Drake has become the first artist in Billboard history to occupy the top three spots on the chart, thanks to the triple release of ‘ICEMAN’, ‘MAID OF HONOUR’ and ‘HABIBTI’. With this mark, he also equals Taylor Swift as the solo artist with the most number 1s in the history of the Billboard 200, with 15.
Michael Jackson could have been the first to achieve this milestone in 2009, but due to Billboard rules, which prevented any album that had been released for more than 18 months from counting on the charts, he did not achieve it. ‘ICEMAN’, the jewel in the crown, has a total of 463,000 units sold, while ‘HABIBTI’ and ‘MAID OF HONOUR’ have 114,000 and 110,000, respectively.
Although the numbers for Drake’s latest releases look impressive, the critical reception hasn’t been as positive. For this reason, and to save the hassle of listening to some of the most disappointing albums of Drake’s career, we choose two songs from each project that are worth it.
‘ICEMAN’
The beginning of the hip hop-oriented mother album of this cycle starts off quite well. The lyrics of ‘Make Them Cry’ and especially ‘Whisper My Name’ set the tone for the entire project, which unfortunately is more similar to the first. The second is everything we want from Drake: catchy flows and shame-free lines (“Am I your GOAT? Probably not / I probably was, but you probably forgot”). ‘Dust’, in between the two, also succeeds in combining melodies and aggressiveness.
‘MAID OF HONOR’
On this album, adorned with Drake’s parents on the cover, the Canadian takes us to the club. It’s a fun project, although it does have very low points. On the other hand, we have ‘Road Trips’ and ‘Princess’. While the first is a banger that shows Drake’s most playful side, the second is a very strange alternative R&B cut that begins with some very distorted synths and one of the artist’s most emo lyrics: “I found my princess lying in the bathroom / She had too much fun.” Irresistible.
‘HABIBTI’
Drake surrenders to his R&B and romantic side on the third album of the cycle. If you like the Drake of tunes, this should be your choice. ‘High Fives’ brings back the Canadian’s most toxic version, already one of the most entertaining, combining lyrics full of quotable references with the artist’s classic melodies. ‘Classic’, on the other hand, is a welcome throwback to the production of the early 2000s. It’s easy to hear The Weeknd, and Prince with his voice raised?, on this cut.
