вЂњMarvinвЂ™s RoomвЂќ came before so sad today and before the rise of Sad Boys. But it was new for popular culture, and foreshadowed the widespread aestheticization of anxiety and depression on Twitter and Instagram. He'd already long been known as the вЂњ emoвЂќ rapper. RAWIYA KAMEIRДЄs a cry of loneliness polished into something worthy of millions of likes, and an ugly drunk phone call made aspirational, вЂњMarvinвЂ™s RoomвЂќ was not new for Drake.

The drum programming and over-processed vocals might sound a little dated in retrospect, but вЂњHeadlinesвЂќ remains quintessential: a mix of confidently delivered, deceptively simple boasts and crew loyalty shout-outs, paired with multiple hooks thatвЂ™ll stick like glue to any listenerвЂ™s head.

Was the former child actor from Canada really declaring that he might end someoneвЂ™s life? Yes, yes, he was. Today, he has no problem uttering threats or invoking the goons on the OVO payroll who will allegedly carry them out, but back in 2011, DrakeвЂ™s raps about catching a body were the beginning of jokes, and serious questions, about his authenticity. Though there are plenty of emo moments all over Take Care-вЂњMarvinвЂ™s Room,вЂќ вЂњThe Real HerвЂќ-вЂќHeadlinesвЂќ was an introduction to Tough Drake.Д«efore the beard and the muscly thirst traps, back when he was still soft in the face and round in the belly, вЂњHeadlinesвЂќ gave space for Drake to publicly reckon with having successfully made the transition from stealing his motherвЂ™s debit card to having millions for real. Dream production team of 40 and Boi-1da delivered an arpeggio-driven beat (which earned valid comparisons to songs by both Philip Glass and Santigold) over which Drake took on a new form, relaying an intentional, aggressive challenge to the Twitter-disseminated tropes about his music being strictly fodder for late-night texts to exes. That much is clear on ' Headlines,' the album's lead single. ZARA GOLDENДrake was famously unhappy with Thank Me Later, his official YMCMB-released debut, so by the time his second label album Take Care came around, he'd spent a little more time writing, recording, and choosing singles that matched with his aspirations. Yet here we are, all this time later, and he's still singing all the same things-only with more confidence and from someplace deeper in his diaphragm. The part where he offers to tattoo her name on his heart is corny as hell, even if this was before he got his first tattoo (the OVO owl on his shoulder blade). But he's only being a bit naive if he truly believes that a flurry of ones will do it. ItвЂ™s sweet but selfish when he advices the dancer he desires, Until you find yourself, itвЂ™s impossible to loose you/ Because I never had you. Beyond that, 'Houstalantavegas'-which is named for the triad of cities which boast the richest strip-club culture-neatly encapsulates everything Drake was, is, and (probably) will be about. Listening back to ' HoustalantavegasвЂќ today, he sounds almost entirely unrecognizable: his voice is thin and his tone hushed, as if he were signing to an audience of one. In the half-dozen years since So Far Gone was released, Drake has gotten really good at singing.

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