“Passionfruit” by Drake
The lyrics of “Passionfruit” are centered on a romantic relationship the narrator (Drake) is involved in. In the first verse we see this romance is marred by “tension” between the two of them. Indeed Drake acknowledges that homegirl “got issues”, as in unfavorable sides of her personality, but he also admits that on a personal level he’s “falling apart” also.
And in the second verse he reveals the true foundation of his gripe, which is that this is a long-distance relationship. And due to the two of them being in two different locations, it is hard for the couple to “(build) trust” in each other. Indeed based on the chorus, we see that issues have already begun to manifest between them due to lack of proximity. And if you really read deep into the lyrics, Drizzy is suggesting that it is actually the other party, not himself, who is having a more-adverse reaction to their separation by distance. Thus he has concluded that they “should rule out commitment for now”, as in not make any attempt to actually be engaged in a serious relationship.
So although this track uses high-end metaphors at certain points, the narrative it is putting forth is a rather-simple one. Drake is in love with a woman whom, unfortunately, he is physically separated from by distance. And due to the stress this reality is putting on their relationship, he is ready to call it quits.
Meaning of “Passionfruit”
As for the title of this song, there is an actual, edible fruit called “passion fruit” which is native to South America. As a metaphor, this fruit, including its particular appellation, can be loosely applied to the overall theme of this track. For instance, Drake could have named it so due to him perceiving this particular lady as his “passion fruit”, as in someone who is sweet whom he has very-strong feelings for. But he and his team probably chose this name mainly because it sounds cool. However, it should be noted that the chorus features wordplay derived from the word “passionate”, which could have also contributed to this naming choice (or vice versa).
Facts about Drake’s “Passionfruit”
Drake composed “Passionfruit” together with 40 and Nana Rogues, with the later handling the production.
The track was released in March 2017. It was included on the rapper’s 2017 mix tape entitled More Life.
Nowhere in the entire lyrics does Drake use the track’s title.
This track’s performance on the charts in 2017 was indeed outstanding. It peaked at No.8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.3 on the UK Singles chart.
The single was also successful in numerous other countries including Drakes native nation, Canada, where it peaked at No.2. It entered the top 5 on the national charts in Australia and in New Zealand.
Samples and Covers of “Passionfruit”
The song contains samples of Moodymann’s 2010 track, called, “Live @ Cutloose 2nd Birthday Party”.
Portions of this track are sampled in The Weekend’s 2017 song named, “Secret Passionfruit”. The song was also sampled in “Passit (Passion Fruit Weedmix)” by Wiz Khalifa.
“Passionfruit” has been covered by a number of artists, including
- ARIZONA (in 2017)
- Boyce Avenue (in 2017)
- Benny Sings (in 2018)
- Yaeji (in 2018)
