Fear of Heights (song)

"Fear of Heights"
Song by Drake
from the album For All the Dogs
ReleasedOctober 6, 2023
Genre
Length2:35
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Oz
  • Pooh Beatz
  • Nik D
  • XYNothing
  • Bnyx (add.)

"Fear of Heights" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his eighth studio album For All the Dogs (2023). It was produced by Oz, Pooh Beatz, Nik D, XYNothing and Bnyx. The song has been considered a diss primarily aimed at Barbadian singer Rihanna, who was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Drake from 2009 to 2016.

Composition and lyrics

[edit]

The lyrics of the song are widely believed to be referring to Rihanna, although her name is not mentioned. It starts with Drake singing "Why they make it sound like I'm still hung up on you? That could never be";[1][2][3] in the intro, he repeatedly plays on the word "anti", alluding to Rihanna's album of the same name.[4] He further claims "the sex was average with you"[3][5] and "I had way badder bitches than you",[3] before finishing with a taunt that her lover probably takes her to Antigua for vacation, which has been regarded as a diss toward American rapper ASAP Rocky, Rihanna's boyfriend and father of her two children.[3][4] Drake also interpolates the song "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?" by The Cramps. The second half of the song centers on his self-indulgent lifestyle, while he takes shots at rapper Pusha T.[6]

Stylistically, the song uses a similar sound to that of rage rap.[7][8]

Critical reception

[edit]

Billboard's Kyle Denis ranked the track as the twenty-first best track on the album.[9] Denis wrote that the track "features some of the worst hooks of Drake’s career" and that Drake's voice is so "bereft of energy", resulting in the track beginning to "drag".[9] However, Denis praised the verses, noting that they "are actually some of the most interesting on the whole record".[9] The song received generally negative reviews. Nadine Smith of The Independent criticized how Drake "wants to handcuff" women on the song, which she also cited as a track in which "he strains to fit over the futuristic 'rage' sound popularised by Playboi Carti."[7] Likewise, Paul Attard of Slant Magazine criticized the song for Drake "trying his hand at watered-down rage music".[8] Variety's Alex Swhear described the song as having a "bottom-tier Drake hook".[10] Pitchfork's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd commented "Drake demonstrates how hurt he is by making a song about how not hurt he is."[2] In a review of For All the Dogs, Aron A. of HotNewHipHop stated "The problem is that it feels as though Drake hasn't moved on, which is especially true on songs like 'Fear Of Heights.' Contrastingly, 'Fear Of Heights' comes through with the rugged and aggressive tone that has made Drake's rap records feel riveting as of late. However, the perceived shots at Rihanna and ASAP Rocky feel too petty for a man who admittedly 'had badder b*tches than you.'"[11] Charles Holmes of The Ringer wrote of the song, "to prove he's unbothered, we're inundated with boorish lines that have the interiority of a barn owl", additionally pointing out that a particular lyric "disregards the fact that the Fenty mogul is a billionaire and Drake is not—so affordable vacations are the least of her concerns."[3]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Fear of Heights"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 22
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[13] 10
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[14] 8
France (SNEP)[15] 90
Global 200 (Billboard)[16] 13
Greece International (IFPI)[17] 13
Iceland (Tónlistinn)[18] 21
Italy (FIMI)[19] 81
Lithuania (AGATA)[20] 50
Luxembourg (Billboard)[21] 24
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 28
Portugal (AFP)[23] 48
South Africa (TOSAC)[24] 9
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 6
Swiss Streaming (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 32
UAE (IFPI)[27] 18
UK Audio Streaming (OCC)[28] 24
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 10
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[30] 9

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (October 9, 2023). "Drake – 'For All The Dogs' review: banger-less, bitter and deeply mid". NME. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (October 9, 2023). "Drake: For All the Dogs Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e Holmes, Charles (October 12, 2023). "The Daunting Decline of Drake on 'For All the Dogs'". The Ringer. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Dailey, Hannah (October 6, 2023). "Here's Why Fans Think Drake Dissed Rihanna & A$AP Rocky on 'For All the Dogs'". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (October 9, 2023). "Drake: For All the Dogs review – repetitive rap titan needs new tricks". The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  6. ^ Pavlakos, Louis (October 9, 2023). "Drake's 'For All The Dogs' Is Another Troll Bait Effort That's Quite Mid". HipHopDX. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b Smith, Nadine (October 6, 2023). "Drake review, For All the Dogs: Rapper's outright contempt for women borders on sinister". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Attard, Paul (October 9, 2023). "Drake For All the Dogs Review: A Clownish Tribute to Chauvinism". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Denis, Kyle (October 6, 2023). "Drake's 'For All the Dogs': All 23 Songs Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Swhear, Alex (October 8, 2023). "Drake Heads Into His Hiatus on a Perfunctory Note With Bloated 'For All the Dogs': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  11. ^ A., Aron (October 11, 2023). "Drake "For All The Dogs" Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Drake – Fear of Heights". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  13. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  14. ^ "Drake Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  15. ^ "Drake – Fear of Heights" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  16. ^ "Drake Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  17. ^ "Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  18. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Drake – Fear of Heights". Top Digital Download. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  20. ^ "2023 41-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "Drake Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  22. ^ "Drake – Fear of Heights". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  23. ^ "Drake – Fear of Heights". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  24. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 10 Week 41-2023". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  25. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 41". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  26. ^ "Streaming Top 100". Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  27. ^ "UAE: 2023 - W41 - 10/06 to 12/10". The Official MENA Chart. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  28. ^ "Official Audio Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  29. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  30. ^ "Drake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
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