Drake: Views review – more sharp introspection

Drake is probably the premier male artist of the selfie generation, making a career out of revelatory introspection mixed with a rapper’s reflex high dudgeon. The Toronto-themed Views follows last year’s hit mixtape with more Auto-Tuned post-mortems on Drake’s convoluted love life, balanced out by slightly more routine hip-hop swagger. Although tracks like One Dance, Controlla or the Rihanna duet, Too Good, throw in feelgood island vibes, the latter’s verses find the two sometime lovers miscommunicating (being lost for words is something of a theme on Views); ultimately nothing here really out-pops last year’s dulcet hit, Hotline Bling, included as a bonus track. As ever, though, the detail – both lyrical and producerly – is pin-sharp. Keep the Family Close finds Drake neglecting close relationships, while the slow jam Redemption checks in on ex-girlfriends, seemingly by name.