To solidify his legitimacy as a world-class MC, Drake was expected to deliver a show-stopping single from his forthcoming sophomore LP, Take Care. Alas, “Headlines” was released – dubbed to be “a song of the moment” and “by no means” the best song on the new record. Considering the irresistible qualities of his previous hits, “Headlines” is a pretty jarring listen – a single that doesn’t so much grab your attention, but astonishes in its overall lack of surprise. It’s an especially run-of-the-mill track compared to the ever-haunting “Dreams Money Can Buy.”
Whereas “Dreams” comprised of a typically-great Noah Shebib beat, the music on “Headlines” comes off as uninspired at best. Repetitious staccato-synths stutter in a monotonous manner, the melody sounds like any other Drake song, and the hook isn’t particularly memorable. Lyrically, Drake covers much-familiar territory with verses about money (“money over anything / money on my mind”) and his friends not liking the “new” Drake in comparison to the “old” one (“she says they missed the old Drake, girl don’t tempt me”). While the previously leaked tracks covered similar topics, they were handled with a greater sense of creativity – especially on a musical level. Thus, what we’re ultimately left with is nothing more than a mediocre first-single. Let’s hope the next one is the bonafide smash-hit we’ve all been waiting for.
