July 27 - Trust Issues

Drake is allegedly trying to collaborate with Jamie xx (of the XX), The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean for his new album, Take Care, due out on October 24. Those collabs sound amazing and incredibly promising, but what makes TC my most anticipated album of the rest of this year is the trio of songs Drake has leaked this summer. It seems like Drake is dropping the surefire single paradigm ("Over," "Fancy," "Miss Me") for slower, more brooding cuts, which is undoubtedly the right decision; the best songs on his debut full-length were deeply introspective and unflinchingly sad, like "Karaoke" and, especially, the gorgeously melancholic "The Resistance." The newest of the leaks, "Trust Issues," samples from this summer's mega-hit, "I'm On One," but Drake slows down the pace to showcase his paranoia, inability to cope with fame, and, you guessed it, trust issues. It seems like only Drake could morph a line like "I don't trust these bitches" into a hook--I find myself singing it over and over again, even though it initially appears to be fairly demeaning. But Drake's sincerity--not only the genuineness of his voice, but also the way he conveys his deep-rooted fear of strangers/users, having to degrade the women around him to legitimize his paranoia--alters what could be yet another offhanded insult into an appropriately poignant lyric.

Musically, what separates Drake from other rappers is that he can really sing, pulling off a catchy chorus like none other, and can also hold his own as a rapper. Drake manipulates his two voices to create two personas: the pensive crooner and the more confrontational (although still self-deprecating) rapper. Both perspectives are showcased on "Trust Issues," a glimpse of what's to come this October, and just another example of why Drake could be the most exciting figure in hip-hop, rap, and maybe even of all genres right now.