‘Honestly, Nevermind’ shows Drake’s versatility
The last time mega rap star Drake released an album, it was accompanied with months and months of buildup — “Certified Lover Boy” dropped last September after almost a year of teasers.
This time, the wait lasted roughly six hours after Drake said “surprise!” and posted an album cover on Instagram Thursday. The only other time he’s dropped music out of the blue is the critically acclaimed “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” mixtape in 2015 — one of Drake’s best works.
“Honestly, Nevermind” might not reach that level, but it’s a solid example of Drake’s versatility as an artist. The 14-track album is the shortest since Drake’s debut in 2010. It offers more focused and pristine production heavy in dance music — a genre in which Drake lacks experience — with a blend of his signature heartbreak. The album has its highs and lows.
In “Falling Back,” Drake awkwardly sings a portion of the song in a high-pitched voice. I, for one, could have lived happily without knowing how Drake sounds doing his best elmo impression.
However, the message of the song sets the tone of the album: Drake is sad.
“Texts Go Green” grew on me tremendously with the spectacular production by South African DJ Black Coffee. The light organ keys throughout the song with Drake’s vocals over it is outstanding. If you listen closely, it seems like the organs hit every time Drake comes to a realization.
Depending on your own love life, the chorus can hit like a knife in the heart. Drake’s “Texts go green, it hits a little different, don’t it?” lyric is a cheeky reference to Apple’s iMessage. Whenever a person is texting a number, the bubble usually appears blue, but the bubble can suddenly show up green if the number is changed or if the sender has been blocked. Drake must’ve messed up.
As we progress through the tracks, the album becomes a little bleak.
Outside of the hilarious bed squeak noises on “Currents,” the track is forgettable. “A Keeper” sees Drake proclaiming he’s moved on from his ex-partner over a charmin-soft beat.
The entirety of “Calling My Name” is poor, except for the beat switch in the middle. It shifts the tone to a more bouncy one, but still it didn’t stick.
What did stick, however, is the track after, “Sticky.” This is arguably the best song on the album. Drake touches on a variety of topics, from his mom wanting him to be corporate to his calls to free Atlanta rapper Young Thug from his current RICO charges to his collaboration with the late Virgil Abloh. The heavy, yet subtle dance beat with a focused Drake rapping overtop is a recipe for success. An Abloh reference reappears at the conclusion of the song with an excerpt from Abloh’s 2017 Columbia lecture.
However, immediately after “Sticky,” my thoughts about the album shifted.
“Massive” is a beautiful song with incredible Drake vocals and a perfectly placed beat. The low beeping plus piano beat builds up, then rises once Drake starts singing, “Oh, when you’re ready / We can put this behind us.”
The vocals end just over three minutes into the song, leaving over two minutes for just the beat. It’s a memorable and unique listening experience.
Drake’s singing on “Flight’s Booked” is certainly a highlight of the album. It touches a nerve from the first second with the English R&B sample singing “Getting late / Why you gotta be.” The song is peak sad Drake, capable of making you rethink the last five years of your life.
When Drake lightly sings, “When last did we feel this close together? / Chasing sunsets in California,” the way his vocal control causes “California” to roll off his tongue is mesmerizing.
I started feeling slightly bored as “Overdrive” came on. The beat is a prime example of Drake’s take on house music. The lyrics are heart-wrenching at times too, but it’s the tenth track, and by that time the slow-paced music became repetitive.
For me, the track felt similar to many others on the album, until the chorus hit, which is generally the formula of this Drake album — a slow buildup to the chorus where the rapper hits you with bars that touch the heart.
As the album comes to a close, the tracks become tiring.
“Down Hill” is the most traditional R&B track on the album. “Tie That Binds” has a splendid guitar instrumental that transitions to the song’s strong second half. “Liability” includes a deeper-voiced Drake with an almost 808s & Heartbreak type vibe.
The main event of the album, though, is at its very conclusion with “Jimmy Cooks.” It’s a huge contrast to the rest of the album because of its rap-heavy nature, with both Drake and 21 Savage murdering the beat. It’s almost like it shouldn’t be on this album.
Drake is at his best rapping on a fast beat with a subtle violin in the back. He delivers memorable lines like “I might have to make her paint a 6 on her pinky toe,” and refrains fit for summer Instagram captions like “Everybody fake now, you could crack the code.” He also touches on the Young Stoner Life RICO charge with, “Hoes say I’m suave, but I can’t get RICO’d.”
The sudden beat switch between Drake and 21’s vocals creates a dark sound reminiscent of 21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin’s collaboration album, “Without Warning.”
21 Savage is in the midst of a features run that is rivaling some of the best in rap history. His verse on “Jimmy Cooks” only adds to that portfolio, shredding the beat with one of the best lines of the year: “If I was Will Smith, I would’ve slapped him with a stick.” It’s a rapid end to an album that’s as slow as the Interstate-5 Freeway during rush hour.
“Honestly, Nevermind” won’t blow you away if you’re looking for some good old rapping Drake. But, if you fell in love with the Toronto artist because of his relatable heartbreak tracks, you’re in for a good one. Just make sure you don’t listen to this while sad in the club.