Drake recruits Tristian Thompson for the 9-minute long “Falling Back” video from his seventh solo studio album, Honestly, Nevermind. Although Drake’s new project is wildly successful and a cultural moment, it has strange downtempo dance arrangements and delusional lyrics. This era is him owning his playboy image his own way.
Album Overview
Dedicated to the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, the fourteen-track listen feels more an experiment than something finished. However, it feels transitional and real– just a move that’s very “un-Drake.” The rapper shared a note on Apple Music regarding the new album:
I let my humbleness turn to numbness at times letting time go by knowing I got the endurance to catch it another time
I work with every breath in my body cause it’s the work not air that makes me feel alive
That’s some real detrimental shit but that’s that shit my perfectionist mind doesn’t really mind because no one knows whats on my mind when I go to sleep at 9 & wake up at 5 – unless I say it in rhyme […]
I was tryna get thru that statement to get to saying I’m not @ a time in my life where pats on the shoulder help get me by
I’ll take loyalty over an oh my & emoji fire
I know if it was a dark night where all the odds were against my side & my skill went to whoever took my life they’d done me off with a big smile & maybe evn post it for some likes
While his sentiment reflects the album’s uniqueness, his superficial, frivolous lyricism seen on Certified Lover Boy (2021) carries onto this album and devalues his intentions. Tracks like “A Keeper” reflects on Drake “finding a new muse” and gifting them everything while dissing his old flame. The album’s “downtempo-beat-into-house-music” pipeline doesn’t make sense here and has no significance in having a near-30-second dance break ending. It might be his message sounds like a deep cut but is quelled by dance music. However, on the sultry, seductive “Calling My Name,” that transition makes more sense as the lyrics are one part eager and one part sexy. So while the production is often times hit-or-miss, the lyrics are often repeating, self-serving, and surface level.
Check out the album here.
The Success of Honestly, Nevermind
Despite the album’s initial impressions, it feels like Ariana Grande‘s Sweetener: People won’t get it now but will later. And it is already making waves on charts. This week, Honestly, Nevermind debuts at No. 1 atop the Billboard 200 chart, making it his 11th No. 1. He is one of only five acts to achieve more than 10 No.1 albums with the Beatles (with 19) Jay-Z (14), Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand (each with 11).
Honestly, Nevermind debuts with 204,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 23, according to Luminate. With streaming powering 94% of the first week’s sum, Drake also breaks the record for most first-day streams (and took only one hour).
“Falling Back” Music Video with Tristian Thompson
“Falling Back” is the album’s first song after a brief intro track. In the music video, Tristian Thompson is Drake’s best man as he weds 23 women, but the ceremonies are sealed not with a kiss but a special handshake. The Director X music video is a playful jab and wink at the real-life best friends’ playboy lifestyles.
The last three minutes of the video give each bride a solo moment, naming them and sharing their social media handles. The visual also features a “Free YSL” message, supporting the YSL artists currently being held in prison.
What do you think of Drake’s newest album, Honestly, Nevermind? Let us know in the comments!
