Released: 2017
Drake’s “Passionfruit” serves up a smooth, tropical vibe with Drake schooling us on the complexities of a relationship strained by distance. He gets real ’bout the emotional turmoil and dips into the frustration and ambiguity that often comes with long-distance love affairs. The cut’s straight-up soaked in that signature Drake flavor of introspection, as he wrestles with the push-and-pull dynamics of intimacy and detachment.
From the jump, the intro sets the tone with some casual banter that feels like we just walked into the middle of a conversation or a DJ about to spin a new track at a session—Drake’s serving notice that we need to pay attention. Once he flips into the first verse, he’s laying his soul bare, confessing that he’s battling addictions, probably as a metaphor for his compulsion towards the relationship. My dude’s “fallin’ apart,” and there’s “tension” between the two like “picket fences,” which is a clever way of describing a barrier that’s both see-through yet divisive. He’s holding back on airing out all the problems ’cause it’s like they’re both barely holding on to what they got.
Then the chorus gets in and it’s a jazzy, vibey vibe—Drake’s talking ’bout how the passion is real, but it’s “from miles away.” It’s this juxtaposed reality, where emotions are intense, but the distance is playing the villain. He’s becoming “passive” with his words, probably ’cause arguing from afar ain’t solving nothing. The phrase “Passin’ up on my old ways” shows growth. Drake’s saying he’s trying to switch up for the better, yet he knows that his shorty has legit reasons to feel the way she does, hence “I can’t blame you.”
Round two, he hits us with a cold truth: “Harder buildin’ trust from a distance.” Ain’t that the truth? Trust is already a scarce commodity, and distance ain’t making it easier. He’s suggesting putting a pin in “commitment for now” since things are crumbling down. The line “Leavin’, you’re just doing that to get even” spills the tea on the tit-for-tat games lovers play when they’re hurt. Drake’s advising not to try to put back together what’s broken right now—just let it be, it’s all “fallin’ apart.”
The song wraps without a resolution, just Drake contemplating “the right thing to say.” And ain’t that relatable? Sometimes words fail, especially when you’re straining to hold on to someone who seems about as reachable as a mirage. “Passionfruit” doesn’t hand us a fairytale ending, but it’s a real talk on how sometimes love gets tangled up in the wires of life’s complications. It’s a slow groove with depth, a pulse on the feels of anyone trying to keep the flame lit even when they can’t close the distance.
