Stop what you're doing because your favorite Canadian has 25 new songs. 'Scorpion' is the next Drake record to smash streaming records.
He's smooth, commercial, and A.V. Club has hailed his album as "a whole shitload of Drake." This shitload released alongside a revolutionary companion art presentation in which Drake invaded Spotify with his solemn poses.
On Friday, his faced popped up on dozens of Spotify-curated playlists on the homepage. He was briefly even the face of the "Best of British" playlist. Don't get them wrong, though.
His music is actually in less than half of them. This might be the most pretentious music marketing scheme since Bono blessed every iPhone with U2's 'Songs of Innocence'. It's a monumental feat of industrial hubris, but Drake does look great on these covers. Father John Misty fans are upset that Spotify would let Top 40 royalty invade their personal space but they don't see the artistry here.
Drake's marketing campaign is a capitalist cover of his music. He's the world's best culture chameleon.
Don't let it ruin him for you, but Drake's darkest secret is that there's a better album from last week that he doesn't want you to know about. The most acclaimed virtual band from you or your niece/nephew's childhood, 'Gorillaz,' just released their second album in as many years.
It's called 'The Now Now' and it's worth your time. Damon Albarn steps back into the center of this written-on-tour project after ceding the spotlight to guest performers in 2017's 'Humanz.'
Long-term fans of their music will definitely appreciate this. It's consistent and interesting where 'Humanz' was sometimes off-putting and unpredictable. It has 11 songs, under half a shitload. It's an album you can fit into a quiet car ride.
The first song and lead single is maybe the most interesting on the album. "Humility" is a silky Britpop jam that features the timeless styling of George Benson on guitar. Fans should also appreciate "Hollywood", a hip-hop song featuring Jamie Principle and Snoop Dog with a catchy Damon Albarn hook in the formula of 'Gorillaz' classics like "Feel Good Inc." and "Clint Eastwood".
The final song on the album, "Souk Eye", is a song that would sound more in place on one of Albarn's Blur albums. It's a beautiful track and best showcases the quiet, melodic optimism of Damon Albarn's songwriting. Take the opportunity to give this album a full listen.
