Hitting streaming services at around 1 a.m. ET on Friday morning, 'CLB' is finally here. The album is technically 9 months late, but Drake made sure there's a little intrigue for everyone across 21 songs. Tap to see 5 key takeaways shaping the 'Lover Boy' era.
Sponsored
1. Drake Makes The Corniest Lines Sound Good
An early refrain making fans smirk is, "Yeah, say that you a lesbian, girl, me too," which Drake suggests on "Girls Want Girls" featuring Lil Baby. Given the juvenile title of 'Certified Lover Boy,' many people expected Drizzy to dip into his bag of corny one-liners.
It looks like the appetite for shameless Drake-isms has yet to fade.
2. 'CLB' Embraces A Mature R&B Sound
'Take Care' introduced Drizzy as a genre-bending artist with an affinity for R&B. Six albums and more than a decade of both musical and personal experiences later, the 34-year-old is leaning back into sad boy croons.
His latest portraits mix "toxic masculinity and acceptance of truth which is inevitably heartbreaking," according to him. Whoa.
3. Drake Appreciates Juice WRLD's Impact
Following Juice WRLD's sudden passing in Dec. 2019, Drake offered the below message via Instagram. "I would like to see all the younger talent live longer and I hate waking up hearing another story filled with blessings was cut short," he wrote.
It's now apparent he respects not only Juice's talent but his one-of-a-kind perspective, as he samples the above Montreality interview clip on the Kid Cudi-assisted "IMY2."
4. He's Still Tapping Houston For Inspiration
Ever since his breakout mixtape 'So Far Gone,' Drake has steadily paid homage to Houston's style of woozily confident hip-hop.
He's bringing past collabs with Bun-B and the late Pimp C full-circle, splicing the classic "Get Throwed" across "N 2 Deep" with Future. There's even a hint of Travis Scott's well-known ambient delivery.
5. Conflict Isn't Disrupting Drake's Process
Despite Drake's feud with Kanye being the lead storyline heading into the release of 'CLB,' many of rap's biggest artists have seemingly avoided choosing sides.
Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, Ty Dolla $ign and, most notably, Jay-Z are featured on both 'CLB' and Ye's 'Donda.' Maybe everyone will be cool one day.
