One new Drake album is separating itself — and it’s not subtle

by

Everyone was wondering what Drake’s next musical move would be after his highly publicized rivalry with Kendrick Lamar earlier in 2024. Now, with his first new music released since then, Drake has made his decision about the direction he’s taking his sound.

Many were surprised by his approach: a massive release of new music. He finally released the long-awaited ICEMAN, along with two additional full albums, HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR.

Drake just released three albums with a whopping 43 new songs! It can be tough to know where to start, so I’ve created this ranking to help you decide which tracks are worth listening to – and which ones you can skip, unless you’re a die-hard Drake fan.

Drake’s three newest albums, ranked worst to first

MAID OF HONOUR (1/10)

I tried to listen to each album without any preconceived notions, but I was still really surprised by how disappointing MAID OF HONOUR was. It includes some of Drake’s weakest tracks so far, and honestly, I think it’s his worst album to date.

MAID OF HONOUR sounds a lot like Drake’s 2022 album, Honestly, Nevermind, with a strong emphasis on dance and house music. However, this approach could be risky for Drake, as Honestly, Nevermind wasn’t initially well-received by fans and critics.

Compared to Honestly, Nevermind, MAID OF HONOUR feels like a significant step down. While it’s possible to create good music like this, this album isn’t it. The instrumentals are consistently either uninspired or unpleasant, and certainly don’t encourage listeners to keep listening.

Okay, the production isn’t amazing, but honestly, it’s the lyrics that really get to me. Drake’s been dropping some seriously cheesy lines lately – I mean, lines like ‘This ain’t my first rodeo, girl, can you ride my pony?’ on ‘Q&A’ and ‘You’re so unappreciated just ’cause your body ain’t PG rated’ on ‘BBW’? It’s not just those two, there’s a lot of stuff like that throughout the album and it’s just… a lot.

Honestly, some of the features on this album just don’t hit. They can’t even seem to find the tracks when they’re supposed to be there! Central Cee’s verse on “Which One” was super underwhelming, and then there’s “Cheetah Print”… it’s just Sexyy Red doing the “Cha Cha Slide” over a beat. It’s… a choice, and not a good one.

The album MAID OF HONOUR is filled with failures – far too many to list. Overall, it’s a shockingly poor release from start to finish, shockingly low-quality, and frankly, a bit embarrassing for Drake’s discography.

HABIBTI (2/10)

Drake’s album, HABIBTI, leans heavily into R&B. While it’s definitely more enjoyable than MAID OF HONOUR, it’s not necessarily a standout album overall.

Both HABIBTI and MAID OF HONOUR suffer from weak instrumental tracks and disappointing guest appearances. While Drake’s performance on this album isn’t always strong lyrically or vocally, HABIBTI isn’t as bad overall and even includes a few standout moments.

Drake seems to be working with a familiar sound on this project, and the results speak for themselves. The standout track, “WNBA,” features a catchy beat with electronic elements, and Drake delivers a strong performance both rapping and singing.

I enjoyed the first part of the song “Classic.” Drake’s melodies are appealing, and the beat has a nice, tropical vibe. However, like many of his songs, he unfortunately detracts from it later on. He adds a repetitive vocal sample asking about someone’s first romantic experience, which feels unnecessary and detracts from the song’s quality.

That covers the main points, but Drake definitely has some awkward moments throughout the album. For example, on the track “I’m Spent,” he raps, “Take this shit and swallow it like Big Pharma,” and on “White Bone,” he says, “I’m the only Don you know other than Julio.” The lyrics on the final track, “Prioritizing,” are particularly questionable.

Okay, so I was really hoping to love HABIBTI, but honestly, it’s just… kind of bland. It’s not terrible, but it’s definitely not exciting. The beats are atmospheric and nighttime-y, but they just don’t really stick with you, you know? If you’re a huge fan of Drake when he does this kind of moody, atmospheric thing, maybe you’ll like it, but for me, it was a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more, to be honest.

ICEMAN (6/10)

Despite initially being anticipated as a different project, Drake’s released album turned out to be his strongest work in some time. It’s mostly classic Drake – focused on rapping without a lot of experimentation. While it’s not flawless, and not necessarily among his very best overall, the album is consistently good and a welcome return to form.

Everyone was curious how Drake would respond to his recent public disputes on his new album, ICEMAN. The album features criticisms of many people Drake feels have wronged him, including Kendrick Lamar, LeBron James, and DJ Khaled.

Even after two years, Drake’s side of the feud still doesn’t quite make sense. Some of his diss tracks are effective, while others fall flat. However, if you’re not already opposed to Drake, you can probably appreciate the good ones and overlook the weaker ones, especially if the song itself is enjoyable.

Drake’s lyrics largely stick to familiar themes, focusing on his celebrity, relationships, and achievements. While some lines feel a bit cliché, others are genuinely clever, and overall, the songwriting is solid.

Musically, Drake sticks to familiar ground on this album. You’ll hear classic boom-bap beats on tracks like “Make Them Pay,” soulful sounds on “Firm Friends,” and trap instrumentals like “Ran To Atlanta.” He focuses more on rapping than he usually does, which is a welcome change, but the overall production feels comfortably familiar.

Although limited, the features on ICEMAN are the strongest across all three albums. Future, now back on good terms with Drake, teams up with Molly Santana on the aptly titled track “Ran To Atlanta,” and they both deliver excellent verses—the best on the album. 21 Savage’s contribution to “B’s On The Table” isn’t particularly impactful, but it’s still decent.

Overall, Drake’s ICEMAN isn’t a groundbreaking album – it doesn’t have any instant classics. However, it’s solid, with a lot of good tracks. It feels like a typical Drake album from 2026, but with more direct disses, fewer guest artists, and a greater emphasis on his rapping skills. That’s actually a positive thing! The only downside is that the album includes a couple of weaker songs.

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow

Read More

2026-05-18 01:01