Let's dig a little deeper than just: "because it's a jam."
We can all agree that the standout from Drake's 2017 project More Life is the warm, laidback 'Passionfruit'. For starters, the numbers don't lie - it's a Top 10 hit worldwide and was voted in at #35 in the 2017 Hottest 100 countdown.
But what is it about this enticing mood-setter that's made it the More Life cut that's travelled furthest to become the go-to Drake cover? Angus & Julia Stone recently did it for Like A Version, Franz Ferdinand had a crack in Toronto, and now veteran Japanese producer Cornelius has gotten on board, offering up a cuter, jazzier rendition for his Spotify Singles session.
That's three 'Passionfruit' covers in under a month, which along with previous versions by Mura Masa, Paramore, and Yaeji means we’re dealing with something more than just a trend here.
To better understand why 'Passionfruit' is a great song, and what about it has sparked such an array of musicians to pay tribute, let's cut into this 'Passionfruit', piece by piece.
It's the perfect Drake song for people who don't like Drake
The open-hearted subject matter of 'Passionfruit' - trust issues, relationship struggles - is nothing unique in Drake's songbook. In fact, it's downright textbook at this point. But it's easy to ignore Drizzy's classic woe-is-me-isms because of how 'Passionfruit' sounds.
It's unlike anything else on More Life, and with the exception of the curvy 'Hold On, We're Going Home' and 'Marvin's Room', it's actually a distinctly tropical delight in Drake's discography. It's a downtempo, catchy-as-heck, pop-leaning number that features exactly zero bars from Canada's most famous rapper.
Noisey went deeper, employing "nerdy music science" to examine the song's chord changes and how they wind around a tension-and-release mechanic that paints its vulnerability a mood-lit colour
Like most Drake songs, he's frustrated at not getting any, but unlike the tougher parts of his catalogue, where his raps can sometimes sound like the complaints of a bruised ego, on 'Passionfruit' he sounds smouldering and sensual, alluring and accessible.
It's open to interpretation without losing its fidelity
...which is kind of a fancy way of saying that 'Passionfruit' is hella flexible.
Nearly every cover version of the song opens with that instantly recognisable four-to-the-floor pulse and warm tone but the song's various iconic elements - the hopping house bassline, handclaps, and pitch-bended flute - are all kind of open to interpretation. It's like an open book where artists can recite enough familiar lines of the original while having room to ink in their own touches in the margins.
It's this dualistic quality that allows Franz frontman Alex Kapronos to merrily adopt some of the sad boi swagger of the original, but also for Angus & Julia Stone to imbue it with their dreamy folk edge.
"I like [Drake's] insights, he feels really connected to a lot of deep stuff," Angus Stone told triple j of the siblings' decision to tackle 'Passionfruit'. "He has a great way of using melodies and I heard that song and... it popped."
Musicians want to know what makes it tick
It's exactly the kind of addictive, effortless hit that most musicians would kill for and the kind of song most rappers wouldn't have the courage to dare try. 'Passionfruit' fascinates because it disguises its complexity in a devilishly simple and attractive sonic package, a winning combination of quiet momentum and sweet reflection.
For some answers as to the song's special sauce, let's turn to its producer, Nana Rogues.
This London beat-maker got his start producing 'Trapping Ain't Dead' for Section Boyz, a functional if somewhat generic grime groove, and a straight-up house sound for Tinie Tempah's 'Girls Like', a rave-up assisted by Zara Larsson's belting vocal hooks.
He inches closer to something more distinctive on the marimba-punctuated dancehall of Anne-Marie's 'Heavy' but it's with 'Passionfruit' that he hit on something truly special.
"I was thinking of clouds, clouds in a jungle full of love... just a nice, fluffy [beat]", Rogues tells Genius for a video breaking down the making of the track. "I did think of Drake.. but I didn't make it for him."
Those words ring truer than ever. Whether intended or not, Rogues blessed Drizzy, and in turn all of us, with a fruit that's eternally sweet.