Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar’s “euphoria” Nails Why Drake Sucks
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The post Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar’s “euphoria” Nails Why Drake Sucks appeared first on Consequence.
Song of the Week from Consequence spotlights the greatest new tunes each week. Find these new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Kendrick Lamar reminds us why Drake kinda sucks with “euphoria.”
When Kendrick Lamar finally called out Drake directly on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” last month, it opened up the floodgates for everyone who had only been tolerating Drake to come out of the woodwork. Drake responded like he knows best by getting off some decent jokes on “Push Ups,” but his use of deepfake Tupac vocals to bait Kendrick on “Taylor Made Freestyle” exposed a grave misunderstanding of the situation. This isn’t a war Drake can win with some short jokes and memes because nobody respects him — something Kendrick breaks down in detail on “euphoria,” the best of two diss tracks K.Dot dropped this week.
Opening the song, Kendrick hits Drake where it hurts by pointing out that he’s always been a dorky theater kid who cozied up with the right people. “The famous actor we once knew is lookin’ paranoid and now is spiralin’,” he raps. “You’re not a rap artist, you a scam artist with the hopes of being accepted.”
This is hardly a new revelation; one of the biggest criticisms levied against Drake is how he’s used his stature to cozy up to buzzing artists like Kendrick, The Weeknd, and Migos while hopping on the latest trends, switching up accents as often as he changes clothes. However, no one has laid their disrespect for Drake this bare since Pusha T.
Calling himself Drake’s “biggest hater,” Kendrick continues his point by rapping, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress/ I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct.”
Adding that he’s not the only one who feels this way (“I’m what the culture feelin'”), Kendrick takes further jabs at Drake’s insecurities about race (“How many more Black features ’til you finally feel that you’re Black enough”) and hollow attempts to be respected as a rapper (“I like Drake with the melodies, I don’t like Drake when he act tough”).
At more than six minutes, “euphoria” also packs in more personal lines about Drake’s abilities as a father and rumors of plastic surgery, but what has to hurt the most is the truth: none of his favorites have ever really liked him in the first place.
— Eddie Fu
News Editor
Honorable Mentions
City of Caterpillar — “In the Tall Grass”
During their initial tenure in the early aughts, City of Caterpillar perfected their blend of post-rock, post-hardcore, and screamo. After reforming, they re-perfected the style with their 2022 comeback album Mystic Sisters. Now, with “In the Tall Grass,” they’ve re-re-perfected it. Remarkable!
The cut kicks off with an eerie atmosphere, indecipherable samples, and guitar arpeggios that sound like the end times. After a tom-driven build, the tune goes full post-hardcore with dissonant, feedbacky guitars and cutting vocals. It’s an exhilarating ride and hopefully a sign that City of Caterpillar has more work in them yet. — Jonah Krueger
Hard Chiller — “Clouds”
The debut single from Hard Chiller — the new project from Joe Vann and Steve Choi — is an absolute shredder. Evoking Deftones and other atmospheric strains of post-grunge and alt-rock, “Clouds” cycles between deceptively dreamy and urgently rousing. In fact, the oxymoronic “Hard Chiller” band name is the perfect way to describe them; with their debut EP Heavy Cell set to come on June 28th, Hard Chiller are ready to serve up vibes, bring you to the moshpit, and become your new favorite band. — Paolo Ragusa
L’Imperatrice — “Love From The Other Side”
The members of buzzy Parisian band L’Imperatrice are fresh off a successful Coachella performance, and they’ve marked the moment with the release of “Love from the Other Side,” a cosmic, hazy cut from their upcoming album, Pulsar. There’s more than enough spookiness dotting the track to separate it from the rest of the pack. — Mary Siroky
Gloom Girl MFG — “Damaged”
Produced by Cage the Elephant’s Brad Shultz, Gloom Girl MFG’s “Damaged” plays for immediacy. From the energetic instrumental to Paige MacKinnon’s raw vocals to the intensely hummable melodies, the tune gets stuck in your head before you’re even finished with your first listen. Part mid-era Arctic Monkeys, part riot grrrl, part modern alternative, Gloom Girl MFG have come through with a damaged anthem. — J. Krueger
Ravyn Lenae — “Love Me Not”
The description genre-blending gets thrown around a lot these days, but Ravyn Lenae feels like a genuinely great example of what this can sound like in action. As the first look at her recently announced album, Bird’s Eye, the vocal performance on “Love Me Not” is front and center, showing off Lenae’s raspy, idiosyncratic style. There’s so much playful attention to detail in the construction of the track, from touches on cowbell to the perfectly placed claps in the chorus. — M. Siroky
TSHA — “Sweet Devotion” (feat. Caroline Byrne)
DJ and producer TSHA has teamed up with Caroline Byrne for “Sweet Devotion,” a euphoric house cut that recalls the percussive grooves of ’90s dance music. Byrne’s light, irresistibly cool voice matches the touch of ethereal that TSHA imbues into the track — when the chorus arrives, though, the two link up for a powerful release. With each new thumping, effervescent single, TSHA is proving she’s got the Midas touch. — P. Ragusa
Why Bonnie — “Dotted Line”
Now a signee of Fire Talk Records, Why Bonnie returns with “Dotted Line,” a laid-back indie tune for the introspective. The New York act’s first new music since 2022’s 90 in November, “Dotted Line” finds songwriter Blair Howerton tackling the crushing weight of capitalism over breezy guitars, tight drums, and nostalgic harmonies. If only bowing to The Man always sounded this sweet! — J. Krueger
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Song of the Week: Kendrick Lamar’s “euphoria” Nails Why Drake Sucks
Eddie Fu and Consequence Staff
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