Album Review: Drake, ‘Honestly, Nevermind’

If Beyoncé and Drake have any say in it, this summer is for dancing. Kind of. Drake’s seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, marries notes of Jersey club, Baltimore house, amapiano, R&B, rap, and techno for a heartsick self-absorbed record. Much like his frequent collaborator Future, Drake has increasingly become a caricature of himself due to his incessant need to be in on the jokes that surround his musical and cultural personas. That’s how we arrived at the bloated, faceless Certified Lover Boy. Nevertheless, Drake’s latest record is a refreshing pivot. Primarily helmed by Black Coffee, Gordo (also known as Carnage), and 40, Honestly, Nevermind has characteristically crisp and sleek beats. Pounding drums, foreboding synths, and stabbing bass provide the framework for more idiosyncratic production choices like squeaking mattress springs (“Currents”) and forlorn Spanish guitar (“Tie That Binds”). Drake’s histrionic Drake-isms dampen the brightness of the dance music stylings from which the album draws its primary elements, but, like any Drake record, he strikes gold enough times to justify the set’s existence.

The record gets off to a shaky start with “Falling Back,” a song that hinges itself on Drake’s lousy falsetto and exposes the limits of his cross-genre explorations. The drabness of the song’s chorus is underscored by Drake’s shortcomings as a vocalist. For an artist who has been singing on his records for over a decade now, there’s a remarkable level of stagnation that marks Drake’s singing. The song’s back half could have felt less redundant with some background harmonies or smartly placed riffs to break up the monotony and add some more body to the track. Instead, Drake lets the beat take on the mantle of dynamism, but the muted gloss that covers the album prevents that from being a feasible course of action. Nonetheless, Black Coffee’s beats are immaculate despite a mix that darkens the exuberance of each bass hit. “Currents” is a standout that’s bolstered by Drake’s irresistibly charismatic flow, and “Overdrive” is a bright spot where the album threatens to fall into a rut. On the other hand, a sizable chunk of Honestly, Nevermind falters because of a disconnect between Drake’s songwriting and the beats he’s selected. “Texts Go Green" almost works with its appreciated extended stay in Drake’s lower register, but his tired lyrics (“Texts go green, it hits a little different, don't it? / Know you miss the days when I was grippin' on it”) are difficult to get through even when they’re broken up by moments of genius like the “you’re dealing with me rough” interlude. Conversely, the absurdity of “your pussy is calling my name” is simply too hilarious to sink “Calling My Name.”

This is an album that feels specifically engineered to be background music. It’s fit for a mindless late evening drive, a gloomy night of introspection, a bottomless brunch, or the closing hours of a club night. Seeing as this is a Drake album, you’ll probably encounter the songs from Honestly, Nevermind in all four of these contexts. The album’s tentpoles, “Massive” and “Sticky,” are poised to dominate every radio and streaming playlist on the horizon — and for good reason, they’re undeniable. Drake’s foray into dance music was inevitable given the global rise of amapiano and the mainstream resurgence of styles like house and drum and bass. Honestly, Nevermind fits in Drake’s story as a tastemaker, the guy’s finger is always on the pulse of where the musical tides are turning, for better or for worse. Nonetheless, the album is more interesting, and more rewarding, because it functions as a conglomerate of all the parts of Drake that rattle hip-hop purists. He’s crooning in Melodyne-drenched falsetto one second and trading bars with 21 Savage the next. Sure, this album is a musical 180, but it’s still quintessential Drake. He’s still lamenting about toxic relationships where he’s often the root of the issue, and he’s still evading accountability in his reflections on past romances. In a way, the commitment to this character brings a sense of comfort and stability, but such a stark musical shift begs for something greater than the flat and uninspired songwriting that’s littered across the album.

Honestly, Nevermind is equal parts refreshing and frustrating. With such pristine beats, you can’t help but listen and wish more apt artists had the opportunity to sink their teeth into these luscious soundscapes.

Key Tracks: “Sticky” | “A Keeper” | “Texts Go Green” | “Currents” | “Overdrive”

Score: 67