On Apple Music, 34-year-old Drake describes his newly released album “Certified Lover Boy” (2021) as “a combination of toxic masculinity and acceptance of truth which is inevitably heartbreaking.” For better or worse, this cringeworthy description only applies to a few of the songs on the album. Drake built up his “Certified Lover Boy” persona for over a year, going as far as cutting a heart into his hairline, only to release a bloated and unoriginal album nearly indistinguishable from his music of the past five years.
Listening to “Champagne Poetry,” the first song on the album, gave me false hope. The beat switch and non-stop aggressive delivery is reminiscent of “Tuscan Leather” (2013) from “Nothing Was the Same” (2013), and Drake is rapping like he has something to prove.
“Papi’s Home” begins with an introspective verse about Drake’s son, but it’s hard to take him seriously when the song devolves into generic lyricism about how Drake is at the top of the rap game directly after. On “Girls Want Girls,” Drake and Lil Baby trade verses about their obsession with lesbian women. The hook, “Say that you a lesbian, girl, me, too” is cringe, but at the very least it’s one of the few songs that sounds like it belongs on an album called “Certified Lover Boy.”
Great features from Givēon and Lil Durk over droning production make “In the Bible” one of the highlights of the album. “Love All” sounds like classic Drake at his best, and Jay-Z’s verse is the icing on the cake.
Drake finally embraces his “Certified Lover Boy” persona on “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug. The song is a musical representation of pure, unapologetic toxic masculinity. Future’s hook is infectious, and Drake seems like he’s having fun rather than just going through the motions. “Knife Talk,” featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat, is a chilling song that sounds like it belongs on “Savage Mode II” (2020). Drake sounds amazing over 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s trademark spooky, cinematic production, but the song is out of place.
In “7am On Bridle Path” Drake focuses on current rival Kanye West. The rapping is great, but the disses are weak and uncreative. Drake calls out Kanye for ghostwriting like he hasn’t done the same and repeatedly claims that Kanye is declining despite his recent success. A better way to get back at Kanye would have been releasing a better album than Kanye’s newly released “Donda” (2021).
Most songs on the album would be good on their own but at an hour and 26 minutes, “Certified Lover Boy” is a forgettable, directionless slog to get through. When listening to the album as a whole, Drake’s empty lyricism, lack of originality and safe production get old quickly.
Drake’s “Dark Lane Demo Tapes,” a mixtape released in May 2020 during the buildup to “Certified Lover Boy,” proved that Drake can still produce a great project. The mixtape wasn’t pushing any boundaries, but it was concise, original and fun. “Scary Hours 2,” a three-song EP featuring Rick Ross and Lil Baby released in March 2021, was similarly excellent.
Instead of building on these projects, Drake has released an album that sounds as if an AI bot created a Drake album based on his music from the past five years. “Scorpion,” released in 2018, was defined by its empty lyricism, bloated track list and overall lack of direction. “Certified Lover Boy” shares the exact same flaws. The album offers almost nothing Drake hasn’t already done better in the past, and without features would be unimaginably boring for the most part.
It’s as if Drake made “Certified Lover Boy” not because he had something to say or prove but to rack up enough album sales and streams to show that he’s still at the top of the rap game. Rappers such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator and even Playboi Carti have proved many times that commercial success is possible while taking risks and experimenting with new styles.
Drake has improved technically as a rapper and singer over his career, but his refusal to get out of his musical comfort zone has prevented him from making an album comparable to his early work. There are a few standout songs, but, like “Scorpion,” most of the album’s hour-and-26-minute runtime is forgettable and uninspiring. For a man who’s regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time and talked about in the same vein as rappers like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Kanye, “Certified Lover Boy” is a mediocre disappointment.
