Whose Loss?: Staffer’s opinon on Drake’s new album “Her Loss”

If you have ever listened to “Shoota” with Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert or “Drip Too Hard” with Lil Baby and Gunna; both artists complement each other in such a way that transcends the song to the top of the charts. “Her Loss” is Drake’s attempt at a rap duo album, but what we got is a possible album of the year.

The opening track of the album is titled “Rich Flex,” and as the first track, it is a bold statement. The song starts with a melodic beat but then you get caught off guard with an impressive beat switch. The switch is Drake saying he is messing around in this album and you better be ready because this isn’t “Certified Lover Boy” Drake, this is Slaughter Gang Drake.

As you move down the track list you experience all the voices of Drake — the lover boy Drake in “Spin About You” and “Hours In Silence”, the mixtape Drake in “On BS” and “Major distribution” and the new age Drake in “Circo Loco”. The different voices of Drake are expressed throughout the album and they highlight his ability to produce quality music.

Throughout the album, you are able to experience the natural bond between 21 Savage and Drake in a way that we weren’t able to see in “Jimmy Cooks.” Throughout the album, Drake has the spotlight in the majority of their songs, but 21 Savage has a way of giving the main artist the spotlight, yet making sure that his voice isn’t forgotten. He has renowned for this ability, so much so that many people call his talent the “Savage Effect.”

With the combination of both Drake’s and 21 Savage’s talents, they were able to produce an amazing album — but it overstayed its welcome. If it would have been my album I would have ended it sooner. The opening is amazing but quite frankly all of the songs after “Middle of the Ocean” are just not necessary. They are long, strung out, and don’t really add anything to the album. Furthermore, “Middle of the Ocean” would have made a perfect outro — it would match a classic Drake outro similar to “March 14,” the outro of “Scorpion.”

Other than the length, I genuinely enjoyed the album. The combination of both Drake’s and 21’s different styles work well together on this album and the diversity of flow throughout the tracks makes this a very well-put-together album. Out of all of the albums released this year, I believe that “Her Loss” is a strong contender to win the album of the year.