Review: “Certified Lover Boy” by Drake
September 3, 2021, 9:00 pm, is when the highly anticipated “Certified Lover Boy” (CLB) finally came out. When Drake announced on August 30th, 2021 about the release date, on the spot, there was already controversy on how “CLB” will be released just days after Kanye West “Donda” came out. There was already controversy between the companions of the rival pair.
“Move out of the way of my release,” Kanye rapped,” why can’t losers lose in peace? Ain’t nobody ‘round me losing sleep, better find God ‘fore he finds me.” The Kanye and Drake drama has been running on for several years but it has reached its climax. After Kanye’s shady line Drake responded on Trippie Redd’s “Betrayal”.
“All these fools I’m beefin’ that I barely know, Ye ain’t changing sh*t for me, it’s set in stone.” This is key for both albums that the pair both dropped. Kanye referenced Drake in his second “Donda” listening party on August 5th. After Drake dropped “CLB” fans noticed a line on “7 is on Bridle Path” that relates to Kanye doxxing his Toronto home.
“You know the fourth level of jealousy is called media. Give the address to your driver make it your destination ‘stead of just a post out of desperation.” “7 am on Bridle Path” is the name of Drake’s Toronto neighborhood.
Regarding the actual album, its description says,” Drake describes the album as “a combination of toxic masculinity and acceptance which is inevitable heartbreaking.: while dedicating it to Nadia Ntull and Mercedes Morr.” Drake’s album also talks about his view of marriage and how he’s justifying his playboy persona. The album cover represents a variety of pregnant woman emojis with a variety of different skin tones and colored shirts that shows his diversity in his playboy life.
“Certified Lover Boy” has 21 songs including, “Way 2 Sexy”, “Champagne Poetry”, “Yebba’s Heartbreak”, and “N 2 Deep”. It’s not a bad album but it feels like another Drake album. The album has been promoted for almost a year and a half and fans were expecting something new but it all feels repetitive. It also feels as though the samples and the features are overshadowing Drake himself. Viral songs like “Champagne Poetry” and “Way 2 Sexy” have been used in Tik Tok videos and Instagram uses samples in the song and the features and most of them do not include drake. A song like “You Only Live Twice” with Lil Wayne who carried the song.
When listening to the album, some of the songs seem the exact same as other songs. Drake has sung and rapped about his multiple partners and if it’s not about his multiple partners then it’s about his social status. There’s also a problem with how the samples from the song blend in with Drake’s flow. For example in “Champagne Poetry”, the sample is a soft melody but once Drake enters there is a major contrast between the two. This can also be argued in “Papi’s Home.”
Ever since “Certified Lover Boy” dropped, many fans have been comparing it to “Donda”. While I think Drake makes hits and Donda makes art, it’s still argued that you can feel “Donda” and for “CLB” it’s harder to understand the emotions until you understand the lyrics. It’s upbeat and the flow is fast but once you hear the lyrics it’s vastly eye-opening. Fans also think that since Drake has the numbers and the hits he no longer takes risks. “Way 2 Sexy” and “Yebba’s Heartbreak” are the only two unique songs out of 21.
Drake’s album may seem disappointing concerning creativity, but some songs are catchy and the lyricism is unique. The album shows his personality when it comes to his relationship and his views on love. Drake is unmarried but he’s had a lot of partners in his lifetime. This album explains a lot about his take on romantic relationships. Features on the album like Future, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross mixed with the album well. I believe that the album has a lot of potential but it didn’t reach where it should’ve.
