Rap Blog: Drake’s heart is broken again

Rap Blog is a weekly showcase of a standout rap song written by Vivian Medithi and Nadine Smith.

Two months ago in Miami, Drake took pity on one of his fans, a young man holding a sign that read, “I spent all my savings, buying tickets for me and my ex. But honestly, nevermind, it’s really her loss.” “She ain’t come with you tonight?” the 6ix God inquired, flabbergasted. “What the fuck is wrong with her?” It’s right about there that thousands of fans begin spontaneously chanting “fuck that bitch, fuck that bitch, fuck that bitch.” Then Drake promises the spurned lover $50,000 to flex on his ex. “Fuck that young lady.”

Whatever it says about society, the petty core of Aubrey Graham’s discography resonates because humans will always take rejection personally. So it’s genuinely shocking it’s taken him this long to manifest a song with the world’s simplest bridge: "Fuck. My. Ex!!!!!!!!!" And because Drake has honed his theatrical impulses for decades, “You Broke My Heart” is built around an army of violins and brasswinds bigger than his delusions of grandeur.

A 37-year-old man hopping in the booth to explain that he isn’t the problem is corny, but Drake sounds legitimately aggrieved, sparking a more passionate performance than he’s been inclined to give in a while. The first verse dissolves into a torrent of emotion, wailing “You broke my heaaaart, you broke my heart” with abandon. Most of “Scary Hours 3” (this is a very silly way of packaging a Deluxe Album) feels slight, jabs at Kanye West and James Harden pillowy soft like padding. As Aubrey gears up for yet another national tour, “You Broke My Heart” makes a convincing argument that Drake tickets are still worth the price of admission, if only to watch “everybody in this bitch scream out ‘fuck my ex.’”