It’s late. You’re driving. Maybe the windows are down, or maybe it’s freezing outside and you’ve got the heater blasting. That specific atmosphere is exactly where With You by Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR lives. It isn't just a song. It’s a mood. When Views dropped in 2016, the world was obsessed with "One Dance" and the chart-topping memes of "Hotline Bling," but the real ones? They were stuck on track four.
Honestly, the chemistry between these two is weirdly perfect.
Drake is the global superstar, the guy who can't go to a grocery store without making headlines. Party, or Jahron Anthony Brathwaite, is the reclusive genius, the architect of the "OVO Sound" who seems to prefer the shadows. When they collide on "With You," it’s not a battle for the spotlight. It’s a hazy, rhythmic surrender.
The Sound of the 6ix: Breaking Down the Production
Most people hear the beat and just vibe. But if you really listen, you’ll hear the fingerprint of Murda Beatz. At the time, Murda was becoming a household name, and his work here is subtle but heavy. It’s got that Caribbean-inflected bounce that defined the Views era, yet it feels more intimate than the club-ready tracks.
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The song samples "Stay" by Jeremih. That’s the secret sauce.
By chopping up Jeremih’s vocals into a high-pitched, stuttering loop, the production creates a sense of urgency. It’s repetitive. It’s hypnotic. It mimics the feeling of having someone stuck on your mind. You know that loop that plays in your head after a first date or a massive fight? That’s what this beat sounds like.
Drake doesn't even take the lead here. That’s the boldest part of the track. He lets PARTYNEXTDOOR handle the heavy lifting, stepping in for a verse that feels like a conversation mid-thought. It’s one of those rare moments where the biggest artist in the world is happy to be a guest on his own album.
Why the Jeremih Sample Matters
Jeremih is a singer’s singer. By pulling from his discography, OVO was signaling a specific lineage of R&B. They weren't just making a pop song; they were honoring the "Late Nights" aesthetic. It’s a nod to the fans who spent years on Tumblr and Soundcloud looking for the next moody anthem.
Drake’s Verse: A Masterclass in Simplicity
"Mixing vodka and emotions."
That line alone basically summarizes Drake's entire career up to 2016. It’s short. It’s relatable. It’s slightly toxic but incredibly catchy. He’s talking about a girl from "the 401," referencing the massive highway that cuts through Ontario.
Drake has this habit of being hyper-local. He talks about specific streets, specific area codes, and specific weather. Ironically, that’s what makes him a global star. By being so specific about Toronto, he makes people in London, New York, and Tokyo feel like they’re part of an inner circle.
In With You, he isn't trying to out-rap anyone. He’s melodic. He’s blending his voice into the production. He talks about how this girl is "with it," how she’s "on it," and how he’s basically just trying to keep up. It’s a humble-brag wrapped in a velvet blanket.
PARTYNEXTDOOR: The Soul of the Record
Without Party, this song doesn't exist. He brings a texture to the track that Drake simply can't replicate. While Drake is crisp and clear, Party is submerged. His voice sounds like it’s coming through a cloud of smoke.
He handles the hook with a frantic energy.
“It’s about us, right now / Girl, you know it’s about us, right now.”
He sounds desperate. He sounds certain. It’s that duality that makes his music so addictive to a specific generation of R&B fans. He’s not singing to the rafters like a traditional powerhouse; he’s murmuring in your ear.
The Evolution of the OVO Sound
Before "With You," the OVO sound was mostly associated with Noah "40" Shebib’s underwater filters and slow-motion drums. This track was different. It felt faster. It felt brighter. It was part of that 2016 shift where Toronto music started looking toward the West Indies for inspiration.
The "With You" era was the peak of the OVO-SoundCloud crossover. It was when the label felt like a cohesive unit, a group of guys in a house in suburban Ontario making music that would eventually change the sound of Top 40 radio.
What People Get Wrong About Views
A lot of critics back then said Views was too long. They said it was bloated. But tracks like With You prove that the "bloat" was actually just world-building.
If you remove the atmospheric tracks, you lose the context for the hits. You need the quiet moments to appreciate the loud ones. "With You" serves as the bridge between the cold, icy intro of the album and the tropical heat of the middle section. It’s the transition from winter to spring.
The Cultural Longevity of With You
Why are we still talking about this in 2026?
Because the "vibe" era never really ended. We just changed the names. The lo-fi beats, the melodic rap-singing, the vulnerability—it all stems from this specific period of music.
You hear it in the new generation of R&B singers. You hear it in the way rappers now prioritize melody over complex rhyme schemes. With You by Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR was a blueprint for how to make a "small" song feel huge.
It’s also a reminder of when the Drake and PND partnership was at its most experimental. Since then, they’ve collaborated on plenty of tracks—"Loyal," "Members Only," "Preach"—but "With You" has a certain innocence to it. It sounds like two friends just messing around in the studio until they found something that felt right.
Real-World Impact and Listening Stats
If you check the streaming data, "With You" isn't the most-played song on Views. Not by a long shot. But it has a remarkably "flat" decay curve.
Most pop songs spike and then fall off a cliff. "With You" has maintained a steady stream of listeners for nearly a decade. It’s a permanent fixture on "Chill" and "Late Night" playlists. It’s a song that people rediscover every time they go through a breakup or start a new relationship.
How to Get the Most Out of the Track
Music is subjective, sure. But there are better ways to experience this specific song.
First, stop listening to it through phone speakers. The low-end frequencies in the Murda Beatz production get completely lost. You need a pair of headphones with decent bass response or a car audio system that can handle the kick drums.
Second, listen to it in context. Don’t just shuffle it. Play "Hype," then "Weston Road Flows," then "With You." The transition from the nostalgic storytelling of "Weston Road Flows" into the rhythmic pulse of "With You" is one of the best sequencing moments in Drake’s discography.
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Third, pay attention to the ad-libs. There are layers of vocals in the background that you won't catch on the first ten listens. It’s a dense record.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playlist
- Pairing: If you love "With You," queue up "Not Nice" by PARTYNEXTDOOR and "Fire & Desire" by Drake immediately afterward. They share the same DNA.
- The Tempo Factor: Notice the BPM. It’s faster than a ballad but slower than a club hit. It’s designed for "head-nodding," not "dancing." Use this as a benchmark for your "Vibe" playlists.
- Deep Dive: Check out the original Jeremih track "Stay" from his Late Nights mixtape. Seeing how the OVO team flipped the sample will give you a whole new appreciation for the engineering behind the scenes.
- Audio Quality: If you’re a streaming user, ensure your settings are on "Very High" or "Lossless." The atmospheric textures in the "With You" production are the first thing to disappear with heavy data compression.
The reality is that With You by Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR is a snapshot of a moment when Toronto ruled the musical world. It doesn't need to be a "Number 1" hit to be a classic. It just needs to be there when you’re driving home at 2:00 AM and need to feel something.