In the skit that follows his sultry breakout hit "Say It", Tory Lanez imagines himself being approached by an interviewer outside a fictional awards show where he's about to be honoured. Asked if he has any words to share, Lanez doesn't flinch: "I'd like to tell the world, 'I told you.'" The singer and rapper's brash response is full of the same confidence he shows throughout his debut album as well as the relentless drive to prove himself to any remaining doubters. Lanez's first studio release since signing with benny blanco's Mad Love label, I Told You follows a string of mixtapes that began in 2009. Remarkable for Lanez's ability to combine the finesse of '90s neo-soul and R&B with the brashness of his fellow Canadian and sometime adversary Drake, the young artist's tracks almost immediately elicited interest from music-world heavyweights, including Justin Bieber. Many collaborations and co-writes followed, and his connection with blanco led Lanez to gain deserved momentum. Their first full-length match-up sets high expectations right from the jump. Featuring a ghostly wash of synthesisers over tight beats provided by Meek Mill producer Play Picasso, "I Told You / Another One" opens the album with an exercise in gradually rising intensity. While the sleek "Cold Hard Love" and propulsive "Dirty Money" hit just as hard, Lanez is clearly capable of more than the raw force that often defined his mixtape output. Instead, "Guns and Roses" and "Friends With Benefits" boast a dreamy softness thanks to the sensuality in his vocals, a quality that cuts through even the wooziest Auto-Tune effects. Just as compelling is the candour he displays on the many tracks where he reflects on the struggles he faced along the way. On "Loners Blvd", he describes the tough days and nights spent scraping by while trying to create opportunities, knowing "the bigger your dream, the bigger you're livin' it". As he does on every track here, Lanez delivers the lyrics like a man who's not wasting his shot.