“Comin Out Strong” [ft. the Weeknd]

Future is not playing around in 2017. After a year long hiatus, he’s dropped a one-two punch of albums in the last two weeks: the chart topping FUTURE, and the vowel-challenged HNDRXX. “Comin Out Strong,” his latest foray on the pop charts is a boisterous shadow dance with the Weeknd. Complete with a strip-club-ready beat from Detail, the two take turns impersonating each other’s flow. The Weeknd tries on Future’s bouncy sing/rap flow for size, while Future borrows his Auto-Tune warble. It’s ostensibly a duet, but the hook is all the Weeknd, somehow convinced his kindness is mistaken for weakness. Future, who seems to be beset at all sides and at all times by haters, takes on the role of media critic: “It’s hard to tell the real stories from the fake ones/Cause nowadays if they don’t got it they’ll make one.” With his constant battles in court (his year-long battle with former fiancée Ciara just ended last month, and tensions have recently flared surrounding his ongoing lawsuit with a former manager), it’s no wonder Future’s coming out strong this year—those “four lawyer fees” won’t pay themselves.