DJ Khaled and Drake are back together for the first time since 2016 with their new single “POPSTAR“. After Khaled’s flop in “Father of Ashad”, it seems like he had to run back to Drizzy for another top 10 hit. With Khaled tracks, it’s usually hit or miss for me, so I’m not really sure what to expect going into this one.
Starting things off, listeners are welcomed to a passive-aggressive instrumental. After Khaled’s annoying and useless ad-libs, Drake quickly enters as he starts blurting lines out relating to the attention he gets due to him being such a big star. After a few seconds of him talking, the beat drops, and a standard yet effective drum pattern comes in. While Drake is not saying anything mind boggling, his flow is energetic, and it gives the entire track life. With that being said, the lyricism is mixed as Drizzy has some pretty intricate bars while also having an array of corny ones. After the first verse concludes, the hook comes in, which is pretty catchy. Following it up, Drake continues to flex on the listener, but this time, he also mentions his come-up story. The line “Shit don’t even usually get this big without a Bieber face” stuck out to me as it was delivered well, and it is fairly creative. After his verse ends, the same hook repeats itself, and then the instrumental fades out alongside it.
In conclusion, “POPSTAR” is an enjoyable banger, but it is not much more than that. It has a solid instrumental and vibe, but it comes with its flaws, especially in the writing of Drake’s lines. To me, this was probably a throwaway that Drake didn’t want, and that’s why he gave it to Khaled. Going forward, I don’t this song will be remembered, but I also don’t think it will be that hated as it is truly just an average rap song.
Rating: 5/10
