(Aug 28, 2022 ● Oslin Pierrette)
Drake’s “Honestly, Nevermind” is really good. Everything about this album is a shock and surprise. First off, it’s a surprise album. Drake has dropped a surprise release project before, but he labeled IYRTITL a mixtape. He’s classifying this project as an album. Then the genre of the album being a dance/house album. He’s played in these genres before, but fully dedicating the album, and it actually being listed as a dance album, or called a house album is so left field. The short rollout to this album, the images, even the intro. It seemed to me he was going to drop a bar-up rap record. I played the intro, it sounded extra Hip-Hop. I was so hype, goosebumps were present. There was like this sax, playing with this synthy airy organ. I was like it’s over, this is the redemption after CLB’s underperformance. Then the feeling and moment I will never forget. The next track immediately comes on, a slurred “Oh yeah”, with an uptempo industrial poppy beat. Then he starts singing “finding myself…” I look up at the genre. It says Dance. I haven’t been more confused or shocked, laughingly shocking. What in the world is going on? Then you go through the album, then it’s like what is going on. He actually stuck with the whole dance/house thing. This is one of the most shocking and confusing moments in music for me. That moment is still laughable.
Now getting into the music, the first listen was very underwhelming. The vocals just sounded so off putting. Also I still could’ve been in this confused state. Even though this was a surprise. Still expectations were spawned, not like I had crazy expectations. But I typically expect Drake to stay in the Hip-Hop ballpark. Then the last song on the album features 21 Savage. You’re like no way he’s about to fuse 21 and House, which in fact he didn’t. Still in Drake fashion he has to please his other fan bases, a small taste. In the small taste, he delivers a densely packed trap record. It was like oh, he still has the ability, and understands he can make good music. So what happened with this project, it just felt so off.
After finishing the album, my first listen. After being in bed confused, I went to the bathroom to do my night skincare routine. I was like, lemme play A keeper(Track 5). I really liked that song. It was just this beautifully emotional song, a great crooner. So I’m playing and I’m dancing, liking it some more. Then it goes into Calling My Name, then I start liking that, especially that bridge. I was like ok, I’m liking this some more. Then the next track comes on, Sticky. I liked that one too. Then the next song comes on, Massive. That was amazing, it was like ohhh… I might actually like this album. I’m just feeling the music and dancing. Then Flights Booked comes on. When that beat drops, it gives me a mean mug, and I’m feeling it, dancing. That song right there cemented it for me, this album is really good. Then went back to Falling Back, and that sounded great, at the time his vocals still sounded weird, but I was still getting more connected to this project. So that was a big turnaround for me. Going from feeling disappointed and shocked to feeling the majority of the project was good. Maybe it was the change of scenery. Getting out of my dark room in bed, to actually standing up in a bright room. Also letting go of all notions, just listening and receiving whatever it is that’s supposed to be received. Allowing and accepting the album for what it is. Fortunately for me, I was House and electronic music heavy that month. Lot of Kaytranada and James Blake, also I was mixing my own music. So I already have the enzyme for this music to properly digest this album. I don’t think you need to be in Ibiza to like this project, like people are saying. Just open your ears to different sounds.
People should open themselves to House music in general. It’s a great genre, a music loving genre. You just appreciate the instruments and dancing, the beautiful experimentation of it, great feelings of it. The problem with Drake’s fanbase. People are calling it “mid”. You can ‘not like it’, it can ‘not be your cup of tea’, but if you don’t have variety in your music playlist/catalog. I don’t think you should be able to call other genres “mid”, because of the ear you lack.
This album is definitely a polarizing album though, in a good way though. Drake has a lot of variety in his fanbase. Also has a lot of variety in his music. There’s always gonna be a section of his base who feel they didn’t get pleased as much as others. So Drake always tries to do his best to feed them all. Also he was playing it safe a bit with the songs themselves. This time he stuck to what he liked and created, far from any of his foundational elements, experimented with the construction of the project. Stayed cohesive throughout. Which was definitely going to cause an uprise with his base. Which has been a sign of something good in music sometimes. Basically the artist isn’t going to ride what has been working for them, play it safe. Even if they know their base isn’t going to be too fond of it. They stick to their creative expression, and trust in it. I’m not saying they are of the same class, but like Yeezus or Whole Lotta Red, heavily trashed albums, but were those artists most respected and one their best albums. Culture shifting albums. That opened the listeners to new worlds.
Now getting to the notable songs. Falling Back is definitely my favorite. And there’s nothing like a good music video to seal that for you. That song had a big turnaround for me. It was very off-putting at first, but it’s one of my favorite songs of the year now. Like I believe he did some post mixing, because it doesn’t seem like the same song I heard at first. I really like the vocals on it now. But I just really love the euphoric mood and tone that it sets. This song oozes serotonin. It’s a pleasing and euphoric industrial hypnotic sound. That’s the best way I can describe it for now. It just comes on, and I’m just satisfied. Also going back to the music video. What it also did for me was illustrate how great that bridge on Calling My Name is. That blue color party visual. That slow motion too, with everyone dancing. It just set an amazing mood for the song. Then it goes right back into the euphoric Falling Back, further cementing I may love this album.
Then that over emotional A Keeper. This song was the anchor for me. From track 5-9 is a great ride, and A Keeper is the beginning of the run, setting a great tone. Like I said earlier, it’s such a great crooner record. That I love singing along to. With one of my favorite hooks of the year. Such a smooth song. While this was a very smooth going album, Massive is one of the harder emphatic songs, had a lot more oomph to it than the other songs. Has more of a standard House sound to it. When it drops, it drops, and you just gotta dance to it. Then the last notable song I want to address is Flight’s Booked. It comes on so smooth and soulful. Like a lot of the album, this song was just so euphoric. Especially with the ending of the song, with that smooth tropical finish.
This is the least amount of words Drake has said on an album, but House albums don’t really command a word-full performance. But even with that, I appreciated the vocal performance and lyrics throughout the album. Even the repetitive ones like Falling Back. Also a big shout out to all the contributors to the albums. Their work is very essential to the project. All the producers, mixers, and to whoever substantially created on this record, they did an amazing job. This was a great collaborative project that needed to come out.
Honestly, Nevermind is a really good album. Besides the song Currents, I’m ok with everything on this album. It seemed this time that Drake was connected to a feeling and vibes he was surrounded by, that he wanted to express, a foundational part to art, just expressing feeling. Rather than him being connected to mass appeal satisfaction, which produces uninspired apathetic art. Especially when the masses are drenched in apathetic absurdism. Creating for mass pleasure makes that wide blanket you want to cover so thin. So it’s better to just create for yourself, and make that product very dense, and connected to how you feel. For your own dense pleasure, and share that. And for people who are able to grasp it, I feel it will be a great experience for them. I hope Drake continues to create like this. This was a really good output for him. One of my favorite albums of the year.