Song of the Week: Drake Falls Under His Own Hypnotic Spell on “Falling Back”

Paolo Ragusa
·6 min read

The post Song of the Week: Drake Falls Under His Own Hypnotic Spell on “Falling Back” appeared first on Consequence.

Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Drake pivots to introspective house on “Falling Back.”

Only nine months after the release of his last LP Certified Lover Boy, Drake is back today with a surprise album titled Honestly, Nevermind. For one, it needs to be mentioned that Honestly, Nevermind is the most “Drake album title” album title yet — nothing implies “I’m emotional but also I’m aloof” more than a passive aggressive “honestly, nevermind.”

Rest assured, the album is full of surprises; Drake has dug his heels yet again in the palate of house music, echoing the glowing highs of his 2017 mixtape More Life (without the laundry list of collaborators) and featuring a plethora of his signature pop-R&B style.

Kicking off the album and setting the tone immediately is the thumping house jam “Falling Back,” which finds Drake employing an almost stream-of-consciousness approach to a lush, hypnotic beat. There’s something immediately satisfying about hearing Drake embrace a looser, more textural style, caring less about the weight of his lyrics and more about the physical experience of the song — something house music boasts well.

Drake isn’t necessarily saying anything new on “Falling Back”; he laments the frayed dynamics of his relationship, reflecting an ample amount of distance, haze and “you know how I feel” statements, which are all signature Drake-isms. But what’s fascinating about “Falling Back” is how Drake begins to slowly repeat himself more and more as the 5-minute song continues, almost like he’s falling under the hypnotic spell he created for himself.

This is at the core of why Honestly, Nevermind is one of the more interesting albums Drake has released — after the underwhelming Certified Lover Boy found Drake in high melancholy, constantly questioning the motives of the ones around him, and creating with a generally safe sonic palette, Honestly, Nevermind completely liberates Drake from his arbitrary position as… Drake.

It’s time to dance, to trip, to look inward — but not necessarily to find answers. On “Falling Back” and Honestly, Nevermind, Drake is simply more concerned with the process.

— Paolo Ragusa
Editorial Coordinator

Honorable Mentions:

Jockstrap – “Glasgow”

Introducing the least boring alt-pop/dance/indie/weirdo duo this side of The Garden: Jockstrap. The act, consisting of Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, create energized, dynamic, supremely fun songs that cross over lines of genre, mood, and instrumentation. Listening to a Jockstrap tune can be like flipping a coin to decide which direction to turn while on a hike; you never quite know what to expect besides a certain sense of adventure.

“Glasgow,” the second single from their recently announced debut album I Love You Jennifer B, is no different. Tone shifts abound, the song morphs from a soft, harp-led ballad into a bouncy, electro-acoustic traveling song. Of course, Skye’s maximalist production also introduces brief moments of swirling electronic worlds — routes in the forest that lost the coin toss. It’s a song worthy of attention, and together with previous single “Concrete Over Water,” bodes extremely well for their upcoming debut. — Jonah Krueger

Dry Cleaning – “Don’t Press Me”

“Don’t Press Me,” Dry Cleaning’s lead single to their anticipated sophomore album Stumpwork, is a curious release. Clocking in at less than two minutes in runtime, the track is noticeably shorter than anything off of last year’s New Long Leg. In fact, after a quick Spotify search, it seems to be the shortest track they’ve ever officially released. For a band that made its name by laying on a grove long enough to allow vocalist and lyricist Florence Shaw to drop her unconventional, absurdist wisdom, it initially comes across as a strange choice.

Of course, Dry Cleaning still knock it out of the park with “Don’t Press Me.” The brevity of the tune brings out a new side of the band, as the British quartet sounds more urgent than ever. It takes only twenty-two seconds to get to the whistle-backed chorus — a chorus that only appears once in the song. All the while, their signature post-punk guitars wail. It’s exhilarating and worth throwing on repeat. I don’t know who told Dry Cleaning to leave us wanting more, but it’s working. — J.K.

JayWood – “Shine (Featuring McKinley Dixon)”

JayWood is back with another excellent cut from his forthcoming album Slingshot: “Shine,” which features former Consequence Artist of the Month McKinley Dixon, finds JayWood in a much more fraught state of mind, even if the track is dreamy and stacked with vibes. Written the night George Floyd was murdered, JayWood’s message is simple: “In the end, just let my people shine.”

Both artists split the difference between imagining a world for black people uninhibited by violence and embracing their resilience to the current moment. In a way that’s equally classic as it is current, “Shine” is an evergreen message of both hope and exhaustion — a fitting encapsulation of our modern era. — P.R.

Bessie Turner – “It Was Nothing”

On Bessie Turner’s latest single, “It Was Nothing,” the Suffolk songwriter tastefully combines synth-pop and indie rock to produce an emotionally engaging, though notably not depressive, piece of indie-pop. The track taps into the same bag of songwriting techniques that made Sharon Van Etten’s Remind Me Tomorrow or Julien Baker’s Little Oblivions so affecting. Something about Turner’s style makes her distinct from her contemporaries, however, as she undeniably brings a new voice to the indie pop ecosystem. Still without an album to her name, Turner remains one to watch. — J.K.

Disco Lines – “Baby Girl”

If Thadeus Labuszeweski’s mom hadn’t trained her son to always arrive at the airport two hours early, then the world might not have had this dance floor banger. With time to spare, Labuszeweski, who performs as Disco Lines, envisioned this beat, threw up a teaser on TikTok, and boarded his plane. When he landed an hour later, his video was blowing up.

That’s for good reason: “Baby Girl” hits. Its melody is captivating before the beat even drops. By the time the bass is bouncing, you’re hooked by a glossy flow and an intoxicating rhythm. Officially released now as a single via Arista Records, this is a song to have on your summer playlist — it’s perfect for the club, a house party, or (for the introverts) a secret bedroom dance session. — André Heizer

IV JAY – “Gemini Rising”

Geminis, am I right? Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. IV JAY seems to agree, and now she’s calling them out in her new track, released at the tail end of Gemini season: “You so bad for my life, but look good to my eyes.” IV JAY’s silky vocals are flawlessly laid over clean keys and a crispy beat. It all culminates in a suave, catchy effort from a promising talent. — A.H.

Hailey Haus – “Flavor of the Month”

This sunkissed song finds Hailey Haus flipping through each calendar month, recalling fictional boys of the month. “But I just gotta try them all to see which I like best,” she sings, celebrating the fluidity that each season of life brings and reminding us that with each heartbreak comes a new day. Spin this one while gossiping poolside or taking a long night drive down the PCH. — Kelly Park

Top Songs Playlist:

Check out and subscribe to our Spotify Top Songs playlist.

Song of the Week: Drake Falls Under His Own Hypnotic Spell on “Falling Back”
Paolo Ragusa

Popular Posts

Subscribe to Consequence’s email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.