Five-time Grammy winner and megastar Drake has come through again for his fans, releasing a new album, For all the Dogs. The Willistonian set out to see what campus fans think about the long-anticipated release.

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, released his eighth studio album Friday morning, Oct. 6, at 6:00 a.m. Drake announced For all the Dogs back in June alongside his debut book of poetry, Titles Ruin Everything.

However, the album received no official release date until early September, when Drake announced through an Instagram post that it would drop Sept. 22. But, on Sept. 16, he pushed back the album until October in order to finish his It’s all a Blur tour, which began July 5, in Chicago, and ended Oct. 9, in Columbus.

Jack Mettey, a junior from Easthampton, applauds Drake’s consistent effort to uphold both quantity and quality in his music.

“I am a fan because he is a reliable artist who drops songs consistently that have always been good,” he said.

Jack also took particular note of the intro song, “Virginia Beach.”

“I’m drawn to ‘Virginia Beach’ because of the rhythm and the use of samples of old songs,” he said.

The sample he is referring to is “Wise Man,” an unreleased track by Frank Ocean, a critically acclaimed R&B singer, originally intended to appear on the soundtrack for Django Unchained.

Sophomore from West Springfield, Keshav Ambadi, agreed with Jack’s assessment of “Virginia Beach,” describing the beat as “groovy.”

Shiv Patel, a junior from Easthampton, also considers himself a Drake fan in large part to his versatility.

“He has great songs in different genres and tones. He has many songs upbeat rapping, but he also has lots of songs singing,” he said.

Shiv’s favorite song was “8am in Charlotte,” a wordplay heavy song that samples an 80’s gospel song by Raymond A. Myles. He described it as “a lyrical masterpiece.”

Jacob Waah, a junior day student from Holyoke, shared Shiv’s sentiment in regard to “8am in Charlotte, saying it gives him “a very old Drake feel,” and “it is honestly one of the best Drake songs I’ve heard in a while.”

In contrast, Jayson Leigh, Admissions Officer and Assistant Dean of DEIB, was not as much of a fan of the new album.

“So, after my first listen I was not happy, it low key ruined my morning!” he joked. “But like most of his albums, it is the second and third listens that get you hooked. So, once I listened again that night, I was not as mad, but this is still not a great album for him.”

Leigh is undoubtedly the biggest Drake fan among the faculty, pointing specifically to his deeper cuts.

“At first, I was drawn to his ability to rap and sing, not many people were doing that then,” Leigh said. “But once he started evolving his style, it was his no hook songs that put him in my top 5 rapper list. His hits are great, but songs like “9AM In Dallas,” “Emotionless,” and “Do Not Disturb,” when he just goes for 3-4 minutes straight are why Drake is one of the greatest to me.”

Freshman from Easthampton, Maddy Klumpp, had mixed feelings on the album, saying that “all the songs went really well together,” while also being annoyed by the speaking interludes; she thinks there were “way too many songs where he put in clips of people talking,” which “made [the album] boring to listen to.”

Eighth grader and fellow campus resident, Ryan Hanford, disagreed, praising Drake’s clip of Al Pacino’s famous character Tony Montana before one of the songs.

“Daylight is the best song,” Ryan said. “I really like the start. I like the ‘Scarface’ intro a lot. It’s super motivating.”

Daliah Elvin, a senior boarder from Chapel Hill, N.C., liked SZA’s feature on “Rich Baby Daddy.”

“I feel like it’s different from the rest of the songs,” Daliah said. “Anything with SZA is great.”

Daryn Fox, a sophomore from Bermuda, also enjoyed “Rich Baby Daddy,” since “it has the catchiest beat and catchiest lyrics.”

Eighth grader from Southampton, Beckett Dunham, is fond of Drake’s adaptability.

“I like that there are some faster tracks and slower ones. The beats are quite alike, but the paces change,” he said.

Soleil Richardson, a Bermudian senior, summed up the explanation for Drake’s popularity.

“There is a Drake song for every one of my moods which is why, I personally, am a fan, and why I think he has dominated the charts for so long,” she said.