R&B/Hip-Hop

For some reason, Popcaan’s “Twist & Turn” record never captivated the world like it should have. The song has all the makings of a hit Drake and PARTY record: tropical synths, Jamaican-tinged patois from every artist, and an earworm of a hook. The single remains Popcaan’s highest-streamed track to date, but in terms of radio and mainstream exposure, “Twist & Turn” fell by the wayside.

Maybe it’s because the song, released in August 2020, dropped at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, during a time when fans weren’t sure if they’d be able to “twist & turn” with anyone ever again. Or maybe it’s because the song just played it a little too safe for fans to really resonate with it. Regardless, “Twist & Turn” ended up being a slow burn, and the track did eventually catch on, but it still doesn’t quite hold a candle to PND and Drake’s other blockbuster appearances over the years.

While “Members Only” is far from Drake and PND’s best song together, the track was a return to form for the OVO pair, who hadn’t linked on a song since 2020. Their lyrics are fairly boilerplate compared to some of the toxic gems of their past work — “LOL Gang, we the last ones laughing” — but PARTY and the 6 God make a solid return to their sordid R&B world in this For All The Dogs highlight.

Sure, “Spider-Man Superman” off $$$4U isn’t the most poetic collab between R&B’s toxic troubadours, but it contains all the ingredients of a great Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR track. Brooding bars about not being able to save their damaged ladies, smooth 808s perfect for late-night drives, and plenty of anguish over, yet again, placing their faith in the wrong person.

“Lucky for you, I don’t just love you for you/ I love you or who you tell me you’re gonna be one day too/ All of that’s cool, I guess we’ll see,” Drake sings. Both Drake and PND come through and do their thing, amounting to a track that’s filled with everything fans have come to love about the OVO crooners.

PARTY shows up for one of the only moments of levity on 2016’s Views, which overall remains one of Drizzy’s most schmalzy projects. However, on “With You,” Drake and PND pop up and just have a good time, hitting their groove on a breezy pop song that allows Drake to get out of his own feelings for a second. The resulting record floats along like a summertime drive with the windows down, and is overall a joyful experience that thrives because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The best song on $$$4U, “Somebody Loves Me” simply finds Drake and PARTY in their bag. PARTY’s guttural pleas for love, Drake’s disdain for his spending habits on females, the way PARTY says the word “crotch” — all of it amounts to a truly fantastic OVO record. “She said her bestie wanna get home and swap/ I said I’m shy baby and that’s doin’ a lot,” Drake sings with a glint in his eye. Judging by its virality already, “Somebody Loves Me” will likely emerge as the big single off $$$4U, and it’s well deserved.

While there were other songs off 2015’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late that landed chart success, everyone knows “Preach” was always a sleeper hit. PARTY’s hook is one of his biggest earworms, and the minimal beat provided a great backdrop for Drizzy, who used the song to breathe and ruminate on his toxic patterns. “Most of these girls are too messy/ I gotta do some reflecting,” Drake admits. After a few more bars about how the 6 God needs to just have a good time, PND comes back in to close the song out as the ultimate hype man: “Young n—a, Preach!” he calls out like a battle cry.

The song that started it all: “Over Here,” which appeared on PARTY’s seminal 2013 debut, gave fans the first taste of what a Drizzy and PND link-up could sound like. The result was a pernicious ode to partying, sex, and money that’s aged like a fine wine over the past decade. Go listen back for yourself, and you’ll find it’s impossible to not go to bed with the words, “Girl it ain’t a thang over here” running through your head.

If “Loyal” hadn’t dropped at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, it likely could have been PND’s biggest record ever. The Caribbean-infused groove of “Loyal” emerged after a brief hiatus from the Mississauga singer, in which his previous two efforts, 2017’s Seven Days and 2016’s P3, had been critically panned for their sluggishness. “Loyal,” in comparison, is PARTYNEXTDOOR at his most playful. “You’re my best friend,” he sings of his latest love interest, with such beaming pride it becomes almost corny.

Drake sprinkles his own melodic flavor into the mix, and helps this effervescent song stay afloat. And let’s not forget the track was even remixed with a guest verse from Bad Bunny — again, this alone should have catapulted “Loyal” to the top of every chart by that summer. The bad timing of it all was devastating to experience.

As the only blockbuster single to stand out on PARTY’s overstuffed 2016 album P3, “Come and See Me” has become a seminal song for both PARTY and Drake. A detailing of a give-and-take relationship, with PARTY penning some of his sleaziest lines like “I’ll admit I’m sorry when I feel I’m truly sorry,” the song’s melody has been reworked countless times by R&B stars over the years, most notably by SZA (“2AM”).

Drake does his best to take on some of the blame, but still stays firmly on his bro’s side of the line. “Lately you been questionin’ what you get out the deal/ Doin things that make me feel the way I make you feel,” he raps, after summarizing just how toxic this love affair is. Considering the song is now a streaming smash, it’s clear these bars have continued to connect with fans over the years.

It may seem cliché at this point to put “Recognize” at the top of this list, but the 2014 collab is still making crowds go crazy year after year. Hearing PARTY count up how many opps he doesn’t “give a s—t about” will never get hold. Hearing Drake croon, “Who do you f—k in the city when I’m not there?” will never get old. Hearing PARTY rap about how concierge told him his new girl looks like LeToya Luckett will never get old. The tumbling drums will burst through any decent speaker, and the song’s hook will usher a rallying cry from any function outdoor or indoor. As the years go on, the word “timeless” circles “Recognize” like a vulture. Any day now, it will descend on its prey.