Why Won’t Drake’s ‘One Dance’ Stop?

Drake’s dominance on the Billboard 200 has been well documented.  But Drake hasn’t only been dominant on the Billboard 200, but also the Hot 100 with hit single “One Dance.” Unlike some surprise albums, Drake had actually released a pair of singles – “One Dance” and “Pop Style” – before dropping Views.  At the time, neither (yes this is subjective) packed a punch or solidified itself as one of Drake’s best.  Despite this, “One Dance” spends its sixth non-consecutive week at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Here’s the question: What makes “One Dance” so ‘great’ and what would it take to stop the unstoppable no. 1?

“One Dance” is quirky, but it does have some dance, electronic, and pop cues.  The fusion of those styles definitely amplifies the appeal of the sound, arguing in favor of “One Dance.”  Still, it’s not really standard hip-hop, but even examining it as a pop song, it’s not conventional.  Unusual, even listening to it on repeat, the question is ‘why this song?’

“Hotline Bling,” a better-rounded song finding Drake singing and embracing pop-rap to fullest, didn’t even reach no. 1.  Is “One Dance” superior to it? No way! If you want to further look at Drake’s stacked catalogue of hits, weren’t “Find Your Love” (Thank Me Later), “Marvin’s Room” (Take Care), and “Hold On We’re Going Home” (Nothing Was the Same) > than “One Dance?”

Here’s another consideration.  Some love/respect Views more than others.  As a critic, when reviewing Views, I found it to be good/good enough, but not the best of Drake’s discography. To quote the Starpulse.com article penned by yours truly, I compared it to my favorite Drake album (Take Care) stating, “Compared to Drake’s strongest album (Take Care), Views lacks the clear-cut hits that made that particular album an enthralling Grammy-winner.”

“One Dance,” which to reiterate was already available, didn’t stand out within Views, save for the fact that it was an official single.  What were my thoughts in regards to “One Dance?” Citing the aforementioned review, I said, “As far as ‘One Dance’ and ‘Pop Style,’ neither will be considered career highlights, though ‘Pop Style’ might get the edge over the more off-putting ‘One Dance.’” Ouch!

So, we’re back to the title of the post – Why won’t Drake’s “One Dance” stop?  Somebody likes it/loves it.  Eventually, it will be ousted for good like every big hit is, but this one is puzzling.  Drake’s first no. 1 hit as a solo artist is “One Dance?” It just doesn’t make sense!

Photo Credit: Cash Money