This Album Changed My Life: Drake – Take Care (2011)

The albums that are the most important to me are the ones that frame a time in my life. They play in the background of crystal-clear memories, moments that I was most content, or emotionally fragile. The best albums have a bitter-sweet quality to them. You come back to them every couple of years and marvel at how you remember every rise and fall, word and transition. Most often it's never the albums you expect, it's not the OK Computers, the Sgt Peppers, or even the Purple Rains. The album that changed my life was Drake's 2011 record Take Care.

In my last year of college, I had finally started to get comfortable with who I was and what I wanted to do in life. I was spending time with people I loved, singing every heartbreaking lyric from songs such as Marvins Room while screaming "Who hurt you Drake?" over and over. The slow melodic chords of tracks such as Crew Love and Doing It Wrong are now ingrained into every panic about my thesis.

Every night out began with heavy beats and guest verses from Kendrick Lamar, André 3000 and Lil Wayne. It's an incredible collection of pop songs, from an artist and team at the absolute height of their powers.

The album has very little deeper meaning or an inspiring theme, but it soundtracks the first time I really felt comfortable with myself, and every time I listen to that album it reminds me to stop worrying about the little things and focus on the important stuff.