Drake's Latest a Diverse Gem

By CAITLIN SHEEHAN

I usually don’t have enough money to download an album from iTunes, but the Nov. 15 release of Drake’s sophomore album “Take Care” seemed worthy enough to purchase. I’ll admit I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to Drake (I never watched “Degrassi,” the Canadian soap opera that gave him his start), but after taking the time to listen, I found that “Take Care” was something I could see myself getting into.

The much anticipated album was originally scheduled for release on Oct. 24 but was later pushed back to include three samples he had been working on. Even after two songs were leaked on the Internet, the Canadian rapper remained confident that the album would speak for itself, tweeting “Listen, enjoy it, buy it if you like it…and take care until next time.”

The album features artists such as The Weeknd, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne and others. Sounds range from hip-hop to R&B and electronica, making “Take Care” a step in a new direction for Drake. Lyrically, the album focuses more on his personal life, including an open letter to his mother and uncle in “Look What You’ve Done.”

The title song “Take Care,” featuring Rihanna, is climbing the Billboard Hot 100 list, currently at the number nine spot. Also on the rise is “Make Me Proud” featuring Nicki Minaj. Be sure to listen and expect to hear these two songs on repeat on your iTunes or on the radio.

Overall, I found the whole album to be an easy listen, expanding my music collection. Whether you download the entire album or a select number of songs, you won’t be sorry as “Take Care” provides a wide enough range to please any listener, whether you’re a new fan like me or always enjoyed Drake’s music from the beginning.

Image courtesy of hiphop-n-more.com