Drake Take Care
Drake's Take Care frames fame and wounded narcissism as a kind of confessional, where sparse production and melodramatic self-reflection generate some of his most memorable work. Across five professional reviews critics land on a broadly favorable but wary verdict: the record earned a 70.6/100 consensus score from reviewers who praise its intimate slow jams even as they flag repetition and moments of self-pity.
Critics consistently point to standout tracks as proof of the album's emotional range. “Headlines”, “Marvins Room” and “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive” are singled out for their plaintive longing, while “Doing It Wrong” and “Look What You’ve Done” emerge as the best songs on Take Care for turning vulnerability into art. Reviewers note Noah '40''s minimalist production and occasional collaborators like Just Blaze puncture lethargy, letting Drake's confessionals land—Consequence and NME champion these tracks as the record's emotional core, and Slant and Spin emphasize how intimacy and muscular rap moments coexist.
At the same time some critics raise sharper objections. The Guardian accuses parts of the album of hollow introspection and repetitive hooks, citing “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude” and “Make Me Proud” as weak points and pointing to collaborations such as “Crew Love” as indulgent. That divergence yields a nuanced critical consensus: Take Care is often compelling when it pares back to slow, melancholic confessionals, but it can feel uneven when vulnerability slips into self-absorption. For readers searching for an authoritative Take Care review or wondering what the best songs on the album are, the critics agree on a handful of essential tracks that justify giving the record a listen.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Look What You've Done
1 mention
"Consider Take Care 's subtle stand-out "Look What You've Done,""— Spin
Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive
1 mention
"The apex of that balancing act, though, is “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive”."— Consequence
Marvins Room
3 mentions
"As evidenced by the drunk-dial anthem-turned-sleeper-hit "Marvin’s Room," he’s yet to totally get a handle on his fame"— Slant Magazine
Consider Take Care 's subtle stand-out "Look What You've Done,"
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Over My Dead Body
Shot For Me
Headlines
Crew Love
Take Care
Marvins Room
Buried Alive Interlude
Under Ground Kings
We'll Be Fine
Make Me Proud
Lord Knows
Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude
Doing It Wrong
The Real Her
Look What You've Done
HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right)
Practice
The Ride
The Motto
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 6 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In a voice both rueful and conspicuously assured, Drake makes Take Care feel like a confessional where the best songs - “Headlines” and “Marvins Room” - do the heaviest lifting, their heartbreak rendered with a delicate, mellifluous sound. The reviewer lingers on the plaintive longing of “Marvins Room” and the lolloping bravado of “Headlines”, arguing these tracks crystallise the album's emotional core. Production by Noah '40' and occasional jolts like Just Blaze's work on “Lord Knows” puncture the lethargy, but it is the empathetic, candid lyricism on those lead songs that answers the question of the best tracks on Take Care.
Key Points
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The best song is 'Marvins Room' because its crestfallen pleading crystallises the album's emotional core.
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The album's core strengths are candid, melancholic lyricism and sparse, affecting production.
Themes
Critic's Take
In a damning turn Alex Macpherson finds Drake's Take Care awash in hollow introspection, singling out “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude” and “Make Me Proud” as emblematic failures. The reviewer's voice is withering and specific, noting that hooks like those on “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude” and “Make Me Proud” fall back on repetition rather than character. Macpherson also pinpoints “Crew Love” as a nadir where Drake and the Weeknd "moan aimlessly", which crystallises his complaint that the album's self-absorption lacks interest. The result, he argues, is an LP of inert rapping and insipid singing rather than compelling best tracks on Take Care.
Key Points
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The reviewer singles out “Cameras / Good Ones Go Interlude” and “Make Me Proud” as emblematic of repetitive, hookless songwriting.
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The album's core weaknesses are its hollow introspection, repetitive lines, and weak vocal and rap delivery.
Themes
Pr
Critic's Take
In this appraisal the reviewer celebrates Drake's growth on Take Care, singling out “Headlines” and “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive” as the record's most affecting moments. The voice is proud and evaluative, noting that “Headlines” is "without a doubt, Drake's most powerful single to date" while “Marvin’s Room/Buried Alive” captures his desperate, woozy confessions. The critic frames these best songs as evidence that Drake has corrected the overproduction and underplanning of his debut and is moving toward real mastery.
Key Points
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“Headlines” is the best song because it balances cockiness and relatability with an ultra-catchy, studio-manipulated string beat.
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The album’s core strengths are improved production, emotional maturity, and stronger solo performances balanced with selective collaborations.
Themes
Critic's Take
Drake still traffics in narcissism and sensitivity, and on Take Care the best songs crystallize that tension. Tracks like “Marvin’s Room” and “Doing It Wrong” serve as the album’s emotional center, ruminative slow jams where 40’s aching production and Drake’s gushing sincerity meet. At the same time harder cuts such as “Lord Knows” and “Underground Kings” prove he can still deliver rap bangers, making the best tracks on Take Care both intimate and muscular. The result is an album whose best songs reveal a more versatile, more heartfelt performer than on his debut.
Key Points
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The best song is intimate and affecting, with "Marvin's Room" serving as the album's emotional centerpiece.
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The album's core strengths are Drake's sincere, confessional songwriting and 40's minimalist, aching production.
Themes
Sp
Critic's Take
Drake sounds simultaneously smug and exposed on Take Care, and the best songs - notably “Look What You’ve Done” and “Doing It Wrong” - turn that contradiction into art. Brandon Soderberg revels in Drake’s knack for saying the most unsympathetic thing and then admitting he’s overwhelmed, making tracks like “Look What You’ve Done” feel quietly devastating. The review highlights how intimate production and odd emotional moves make these the album’s finest moments, while louder, conventional rap cuts register as missteps. Overall, the record is an indulgent, sad-sack epic whose strongest songs fuse vulnerability and wounded narcissism into something strangely compelling.
Key Points
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The best song, "Look What You’ve Done," is best because it transforms personal family drama into quietly devastating storytelling.
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The album's core strengths are intimate, ambient production and Drake's ability to mix vulnerability with wounded narcissism.