Certified Lover Boy / Drake / September 3, 2021
- Joshua Yoo
- Dec 18, 2021
- 1 min read
Sitting comfortably atop the industry, Drake has formulated his artistry to fit the mold for chart-topping success and social media virality for the last half-decade now. With his latest release, it’s a double heaping, unfortunately served with the same lack of inspiration, overloaded list of features, and half-executed genre-crossovers.
The title of the album announces Drake’s attempts to disclose his diary-like commentary on love, fame, women, and all of his hardships in all three of these areas, but in his efforts to exhibit authenticity, the core messages and themes never seem to reach beyond a surface level (“Girls Want Girls”). Even on his more confessional and lyrically-substantive tracks (“7am on Bridle Path”), the focus mostly centers on recent events with waning relevance and significance, such as the details of his previous feud with Kanye West.
Matching the topical substance is the underwhelming vocal chops that Drake displays across the entire album, punching under his weight for both technicality and passion. Performances such as on “In The Bible” and “N 2 Deep” are eyebrow-raisingly off-kilter in choices of flow and delivery, whereas on tracks such as “TSU” and “Love All,” his weary and unengaged energy lulls listeners into a dazed trance.
Given the trajectory of his artistry to this point, Drake’s current output becomes not only disappointing but defeating. Seemingly cornered against lack of inspiration and desire for change, the industry further awaits a return to full form.
Highlight(s): Fair Trade, You Only Live Twice, No Friends In The Industry, Yebba’s Heartbreak
Lowlight(s): Way 2 Sexy, In The Bible, N 2 Deep, F*****g Fans, Girls Want Girls, Fountains, Race My Mind
SCORE: 3/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THVbtGqEO1o
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