For the first time in his career, Drake is the underdog. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but a comeback of sorts is certainly expected from the Toronto rap star. That, or proof of resilience — evidence that his defeat by Kendrick Lamar won’t be marked as a major turning point in his career. Admittedly, we’ve already seen this resilience from Drake.
His 2018 beef with Pusha T ended with a semi-low-blow knockout punch in the unveiling of Drake’s son Adonis, but in the end, Drake went on to put out his biggest hits and run the summer as he’s done many times this year. But this time, Kendrick Lamar beat Drake at the game he hoped to play, and now the Compton rapper owns the summer thanks to “Not Like Us.” That leaves the fall and winter months up for the taking, and in extremely smart fashion, Drake is gearing up to take them over.
Over the weekend, Drake announced that a joint album with PartyNextDoor will arrive this fall, and it’s the perfect next move for him in his career. “I know you girls are outside,” Drake quipped during a guest set at PND’s Sorry I’m Outside Tour stop in their hometown of Toronto. “When it gets a little chilly, a PartyNextDoor and Drake album will be right there for you.”
Mr. OVO himself has a long track record of big moments in the year’s colder months, though it wasn’t until last year’s For All The Dogs that he actually released an album in October. His breakout mixtape Comeback Season was released in September, as was arguably his best album Nothing Was the Same as well as What A Time To Be Alive and Certified Lover Boy. The Grammy-winning Take Care saw the light of day in November, as did Her Loss, while other highlights like So Far Gone and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late debuted in February.
In addition to the argument that Drake’s best work arrives outside of the summer months, there’s also one for PartyNextDoor being one of — if not the — best collaborator Drake has consistently worked with in his career. Drake and PND have created over 20 songs together, including collaborations like “Recognize” and “Loyal,” songwriting contributions for each other’s songs, like PND’s “Not Nice” and Drake’s “Come Thru,” and work on other artists’ songs like Rihanna’s “Work” and Popcaan’s “Twist & Turn.”
Drake — music’s versatile superstar — and PND — a modern-day R&B wizard with an unmatched pen — are the perfect combination for a collaborative album. Fans often request joint albums from artists after two or three decent collaborations, all for the finished product to fall flat and underwhelming when it comes to fruition. Drake and PND, have already proven to be a match made in heaven that will only be solidified with this upcoming release.
With all this being said, what makes Drake and PND’s upcoming joint album the perfect move for Drake? Well, for the first time in a long time, Drake can be the cohesive tunnel-visioned artist he hasn’t been in nearly a decade. The beauty of albums like Take Care, Nothing Was the Same, Views, and If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is they each exist in one individual world. You read their titles and can feel the texture and atmosphere they exist in, whereas with other projects, it’s a bit more scattered and all over the place.
PND thrives at this cohesion, as his most recent album PartyNextDoor 4 proves. He also subscribes to a simpler and more focused approach to his projects, which Drake can also benefit from. Furthermore, Drake and PND’s joint album marks the return of a beloved duo after both reached heights fans previously thought they could only dream of. It makes use of nostalgia, thanks to a decade-long catalog of collaborations, and fulfills a longtime request. For once, Drake is actually listening to us.
Drake will never take a break from music, he’s told us that plenty of times over the last few years. So fans who have begged him to step out of the spotlight will just have to suck it up and deal with the ever-present rap star. There is a compromise here, though. In the aftermath of the infamous rap beef, Drake is seemingly stepping out of the character that played the role of Kendrick’s fuming and disgruntled opponent, and replacing him, is one who wants to prove that good music can erase the bad times, or blur them at least. Drake’s recent release of “100 gigs” of unreleased material included plenty of evidence to show how calculated he is as a musician.
Announcing a joint album with a longtime friend and beloved collaborator is another example of that, and it’s one that could benefit everyone involved, from Drake and PND themselves to waiting fans, as well — if they deliver and meet the expectations laid before them.