眺望 (2016)

Views is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on April 29, 2016, by Cash Money Records, Republic Records, and Young Money Entertainment. Recording sessions took place from 2015 to 2016, with both Drake and his longtime collaborator and record producer 40 serving as the record's executive producers. 40 also primarily handled the production on the album alongside Nineteen85, Maneesh Bidaye, Kanye West, and Jordan Ullman, among others. It also features guest appearances by PartyNextDoor, the late Pimp C, Dvsn, Wizkid, Kyla, Future, and Rihanna.

Views takes influence from West Indian and West African music. The album marks Drake's first full foray into Jamaican dancehall music, while also featuring other genres such as R&B, trap, Afrobeats, UK funky, and pop. Similar to his previous records, the album sees Drake discussing romance, experiences with betrayal, and celebrations of loyalty and friendship. The album was supported by five singles: "One Dance", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100, "Hotline Bling", "Pop Style", "Controlla", and "Too Good".

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 1.04 million album-equivalent units in its first week of release, including 852,000 copies, and achieving a then-record over 245 million streams. It spent a 13 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and became Drake's first number-one album on the UK Albums Chart. All 20 songs from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album received lukewarm reviews from critics, many of whom found it to be an overlong retread of Drake's previous work. Despite this, it became one of Drake's most commercially successful albums having sold over seven million certified units worldwide. The album has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and six times platinum by Music Canada. It won Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Rap Album at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, among other awards.

Background

The album's title was first announced as Views from the 6, as it first appeared from a report in a July 2014 article from Billboard. According to Drake on Twitter, "the 6" is a reference to his hometown of Toronto, Ontario. On April 29, 2016, it was revealed that the title had been shortened to Views.

Artwork

The cover artwork for Views was released via Drake's Twitter account on April 24, 2016, which features Drake sitting atop the CN Tower in Toronto. The fact that Drake was significantly larger than life-size on the cover was widely discussed, and CN Tower's Twitter account later confirmed it to be photoshopped. The album cover and booklet were shot by Toronto-based photographer Caitlin Cronenberg.

Themes and production

Songs on Views see Drake discussing his relationship woes, experiences with betrayal, and celebrations of loyalty and friendship. Writing for Vice, Emma Garland said that what the album "lacks in lyrical sentiment, it makes up for in musical experimentation and production." Garland further define the album as a "minimal nuance of If You're Reading This It's Too Late [that] has bloomed into the more fleshed-out format of Take Care." Elliott Sharp of Red Bull Music described the album's vibe as "chill, slow, smooth, soft, silk, and sleepy". In an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Drake said that the theme of the album is the "haphazard, ever-changing weather in Toronto."

Views takes influence from West Indian and West African music, while it marks Drake's first full foray into Jamaican dancehall music, after having previously explored the genre on his 2015 mixtape, If You're Reading This It's Too Late. Of the five singles released from Views, three were primarily dancehall songs ("One Dance", "Controlla" and "Too Good"). Other genres featured on the album include R&B, hip hop, trap, Afrobeat, UK funky, and pop.

Promotion

Drake premiered a single, titled "Summer Sixteen" through OVO Sound Radio on January 30, 2016. The track was produced by 40, Boi-1da and Cubeatz. The song contains a slowed-down sample of "Glass Tubes" performed by Brian Bennett. The cover art was designed by Filip Pągowski, who was a creator of the Comme des Garçons logo. The song peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, selling 215,000 copies in its first week, making it the highest debut sales of Drake's career. As of March 27, 2016, the single sold 358,000 copies in the United States.