Upon learning that Drake’s May 15 “ICEMAN” release would feature three different albums, I was immediately filled with skepticism as to whether or not they would maintain a high quality throughout.
The titular “ICEMAN” was a solid project, featuring dark, cold production that reflected Drake’s condition following his public feud with Kendrick Lamar, providing him an avenue for future artistic growth. The following album, “HABIBTI,” although considerably less engaging, still possessed some redeemable qualities as an R&B record.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the third installment of the “ICEMAN” release. “MAID OF HONOR” is an attempt at a club hit that immediately falls flat, serving as a microcosm of Drake’s worst flaws as an artist.
For example, Drake’s hypersexualized, misogynistic mindset is immediately apparent when comparing the first song, “Maid of Honor,” with the album cover.
The beautiful cover depicts Drake’s family with the “Maid of Honor,” his mother, at the
forefront in a wedding dress, signifying a wholesome project dedicated to her. However, upon pressing play, the listener is greeted with a grating dance-hall track that follows Drake urging a girl to let loose and embrace her “Hoe Phase.”
Themes of promiscuity and sexualization are rampant throughout the album, painting the seeming tribute to his mother on the cover in a very strange light.
Moreover, many tracks are awkward for listeners, as Drake repeatedly beckons women to commit sexual acts for extended periods of time in tracks like “Cheetah Print” and “BBW.”
Adding to the album’s absurdity, the aforementioned “Cheetah Print,” featuring Sexyy Red, boasts lackluster production and ill-fitting features, perpetuating two major faults in Drake’s recent music.
This atrocious song is built upon two instrumentals. The first utilizes a vocal sample from “(It Goes Like) Nanana” by Peggy Gou, with little modulation or changes from the original song, combined with annoying, lackluster house drums. On the other hand, the second instrumental features obnoxious string hits and horrifyingly mixed drums, culminating in an assault on the listener’s eardrums.
Furthermore, Sexyy Red adds insult to injury through her interpolation of the legendary song “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper. Due to her screeching vocals and cringe delivery, this feature somehow turns “Cheetah Print” from an already terrible song into an appalling cacophony of disjointed noises.
Despite its many faults, “Cheetah Print” still provides more entertainment than the vast majority of formulaic filler songs in “MAID OF HONOR.”
Tracks like “Stuck” and “Goose and The Juice” are mediocre due to their minimalistic production and Drake’s half-baked vocals. These songs fail to form the danceable club energy the album is reaching for, and they do nothing more than pad out the project’s content volume.
Throughout my torturous experience listening to “MAID OF HONOR,” I kept questioning why the album even exists. This project marks another in a series of stains in Drake’s catalogue, from “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” to “For All The Dogs.” Just like those projects, “MAID OF HONOR” was clearly only released for profit, with little consideration for actual artistry.
It is truly upsetting to witness a once-great artist like Drake fall to such a low point. My only hope is that this album is truly the throwaway it seems like, rather than a real continuation of his downward trajectory.
