As much fun is poked at Drake's emo sensibilities, it must be noted that his attempts at R&B usually land pretty well, especially when they inspire countless covers (see "Marvin's Room" and "Hold On, We're Going Home"). So it's no surprise that Drake's latest foray into his feelings, "Hotline Bling," is inspiring a few remakes of its own, with the latest being a cover by R&B up-and-comers Kehlani and Charlie Puth.
Turning the song, which is a refix of sorts of D.R.A.M.'s out-of-nowhere smash "Cha Cha," from a bass heavy ode to a loved one who's moved on into a longing, regretful ballad, the twosome work well together. They strip back all instrumentation to just their voices and a spare piano melody as they lay their emotions bare and reminisce about a time when love was just one late night phone call away. The approach reveals some of the more emotional layers of the song (while also exposing some of the more problematic "good girl/bad girl" elements of the lyrics, but we'll deal with that another day).
With newcomers like Kehlani and Charlie — not to mention a whole host of others — further mining his catalog for gems, could you make the argument that Drake is becoming as influential in the R&B world as he is in hip hop? That's something you can contemplate while listening to Kehlani and Charlie harmonize on "Hotline Bling" below.
