To call Drake's "Certified Lover Boy" a flop, as many have since the album came out in September, is to say more about the hip-hop superstar's overall success than about the perceived failure of a Grammy-nominated LP that broke several streaming records on its way to finishing 2021 as last year's third-biggest release.
But OK, sure: Unlike pretty much everything Drake had done since the start of his major-label recording career more than a decade ago, the meandering "Certified Lover Boy" fell slightly out of sync with the pop culture zeitgeist. The album didn't spin off a series of durable radio hits (though "Way 2 Sexy" went to No. 1) nor did the music take over TikTok and social media in the manner of a modern smash. For perhaps the first time, Drake's grip seemed to slip.
Which makes it easy to view "Honestly, Nevermind" — the "CLB" follow-up he surprise-dropped June 17 just hours after revealing it existed — as Drake's shot at a reset. Composed almost entirely of sleek, airy club music jams in which he does as little rapping as he ever has, Drake's seventh studio album marks an undeniable change in course, even if the 35-year-old remains lyrically preoccupied with the petty romantic grievances that have always fueled his songwriting.
