Despite being one of the biggest rappers in the world, Drake is an extremely polarizing artist. Nowadays, his albums come out to pretty mixed reactions. Diehard fans still ride by him without a second thought. They’ll argue records like ICEMAN are just as good as the albums he made in his prime. Meanwhile, haters and skeptics trash his new work immediately upon arrival. It’s like his Take Care days never even existed to them.
However, there’s one album in particular that really made fans and haters alike raise their eyebrows. Four years ago today, Drake released Honestly, Nevermind, his foray into dance music funneled through his lonely yearning. Diving into everything from Baltimore and Jersey club, amapiano, and ballroom, it was an unexpected left turn that once again split listeners. Some appreciated the soft tweak in the formula, going for house music instead of his traditional R&B.
Others are almost exclusively fans of the Toronto MC when he’s in his rapping bag. Consequently, “Jimmy Cooks” played like a breath of fresh air for people who didn’t want to hear Drake’s soft cooing about long-distance relationships on “Flight’s Booked“.
Drake Releases ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ Four Years Ago Today
Critics were surprised and refreshed by Drake’s desire to pivot in another stylistic direction. Journalist Vivian Medithi marveled at the decision to reject making another “fan service” album. Instead, he made the album he wanted to make, even if not everyone got on board. “Locked in with producers he trusts and letting his guard down, he sounds more focused and balanced than he has in years,” Medithi wrote for HipHopDX.
Similarly, Jon Caramanica was particularly impressed by Drake as a pop star. “A small marvel of bodily exuberance – appealingly weightless, escapist and zealously free,” he wrote for the New York Times. “An album of entrancing club music, it’s a pointed evolution toward a new era for one of music’s most influential stars. It is also a Drake album made up almost wholly of the parts of Drake albums that send hip-hop purists into conniptions.”
However, it wasn’t without its detractors, too. Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork was colder towards Honestly, Nevermind. But it was not because it’s a dance album instead of a rap album. Instead, he wanted more lively house production that challenged Drake’s rhythm and songwriting. “A breezy Drake dance album sounds great in concept. But the half-measure house beats and lackluster songwriting keep it from really popping off,” he argued.
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