Drake's "More Life" Turns 7: "Passionfruit" May Be Drizzy's Strongest R&B/Dancehall Crossover

BYZachary Horvath1.8K Views
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The Canadian's 2017 playlist saw him take a lot of artistic leaps.

What makes Drake one of the most influential artists in hip-hop but also in general, is his willingness to try out different genres. While some have groaned and moaned over some of his attempts in the past, it has made him the superstar we know him to be. He was especially trying out different accents and soundscapes on his 2017 record More Life. It was cleverly labeled as a playlist, and it makes sense because of the various artistic directions across it. One song that is still thriving to this day is Drake's dancehall and R&B fusion "Passionfruit."

This low-key and vibey record was arguably the biggest song from More Life because of its widespread appeal. Its tropical and groovy melody are a perfect match for Drake as he sings about a long-distance relationship that is looking to be coming to an end. "Tension / Between us just like picket fences / You got issues that I won’t mention for now / ’Cause we're fallin’ apart." The lyrics, while simple, effectively communicate the heartbreak that Drizzy is going through on this cut.

Relisten To "Passionfruit" By Drake

Like we said, this song was massive and the stats back it up. It did not score Drake another number one hit, but it did have a more than respectable peak at number eight. Additionally, this track has helped keep the now seven-year-old album on the Billboard Hot 200 for 347 consecutive weeks. The playlist of course hit number one too. From what we can find, the song is three times platinum and has been streamed over 1.58 billion times on Spotify. That is good enough for his seventh most popular track on the platform. With all of this in consideration, we feel that this could be Drake's strongest R&B/dancehall song in his catalog.

What were your thoughts on "Passionfruit" by Drake when it originally came out? Is this the strongest track from More Life, why or why not? Do you agree with our take that this is his greatest R&B/dancehall song ever? Is this song still in your rotation? Should he go back to this genre anymore, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Drake. Finally, stay with us for everything the most informative song posts throughout the week.

Quotable Lyrics:

Passionate from miles away
Passive with the things you say
Passin' up on my old ways
I can't blame you, no, no
Passionate from miles away
Passive with the things you say

About The Author
Zachary Horvath is one of the Music Freelance News Writers at HotNewHipHop and has held that title since August 2023. Prior to this position, he held another freelance gig covering local high school football, girls and boys varsity basketball, in addition to recapping Cleveland Cavaliers games remotely. He's taken the previous experience and used it to become a jack of all trades at HotNewHipHop. Zach has thoroughly enjoyed tackling some of the trending topics in sports, with a larger focus on hip-hop and pop culture. Some of those include Bronny James's draft stock, a multitude of angles swirling around the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef, as well as Diddy's arrest and lawsuits. Separate from the headlines that everyone wants to hear about, he was fortunate enough to help spread Zaytoven's current thoughts at the time around mid-December in 2023. Even though being able to give his expertise on these stories is fulfilling, being able to share his passion for releases trumps that ever so slightly. Having the chance to express his excitement indirectly about what he thinks our readers should be checking out/revisiting grows his passion for writing that much more.
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