am left with one question: When did Drake stop making music for the girls? And an even bigger question: Where did all the certified Lover Boys go? Overall, it’s a solid album with great usage of features spanning from Teezo Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, PartyNextDoor, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, Sexyy Red, and Lil Yachty. We got some old Toronto flavor with a mixture of R&B Soul and a little Latin flare. However, Drake keeps running into the same problem of oversaturation. Unfortunately, the album was tainted by the use of filler songs. He lost me a couple of times, and there were even some parts that were painful to listen to. My rating would probably be higher if he got rid of at least five songs. Quality over quantity is definitely my motto when it comes to albums, but nonetheless, I am completely satisfied with the songs I did enjoy. It wouldn’t be a Drake album without a bit of controversy, and Mr. Aubrey Drake Graham is laying it all out for us on For All the Dogs. No, but seriously, I missed when Drake made music about loving women, but there was definitely a specific demographic targeted for this project. My rating for this album is 7.7/10. Read below to see why.
*All ratings will be on a scale from 1-10. The closer to 10, the higher my approval is for the song.
Virginia Beach 7.0
Starting off with Virginia Beach, Drake uses a Frank Ocean sample to start his album, and it serves as the calm before the storm. It’s an interesting way to start off his project because we see the comparison to some of his first album song starters like “Ranging from Tuscan Leather,” “Keep the Family Close,” and “Over my dead Body,” this intro was not as memorable. However, I still enjoyed its role in building up the rest of the album.
Amen (feat. Tezzo Touchdown) 7.6
Tezzo Touchdown and Drake take us straight to church with this one. I really enjoyed Tezzo recently, and I think he adds value to this track. However, I do think that this song could’ve gone in the middle of the album rather than the second song.
Calling For You (feat. 21 Savage) 7.2
Fresh off their collaborative album, Her Loss, we are presented with a Drake and 21 Savage collab. Once this track started, it immediately reminded me of 21 Savage in 2018. Drake really experimented with his flow on this track, and it works really nicely here. There is a lot of emptiness in the middle of the song around the 2-minute mark. I personally think I could eat Jerk chicken and oxtail every day but to each their own!
Fear of Heights 7.4
Drake makes reference to “Anti,” which we can assume is a dig at Rihanna, and it’s interesting that it only took him three songs to start speaking on his former relations with Rihanna. No judgment, music is a valid medium
Daylight 5.5
I was not a fan of this track. It felt repetitive, definitely a filler song. It does not do anything for the rest of the album. 2 mins prior to introducing his son on his track, he is talking about “shooting people in daylight.” I think it creates a confusing listening experience.
First Person Shooter(feat J.Cole) 9.7
This song will be played for years and years to come. Drake and J. Cole create this perfect tag team duo, and Cole just floats on this beat. This duo feels like Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in 2013. Great chemistry overall, a great song to take away from the album.
IDGAF(Yeat) 9.1
Yeat has been having a great run and delivered on this track. I really enjoyed the Yeat feature, but this felt like Yeat's song featuring Drake rather than Drake (feat. Yeat).
7969 Santa 9.2
This song is very easily overlooked, but it is another one where I keep going back. The interpolation of Chief Keef’s “Don't Like,” paired with a dynamic beat such as this, adds great flavor. Tezzo Touchdown is back again, and this time he adds a soulful texture to the track that creates a creamy atmosphere and makes a perfect segway for Snoop Dogg. Loved the way Drake uses Tezzo as an instrument here.
Slime you Out (SZA) 8.3
When this song came out as a single, I enjoyed it, but I appreciate it even more as a part of the larger album collective. It’s an interesting choice for a leading album single. It feels like a SZA feature and a Drake feature jammed together rather than a collaborative project. There is a disconnect between Drake and SZA, and would’ve loved to hear some SZA riffing in the background with a Drake flow in the forefront. In the song, Drake says he wants to fall back and let SZA speak, but I think they missed out on an opportunity to create a duet to create something more organic
Bahamas Promises 9.2
This sounds like an ode to 2014-2015 Views. On this song, Drake finally breaks away from the upbeat hype songs, flexing and bragging about money and women narrative that is so deeply embedded within this album.“I got too much respect for me” was a beautiful line that speaks to this resilient version of Drake who is breaking away from these toxic relationships. This is a great tune for anyone coming out of a co-dependent situation where the expectations you had for the other person left you disappointed.
Tried Our Best 7.1
We reached the middle point in the album, and I enjoyed the flow, but it isn’t as memorable in comparison to the rest of the songs on the album. Pay attention to the 808’s on this track towards the minute 30 mark. It’s beautifully crafted and makes up for a lot of the rambling Drake does on this song.
Screw the World- Interlude 6.4
This one doesn’t really do anything for me, and I would've loved it if Drake experimented with his sound on this track. It feels like a filler song for sure.
Drew A Picasso 7.2
I’ve missed R&B Drake. This feels very old Toronto but could’ve been cut a bit shorter.
Members Only (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR) 8.3
Drake and PND. I really don't need to say much because they kill it every time. I am so glad we got another gem from this duo. This one spoke to my soul and took me all the way back to 2014. However, it does get a couple points taken off because the outro felt pretty lazy and a bit cringe.
What Would Pluto Do 9.0
Perfect pre-gym hype song, and I would place this up there with gems like “Laugh Now, Cry Later”. If you listen closely, you can hear some Lil Yachty-type ad-libs, and I think this would’ve been the perfect spot for a Yachty feature.
All the Parties (feature Chief Keef) 9.2
Sosa and Drake are such a fun mix, and they complement each other. I loved hearing Chief Keef on a different sound. This is one that I keep going back to. This is the Drake I know and love, perfect execution.
8 am in Charlotte 9.3
The infamous timestamp + city name combo has remained undefeated and is one of the songs I keep coming back to.
BBL Love Interlude 4.5
Hopefully listeners were not supposed to take this seriously because I didn't. Not sure what purpose this song served on the album, and it’s in an awkward location.
Gently (feat Bad Bunny) 8.6
Hearing Drake speak Spanish was something that I thought we were past, but I am honestly not mad at this one. Definitely felt a little bit out of character with the rest of the album. I would’ve loved to see this one a bit earlier in the album because it feels out of place. Production and delivery wise, no complaints. Going to be perfect for the summer.
Rich Baby Daddy (feat Sexyy Redd & SZA) 7.7
Cute hype, get ready song. TikTok tainted it a bit, but it feels refreshing to hear after 19 slow-paced songs about how Drake is tired of women.
Another Late Night (feat Lil Yatchy) 5.3
A filler song on the album. It sounds like Drake was tired and just wanted to put something out with Lil Boat. A bit disappointed with Yachty’s verse.
Away From home 6.9
Not really sure how I feel about this. It didn’t need to be 4 mins long.
Polar Opposites 8.8
Drake made up for some of the filler songs with this track. I honestly would've loved a SZA or maybe a Ty Dolla $ign verse here. It's a great way to end and feels refreshing.
From the contents of this album, it is very clear that someone pushed Drake to his limit which prompted him to release a project strictly For the Dogs. Drake arguably has been making music for women throughout his entire career, so maybe it was time he did something for the boys. Listening to this album at times felt like I was intruding on a guys night out, but content aside, I am content with this album. I am aware that I am not the target audience for this project, but Drake still found a way to release a project that works perfectly for the present moment. This concludes my album review. Let me know what you think!