What happens when one of the world's most famous rappers decides to sing in a monotone over TikTok dance track beats? The answer: you get Drake’s Honestly Nevermind. It was only two years ago that Drake dropped this album; however, since then the collective community of Drake listeners–myself included–are still confused about its composition. Blending muted house with Jersey Club and Baltimore styles, Drake set out to make an atmospheric statement with this album that he can excel in any music category. All the ingredients for success were there. Drake even called up house heavyweight DJ Black Coffee, as well as renowned EDM producer Carnage (under his house alias Gordo) to give his lyrics the best foundation possible. Unfortunately for Drake, Honestly Nevermind will be remembered as the epitome of a good concept with lousy execution. With a few exceptions, notably “Massive,” “Sticky,” and “Falling Back,” most of the 14 tracks fail to commit to either house or rap convincingly. The often washed-out and lackluster vocals mesh with the dull and muted kick drums to create a spartan listening experience. Most albums have a story, a goal, or some statement the artist wants to make but to be honest, I'm not so sure Drake even knew what his goal was when he threw this piece together.

One of the most unique tools artists have today is social media. For better or worse, artists can communicate with their fanbase more directly and honestly than ever. Through Twitter, Instagram, and online news, artists of all genres have begun to use social media to contextualize their albums, to explain their artistic choices, and to set expectations before the drop. My favorite example of this comes from Tyler the Creator’s IGOR. Before its release, Tyler tweeted out a set of rules for listening. This was not a rap album but something experimental. As a classmate of mine put it “Tyler creates an empty stage that he can perform on, lacking expectations or demands. He is no longer confined to the style that gained him popularity…”¹ This is exactly what Drake failed to do with Honestly Never Mind. Fans knew that an album was going to drop and that it would be something new. But Drake did not brace us for such a genre transgression. Because of its uniform vibes (except for the last song, but I will get to that) and smooth DJ transitions from song to song, most listeners rightfully got the impression that this album was meant to be listened to all the way through, like IGOR. Yet unlike preparations for IGOR, the empty stage was never set. Expectations were sky-high for an album that would become the sound of the summer (natural given its June 17th release date). High expectations alone aren't an issue, but Drake provided little context. Listeners were not primed with the artistic choices and personal details that would help explain his genre shift.

Fans of Drake are very much accustomed to his enormous ego, a trait which, unlike many artists, has always seemed to aid his music. In the past, his genre-bouncing, even if watered down, was made singular through his writing. Without that, you’re left with a half-hearted version of a superior, pre-existing sound—in this case, house. Drake's narcissism was a key component of his music’s draw. The self-loathing and melodramatic details of Take Care come to mind. When you listen to older Drake, you get the sense he believes the world revolves around him, a strategy that worked because his lyrics offered enough detail to give us glimpses into his life. I think Drake wanted to create more of a disconnected and mysterious aura with this project, which is why it lacks the personal detail that gives his usual work its richness. That detail is unfortunately supplanted by unending vagueness in Honestly, Nevermind.

Speaking of priming, Drake begins this all-vibes album with the track “Intro”. This slow instrumental isn't unheard of when compared to some of Drake's past work, as he tries to put listeners into the right headspace. Following the sedate melodies of “Intro,” Drake flips the script, opening with arguably one of the stronger tracks on the album “Falling Back.” The sudden house beat and subtle synth notes immediately indicate that this is an entirely new sound for Drake. Drake's wispy falsetto vocals are infectious as they crackle across DJ Black Coffee's deep house undertones. Unfortunately, in the very next track, “Texts Go Green,” things go downhill as Drake’s voice comes across as flat and uninterested; the song is really only held up by the throbbing percussion and soothing keys provided by Black Coffee. As the album continues, it's clear that Black Coffee's deep house additions give the album its swing and vibe where Drake's vocal performances come up short. The succeeding tracks “Currents,” “A Keeper,” and “Calling my Name” offer a switch up from house to bouncy Jersey Club beats. In each of the three tracks, Drake speaks about a lost love, a theme common in his music. But his lyrics again come across as washed up. Take “Calling My Name,” for example, where the details about this love amount to “You’re my water, my refresher. Take off your clothes, relieve pressure.”² Compared to allusions Drake has made on past albums, we are left with no tidbits to grab onto, we cannot say, “Oh, he hinted at this, so his love must be her.” The drama and sarcastic fun is gone. Worst of all, when he isn't saying anything of substance, one tends to focus on his singing. The problem is that he sings far too monotonously on these three tracks, as well as on “Down Hill” and “Tie that Binds” later in the album. Without engaging lyrics and with a voice that often sounds half dead, many of the tracks on Honestly, Nevermind simply don't come off as anything other than background noise, suitable for your local Zara or Sephora.

After the lethargic tones of “Calling My Name,” it's almost like someone in the studio gave Drake a shock as he breaks into the energetic “Massive” and bouncy “Sticky” both easily the two best tracks on the album. “Massive” immediately gave me hope with its colorful synths, harsh drums, and Drake's effervescent vocals. The changing tempo and pitch in Drake's voice give the impression of a Drake much less out of his depth than he seemed just a few tracks previously. Carnage, who is credited with the beat for “Massive,” is not known for his club music; the sound is still too uniform, lacking the quirks and malleability of superior club music. Carnage's smoothed house betrays “Massive” in its role as the most committed house track in the album. It is one of those moments when I, as a DJ, genuinely wish Drake had pushed his production team to let loose with the beats. A properly done “Massive” could have been truly incendiary and proven that Drake really can cross genres, but unfortunately, Carnage just made this track too flat for club DJing. Almost as redemption, Carnage’s jumping beat on “Sticky” is one of the only two songs where Drake actually “raps” on Honestly, Nevermind. Drake, now back in his element, sounds more motivated as he speaks in French and declares how because they wouldn't give him a plus one for his friend D-Block, he'd “never pull up to the Met [Gala].”³ He is back in full big-man rapper mode, and it feels obvious that he has much more fun with this rap track than with his melodic vocals in the rest of the album.

Closing out his album, things only get more confusing, however. “Flights Booked” is a largely empty collection of sample chops over questionable synths. The vocals, again, are mostly vague, impersonal, and monotone. The same can be said about the rest of the last few tracks. “Overdrive” starts with a compelling instrumental but trips over the same vocal woes that have infected the whole project. On “Downhill”, Drake ends up saying very little, despite making commendable use of his vocal range. Ironically, most of the verses on the track aptly cheer, “We’re going downhill”⁴ . The second to last track, “Tie that Binds,” is essentially the same as “Downhill,” only now the upbeat synths are replaced with an out-of-place guitar instrumental, which in no way fits the intended vibe of the album. “Liability” finishes the album with a shallow remark about how relationships can be a “liability”. Don't let this groundbreaking profundity and lyricism from Drake distract you. The slowed and reversed trap beats and the synthesized and unrecognizable rendition of Drake's voice make this track alien to the rest of the album. While I wish I could finish my analysis there, there is, in fact, one more track. “Jimmy Cooks” featuring 21 Savage is indeed a great song. The beat is undeniably hard, Drake's lyrics and flow are superb, and 21 Savage’s feature is faultless as many would expect. There's just one issue. This song has no place in Honestly, Nevermind. It's almost like Drake predicted the adverse reception of this project and so tacked on “Jimmy Cooks” as a safety net. And yes, it is a good song, but not as a part of this album. Its inclusion completely undermines any conviction Drake could have claimed in his attempt at a new genre and proves he was only willing to put one toe in the pond.

As a fan of Drake and lover of all things house, believe me when I say I wanted to like this album. It had all the right parts to be a commendable foray into unknown territory for Drake. The resources and talent of one of the top three rappers in the game, the production expertise of Black Coffee and Carnage. It was all there on the table. Drake, I believe, just didn't know what he wanted from this project. He may have just wanted to try something new. But if that is the case, why not release a couple of singles, or call it an experimental work? In not framing his work, audiences automatically expected a Billboard Hot 100 summer anthem. What we got was a disjointed mess that constantly fluctuates between nearly brilliant and derivative. This project as well as Certified Lover Boy, Her Loss, and For All the Dogs all repeat this pattern of increasingly impersonal output from Drake. It's a real shame to see his music losing the unapologetically bombastic edge that so endeared him with his listeners. As for me, I still look forward to a day when a prominent rapper like Drake does break into the house scene and finally brings top-tier lyricism back to the clubs and festivals which would so eagerly eat them up.