All year long, people have been waiting eagerly for two of today’s most popular rap artists, Drake and Kanye West, to release their new albums Certified Lover Boy (CLB) and Donda.
After a year-long wait, Kanye’s Album, Donda, was released on August 29, 2021. Drake released his new music five days after Kanye. The proximity of their release dates, along with the ongoing rivalry between the two artists has created a great deal of discourse about which album fans are enjoying more.
art by Charlotte King
Kanye West’s 27 track album had a very unique debut to go along with his very unique 2020. In the last year, he ran a presidential campaign, and had a very high-profile separation from his reality star wife, Kim Kardashian. Kanye’s new album offers a chance to refocus his image on his music.
Kanye held three listening parties which consisted of him listening to his unfinished music in front of a live audience in a filled stadium. The artistic vision of his performance and gospel heavy album had much to do with his mental health and emotions surrounding his late mother, Donda.
The album is filled with grief and pain which showed through during his distinctive live performance. Though fans were excited about this sneak peek into the new album, some saw the timing of his drop as an effort to upstage Drake.
Drake took a more conventional approach to his album’s release, without any previews and publicizing all the songs at once. This seemed to be just as effective in creating excitement around his music. Because CLB’s drop had been postponed for months due to a knee injury, fans were eager to listen to and compare these albums. The day it was released, CLB broke Spotify’s record for most streamed album in a day, previously set by Drake’s last album, Scorpion, in 2018.
art by Charlotte King
For both artists, a large portion of their fanbase is made up of teenagers. A quick survey of Lick-Wilmerding High School students found that they liked more songs from CLB than from Donda but overall felt neither album was the artists’ best work.
Mila Grossman ’23 said, “I just feel like Drake really nails the catchiness.” Jake McDonald ’23 said he expects Drake to put out “catchy, consistently good songs with good vibes.” Max Ozer-Staton ’16 said, “Drake’s album is music that you might hear on the radio more, and is catchier, especially upon first listen.” Grossman said CLB makes her “want to dance,” while Donda feels a little sadder and gets her more in touch with her emotions. There is an underlying darkness behind Kanye’s lyrics because of his emotional exploration of his faith, mental health and relationship with his mother. Christianity is a large part of Kanye’s life, which is reflected in his music through gospel singing.
McDonald is disappointed with Donda. He considers Kanye West one of his favorite artists, but he prefers Kanye’s old albums, not his more recent ones, especially not Donda.
Mars Kipp ’24 agreed that he prefers old Kanye over new Kanye, and he is not a fan of such an experimental sound. Kipp said, “I don’t really like how Kanye is so different and weird, which I guess is artistically better. But Drake is more simple and always performs well… he doesn’t let you down.”
Though there was a lot of feedback about CLB having a larger amount of good songs, there are strong arguments for why Donda might still be the better album.
Ozer-Staton said, “I personally like the Kanye one more because I felt like it was more musically adventurous. It had some higher highs but also lower lows.”
Many students see a more interesting album from Kanye West. They feel it is the type of album you can go back and listen to over and over. You can continue to find more meaning and discover new and interesting parts of different songs on every listen.
Benny Werthiemer ’23 found CLB repetitive, which might make it more accessible on the first listen but not age as well. In his earlier albums, Drake rapped about proving his doubters wrong and his motivation to make it in the industry. Now that he has been at the top for so long, his music is less lyrically daring and reflects more on his lack of inspiration. According to Ozer-Staton, because Donda is more artistic and takes more risks musically, it is more timeless than CLB.
Though expressed differently, the tone and meaning of each album is similar. Both albums have songs that are very fun and have more hype energy, but both have a deeper sadness behind them. Ozer-Staton thought the melancholy and reflective narratives of CLB and Donda revealed both artist’s search for more in life beyond extreme fame and success.
What sets Donda apart from CLB is it’s experimentality, which can be very hit or miss. Drake’s is excellent in its consistency. Drake seems to never miss with his catchy songs and cool beats that set him ahead in the industry, while Kanye’s risk taking and musicality is what makes him stand out.
