What better way to write my first album review on this blog for the year (which is ridiculous as it's the end of September) than to cover one of the best albums of 2013?
Drake's third album, "Nothing Was The Same" was released on Monday, a week after its online leak. Yes, the man who put Melancholy & B on the map
is back to tell us how sad he is. I couldn't be happier about it. But for the
first time in his career, Drake chooses to lead us in with the upbeat and
hypnotising track 'Tuscan Leather'. Sampling Whitney Houston's ‘I Have
Nothing’, the opener is three interlude’s in one. Letting us know that he’s
here to stay, (“I'm tired of hearing ‘bout who you checking for now, just give
it time we’ll see who’s still around a decade from now”) the Canadian rapper
has never seemed so pompous, believable and likeable at the same time.
Drake’s grandiosity is broken up by his sombre
temperament similar to his last two
efforts "Thank Me Later" and "Take Care". 'Connect' and the previously leaked 'The Motion' reek of the rapper’s feelings we've all come to know, and 'From
Time' is the 'Take Care' of NWTS, aided by a beautifully fitting Jhene Aiko.
‘Own It’ features a first for any rapper in existence as Drake utters the words – “Next time we fuck, I
don’t wanna fuck, I wanna make love”. You can tell he really means this
one.
What does separate him from his previous LP's is
how angry he is in parts of NWTS. Okay, so he’s not at a Yeezus level of rage
(yet) but his versus have never sounded as forceful or urgent as they have here . It’s hard
to believe the same person spittin’ is the same person singing on ‘Hold On, We’re
Going Home’, a song so filled with golden throwback goodness it seems almost too perfect to have
been released this year.
'Nothing Was The Same' is without a doubt his most diverse album thus far, at least on a lyrical level. It's the perfect addition to his already strong discography. Drake should be proud of this one.
'Nothing Was The Same' is without a doubt his most diverse album thus far, at least on a lyrical level. It's the perfect addition to his already strong discography. Drake should be proud of this one.
A-
Key Tracks: Tuscan Leather, Worst
Behaviour, From Time
