Nov 4, 2022
Her Loss by Drake x 21 Savage | Album Review
reviewing the collaboration album from Drake and 21 Savage
After a week’s delay, as a result of Noah ‘40’ Shebib’s run in with Covid, Drake and 21 Savage collaborate for Her Loss, an album hinted at with the closing track of Honestly, Nevermind (review here), “Jimmy Cooks”. The album rollout over the past two days or so have sparked the interest of consumers and seems to poke fun at traditional rollouts. With a mock Tiny Desk, an “interview” with Howard Stern, and fake Vogue cover, the rappers seem to be hinting at the meretricious nature of the traditional album rollout that focuses on illuminating the, largely, lackluster with an emphasis of pandering to sales and empty streams.
Her Loss is drenched in filthy trap bass countered by timely hi-hats, a trademark for 21 Savage-led tracks. The tandem play between the artists that drifts swiftly from ear to ear makes for an enticing, if not gymnastic, listen. Drake’s intention this time around feels a bit more clear — the veracity that seemed to be missing over the past couple of projects makes itself apparent. In “BackOutsideBoyz,” he glides over an infectious beat, reminiscent of a trap era of the last decade that featured heavy hitters like the Migos (RIP Takeoff) and Rich Homie Quan, among others.
The plethora of flows that the duo explore goes beyond the scope of singularly trap rap, dipping a toe into hip-hop and R&B, as seen on “Spin Bout U”. Where 21 provides an intensive, unresting rap seriousness, Drake Provides relief in the form of Views-esque melodies. It’s clear there was an air of vengeance, if not redemption, for the critiques of his last two projects. The juxtaposition of filthy, ear-rattling bass backed tracks and the soothing R&B vocals and samples rattles the ear in a way that’ll keep your head nodding along. You can almost hear the street-scraping Cadillac spinning the block blasting these songs making the lyrics unrecognizable.
There’s something to be said on the subject matter of the album. We see the usual musings of fame and glory but the intentional focus on the “Her Loss” mentality in regards to relationships and sex is almost egregious. Who’s loss is Drake referring to? While this is largely up for interpretation and requires more digging than the average person should bother with, these subjects are all too familiar with these artists and yet the revelations lead to new layers of introspection. The vulnerability of “I Guess It’s Fuck Me” revels in both a hint of toxicity and insecurity in the relationship Drake is traversing throughout the album. Love, for Drake, adds a burden that compounds with his already stricken social life as the “first anti-social socialite” and the pressure that comes from remaining at the top.
More than anything, this feels like a Drake album more than a collab — his R&B influence is almost wholesale, and ultimately, for the better. The swoons of “Hours In Silence” and “Middle of the Ocean” overpower the more lackluster misses of “Treacherous Twins” and “Jumbotron Shit Poppin’”. Even the weakest tracks benefit from the ample production that drizzled throughout the entirety of Her Loss. The strongest tracks, like “Pussy & Millions,” take advantage of the timeliness of a Travis Scott feature and the calm, yet decisive delivery that glides along the booming and funky backtrack.
As far as Drake albums go, this clears Certified Lover Boy and is quite competitive with Honestly, Nevermind. I give this album the nod at this moment because the unfailing nature of the collaboration and the fact I’m not entirely familiar with the nuance of the house-influenced Honestly, Nevermind. While his influence is undoubted on this generation, it’s fair to acknowledge that Drake has slipped into an era where he isn’t the airwave authority he once was. And, honestly, that’s okay — the product of that is still worth listening to. We see an artist content with being on top, and everything that comes with that, a signature introspective on fame, sex, haters, and more.
Rating: 8.5/10
Favorite Tracks: Hours in Silence, BackOutsideBoyz, Pussy & Millions, I Guess It’s Fuck Me
