Honestly, Nevermind / Drake / June 17, 2022
- Joshua Yoo
- Aug 12, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Oct 22, 2022
For even the most staunch Drake followers, an (almost) pure dance album comes as somewhat of a surprising change-up to his usual output, and for many it also arrived with hopeful expectations of a return to form or new creative streak for Drake. What his seventh studio album actually results in is a continuation of his absence of sharp writing and inspired performances, amidst some of the most colorless shades of house and dance that has hit the mainstream in a long while.
In some respects, Drake’s choice to submerse himself in the dance genre enables a sense of complacency that often appears in the lackluster level of lyrical focus throughout the album. A lot of the vocal riffing and almost freestyle-sounding verses are certainly not new for Drake at this point, but when it surfaces so apparently on tracks like “Falling Back” or “Down Hill”, it accentuates the monotony of the production paired with it in a symbiotic way.
The seamless transitions from track-to-track also only work to underscore the tedium of the album experience as a whole. The attribution of ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ creating a consistent vibe is about as far as praise can go, which although may be enough to please few, really makes up for none of the deficits the album contains in nearly all aspects of its presentation.
Thus with this release and each new, Drake further falls down the rabbit hole of artistic complacency in a continually disappointing manner. Under the light of a new genre, the shortcomings only become more apparent than ever.
Highlights(s): Massive, Jimmy Cooks
Lowlight(s): Currents, Liability, Falling Back, Calling My Name, Sticky, Down Hill
SCORE: 2/10
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