By Amaya Morales
Managing Editor
After a long eight months, Canadian rapper Drake finally released his long anticipated album “Certified Lover Boy” on Sept. 3.
His sixth studio album was originally anticipated in January. However, it was postponed due to the artist having knee surgery and needing to recover.
A star-studded feature list of artists like Lil Baby, JAY-Z, Travis Scott and Future put the album together.
While very exciting to finally have new music from the four-time-Grammy winner, it was a fairly disappointing selection. Despite running a whopping 86 minutes, the sound was different from what was expected based on the title.
The title makes reference to love, but there’s not much about that topic in this album. Though, the lead single, “Champagne Poetry,” gives off vibes similar to past albums as well as songs like “Race my Mind,” “Fountains” and “IMY2.”
Some songs talk about his beef with other rappers such as Kanye West, who released “Donda” a week prior. In “7AM on Bridle Path,” Drake hints at the feud with West: “Secretly beefin me behind closed doors//But playin it peacefully for the streets to see.”
The lyrics in the song also make reference to the two album releases going “head to head” and mocking West’s clothing brands as well as his retaliation against Drake by releasing his home address on Instagram.
Other songs on the album refer to Drake’s love life — or lack thereof. Some songs hint at him trying to find his soulmate, but in “The Remorse” he raps about how he “Can’t picture bein’ a hubby// finger too stubby to fit a ring on.”
Both themes can be found in “Scorpion” (2018) — it can be very tiresome to hear. You would expect an artist to grow with their music but Drake continues on with the melodrama. It seems like he doesn’t want to change.
A few questionable traits appeared that haven’t gone unnoticed. A sample from R. Kelly’s 1998 song “Half on a Baby” can be heard on “TSU.” Fans are angry because of R. Kelly’s controversial actions that are currently being tried in court.
Then there is the use of the pregnant lady emoji as the cover. While Drake cleverly used this to joke about the original release date vs. the new one, the true meaning behind the cover can get lost in translation.
Despite millions recreating the album cover in their own way, it can be considerably lazy after seeing alternate photos after the album release.
There is no denying the album’s success rate, though. On Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for the week ending in Sept. 18, Drake managed to land all 21 songs in the Top 40.
A fan favorite of the album is “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring a sample from Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.” A close second follows “Girls Want Girls,” featuring Lil Baby.
Without a doubt, Drake will definitely find success in releasing music that will instantly top the charts. Still, this album has left a lot to be desired.
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Though unique, the cover art for CLB is considerably lazy compared to the other alternate photos.
