This May 1, 2019 file photo shows Drake at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Drake surprised fans last week when he announced he was dropping his latest album titled “Honestly, Nevermind” at midnight on June 17. According to NBC News, the “God’s Plan” MC stepped away from his hip-hop roots into mostly house music for his seventh studio project.
He made the announcement about the release in an Instagram post just one day prior to the drop. “7th studio album ‘HONESTLY, NEVERMIND’ out at midnight,” Drake wrote in the caption of a photo of the album’s cover art.
In the album description on Apple Music, Drake wrote, “I let my humbleness turn to numbness at times letting time go by knowing I got the endurance to catch it another time. I work with every breath in my body cause it’s the work not air that makes me feel alive.”
House is the oldest genre of electronic dance music and is characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115 to 130 beats per minute.
The album broke Apple Music’s record for highest first-day streaming of a dance album, according to NBC News.
As usual with a major artist’s release, Black America weighed in. There were mixed reactions as some liked the album while others weren’t feeling it at all.
Here are some of the responses from Twitter about the Canadian-born MC’s latest artistic offering.
“I thought Drake was finna rap his a** off. He gave us Forever 21, Hot Topic, H&M a** music,” @BurnerP28817150 tweeted.
“Drake better stop hanging around with Jack Harlow because wtf is this,” @kirawontmiss wrote.
“I was listening to that new Drake joint last night. I fell asleep. It was boring. Even my dreams were boring. I was filing paperwork and documents in my dream,” comedian Tony Baker tweeted. “I might finish the rest of the album…..but the paperwork dreams might come back.”
“H&M and Forever 21 listening to Drake’s new album,” @Philmister31 tweeted, along with a meme video of a group of guys rockin’ with some music.
“Can’t ride around with your windows down playing this Drake album, a nigga gone throw a egg at ya whip,” Virginia State football plater Javon Frazier said.
“Y’all gotta go do some white people drugs then listen to Drake new sh*t,” @crackcobain__ wrote.
“Drake been dropping mid for a very long time idk why y’all so surprised,” @zoester__ wrote.
Some defended the album.
“Drake has such a wide ranging fan base that he will never be able to fully satisfy any particular sector of it,” @Cheamane tweeted. “If he tried to fully satisfy his Rap fan base then he would alienate his Pop fan base or his R&B fan base. As an artist it’s a great problem to have.”
“This drake hard y’all crazy,” @imkentheman tweeted.
Others said the album appealed to Drake’s female and LGBTQ audience.
Twitter user @luhblix wrote, “drake sassy as hell for havin albums called honestly nevermind and certified lover boy.”
“Drake came out the closet with this album… Even had the sassy title,” @FACTUALOPINION0 chimed in.
One user posted a clip of the “Certified Lover Boy” MC addressing how audiences receive albums today. “Drake been told us how it was gonna be like,” @vietbrah wrote before posting the clip.
As for Drake’s actual response to all the feedback? He seems totally unbothered.
“It’s all good if you don’t get it yet, it’s all good,” he said in a video posted to Instagram by @itsrikip_ with his song “Calling My Name” playing in the background.
“That’s what we do! We wait for you to catch up,” Drake continued. “We in here, though, we caught up already. On to the next. My goodness!”
PHOTO: This May 1, 2019 file photo shows Drake at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
