Is it an album? No? Well surely it must be a mixtape then. Nope, More Life is a “playlist.” Rather than simply calling it an album or disguising it as a mixtape (like he did with If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late), Drake has chosen to label More Life as “A Playlist by October Firm.” Why he has chosen to do this is not clear, but regardless of what you call it, this project falls very short of its expectations.
While there weren’t nearly as many corny lines on this album as there were on Views, Drake’s previous album, the overall quality of the music seems to have flatlined. Up to this point, Drake has always seemed to evolve his musical style in some way from one project to the next, but that is simply not the case here. Rather, most of these songs sound like throwaways from Views. Tracks such as Nothings Into Somethings and Teenage Fever, for example, sound like they could have been pulled directly from Views.
Despite the similar sounds, however, this project seems much more consistent than Views, and it features some solid tracks that are definitely worth coming back to. Passionfruit, for example, has a very summery vibe with very solid production from Nana Rogues. I would definitely expect this song to see some mainstream success. Do Not Disturb is another decent track, staying true to Drake’s pattern of closing off his projects with a track featuring nothing but bars – no chorus, no hook, just bars.
While Drake had some decent performances on this project, the only real bright spot on More Life came in the form of its features. The playlist is piled high with features ranging from Young Thug to Skepta to Kanye West. Sampha, the British singer who has worked with Drake in the past, had an entire song to himself in the form of 4422. The song is one of the more emotional tracks on the project, featuring a reference to the biblical verse Isaiah 44:22. Skepta, on the other hand, delivered a performance of the opposite end of the spectrum. Skepta Interlude was performed entirely by the British grime artist, and he delivered the most aggressive track on the playlist, spitting bars about having weapons, being a villain, and “slicing up work like pepperoni.” These two features, along with the rest of the guest performances on this project, were arguably the best part of this project. It seems to me that these smaller names gave it their all on their tracks while Drake seemed to phone in a large portion of this project.
In addition to the solid features, there were a few songs that will most likely see the top of the charts simply due to Drake’s popularity and the big names attached to them. Portland, for example is a track that definitely appeals to mainstream audiences, featuring aggressive verses from both Quavo and Travis Scott on top of hard-hitting production courtesy of Murda Beatz. Another song that is sure to see commercial success is Sacrifices, mostly due to its features from 2 Chainz and Young Thug. Drake’s verse and hook are subpar, but 2 Chainz and Young Thug save the song with solid verses each.
At this point in his career, it seems to me that Drake has simply run out of things to say. Rather than having a reason for this album, it almost feels like Drake released this project just for the sake of releasing a project. His earlier albums felt like Drake was saying what he really needed to say. But after If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake just seemed to run out of content. Most of the songs on this project feel like they aren’t about anything in particular – the songs are either classic “in-his-feelings” Drizzy or “at-the-top” bulletproof Drake with no real middle ground and no depth behind the lyrics.
While the “playlist” is certainly entertaining, it doesn’t have anything that makes me want to come back to it. It has the vibe of something you could put on in the background and just forget about. I believe it is referred to as a “playlist” is because Drake doesn’t want to be criticized for releasing what is essentially “Views, pt. 2.” Despite a few tracks that will most likely see some radio play, this project was a major disappointment.
5.5/10
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The Album Analyst 