In the wake of a new era in hip-hop, one of the most consistent and well-regarded artists of the century released an album that not only defined an entire country but changed the genre forever.
2016 is currently in a social media renaissance filled with trends and nostalgic lookbacks at “better times” in pop culture. Many notable artists released albums that would go on to win awards, sell millions of copies and garner insane numbers on the charts, but one project stood out as an anomaly.
In 2016, Drake was one year off the release of his most acclaimed album to date, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, an album that blended masterful rapping performances with passionate R&B cuts. It was going to be difficult to replicate a project that sold so well, but little did we know that he was about to release his best-selling album ever.
After the hit single Hotline Bling took over both the internet and radio for the better part of five months in late 2015, Drake’s popularity reached new heights around the world. In the following weeks, he would tease a new project called Views from the Six that he later shortened to Views.
It’s difficult to put into words how anticipated this album was, as this was not only a follow-up to his biggest single yet, but it stood as a love letter to Drake’s home country of Canada.
Views was released on April 29, 2016, selling one million copies in its first week. To put this into perspective, only three other hip-hop artists have ever sold that many copies in an album’s first week (Eminem, 50 Cent and Lil Wayne). It was the first album to surpass one billion streams on Apple Music, it broke the record for most songs spent consecutively on the Billboard Hot 100 (20) and the album spent 13 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. You read that right; this album took up almost a quarter of the Billboard charts at one point.
The album takes the listener through the four seasons in Toronto, with sections of the track list representing styles, themes and events from different times in Drake’s life. It opens with “Keep the Family Close,” a song that dives into his troubles with friends and dealing with betrayal but always having his loved ones to fall back on. In terms of Drake’s intros, it’s one of his least popular but still manages to set the stage for the remainder of the project.
What follows is arguably the best three-song run on the entire album, with “9,” “U With Me?” and “Feel No Ways.” This trio of melodic, catchy and emotional tracks has some of the best beats in Drake’s entire catalogue, blending perfectly when listening consecutively. “9” is another homage to his hometown and paints a picture of the artist’s influence over Toronto, while both “U With Me?” and “Feel No Ways” are emotionally driven stories about love, loyalty and loss. Specifically, the latter of the three tracks has gained a mass cult following thanks to its mesmerizing chorus and easy-to-sing-to delivery from the former Degrassi star.
The title of the sixth song on the track list is one that any Toronto resident will recognize — “Weston Road Flows.” Drake paints a picture of his life growing up in a working, middle-class family and illustrates how he was shaped by the city through his friendships and home life. The heavenly sample in the background mixed with some great overall rapping from Drake makes this one of the most memorable from an already stacked track list.
Skip a bit further down the album, and you reach what is the first major hit off the track list, one that is still played at house parties and clubs to this day. “Controlla” is a dancehall/R&B infused banger bringing the summer vibes all the way up with its bouncy production and Drake’s now patented Caribbean accent that he brings to some songs. The track was declared five times platinum in 2022 and is commonly brought up when discussing the artist’s best dance tracks. The song plays perfectly into the summer section of the album and can be played anywhere, from the beach to your mother’s car. What came after “Controlla” would be another dancehall track that just so happened to be Drake’s most popular song to date, and one that defined the year 2016.
“One Dance” was the lead single for Views and amassed an unholy amount of radio play when released just before the album in April. Alongside “Pop Style,” “One Dance” caught fire after clubs, radio stations and probably your grandma got wind of it. The song is an afrobeats dancehall fusion that includes one of the most hypnotizing beats in a pop song, unless you’re sick of it now. The song features Wizkid and Kyla, both of whom show off their incredible voices, with Wizkid in the background and Kyla just after the chorus. As of 2026, “One Dance” has reached four billion streams, with numbers that consistently shoot up around the summertime.
Whether you like the song or not, the mark it left on pop culture is undeniable. It has gone down as one of the most played pop anthems ever.
Continuing down the album, you have a mix of trap, R&B and rap songs that take the listener through a winding path of genres with solid features from the likes of Future and Rihanna. Neither of these artists are strangers to working with Drake, especially Future, who had just released a collaboration album with the Toronto native the year prior. At face value, the song “Too Good” with Rihanna is a relatively calmer dance track with some relatable lyrics surrounding relationship problems and miscommunication. And fun fact, Drake dedicated this song to former love interest and tennis phenom, Serena Williams. The two celebrities were reportedly seeing each other on and off for the better part of four years at that point.
The title and final track on the album is a poetic finale where Drake discusses the current landscape of the rap game while throwing some shade at rival Meek Mill in the process.
Amidst many iconic albums came one that stood out from the rest in 2016, with unlimited hit songs, mesmerizing dance tracks and emotional cuts to keep you on your toes, Views aged like fine wine and stood the test of time as one of Drake’s most diverse albums to date. Whether you like him or not, the Canadian artist had the world in a chokehold with this one, putting a stamp on an already legendary career.