Drake - “Care Package” Album Review

Story posted September 20, 2019 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Emily Mugno

This album was originally released on Aug. 2, 2019.

Out of nowhere, Drake released an album on Aug. 2. This wasn’t just any album, however. The difference between this album and other albums he has created in the past is that “Care Package” is a compilation of songs that were released between 2010 and 2016 but were unavailable for purchase or commercial streaming.

The album contains 17 tracks on it, featuring artists such as Sampha, Dennis Graham, J. Cole, Rick Ross, James Fauntleroy, and Beyoncé. The songs that are included on this album did extremely well when the public got their hands on them, so the fans appreciated that his throwbacks were combined for an album.

Although Drake seems to do more rapping then singing on his recent albums, this album was great because of the balance between the two. On “The Motion,” he is showcasing his soothing R&B voice, alongside Sampha's unique voice, while also incorporating his rap skills to show how versatile he is. People may be familiar with Sampha in Drake’s work as well because he was featured on “More Life,” singing “4422.”

Another track on the album, “How Bout Now,” was released in 2014. This was one of the songs that came on and it was a reminder of one of his hits. The song starts off with a voicemail from a girl, giving off “Marvin’s Room” vibes. There are always some similarities in Drake’s music, but nothing ever sounds too similar. He knows what his strengths and weaknesses are, utilizing them to put him at an advantage.

“Trust Issues” is also featured on this album release. It may sound similar to people because the chorus of this song is also the chorus of another popular hip hop hit “I’m On One.” This song wasn’t released on another album before “Care Package,” but the difference between the two songs is that “Trust Issues” is a very toned down and only sung by Drake.

“Draft Day” takes influences from the great Lauryn Hill song “Doo Wop (That Thing).” He raps over the beat, always experimenting with different sounds to make himself better.

This album is a great testament to how Drake has improved and evolved so much since these songs have been recorded. Drake seems to always be put in a box of what he is comfortable doing whether it is singing, rapping or a combination of the two.

The album all sounds similar in a certain aspect, but this tends not to be the worst thing because of the album’s circumstances. This album is a project to show how far Drake has come, including even how different his voice sounds. Drake has been able to expand his knowledge in the music world, including how to structure his albums.

This was less of an album for Drake and more of a gift to the fans because of how much these songs were appreciated by them.

Rating: 7/10

 

 

Emily Mugno is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, e-mail esm6@psu.edu.