Album Review - Drake & 21 Savage: Her Loss

STRONG 6/10

Drake and 21 Savage are at two very different points of their career at the release of their collaborative Her Loss (2022). Drake is arguably exiting his sonic prime, as previous efforts like Certified Lover Boy (2021) and Honestly, Nevermind (2022) were critically panned for their general lack of effort and passion; aspects of music Drake has prided himself on as the “6 God” who has been sent to hip-hop to save the rap game. In contrast, 21 Savage is arguably hitting the apex of his celebrity status after years of high-profile work with the likes of J. Cole, Childish Gambino, producer-extraordinaire Metro Boomin and of course, Drake. Savage’s previous works, such as Without Warning (2017) and i am > i was (2018) were mainstays of trap music towards the conclusion of the 2010s. There was relatively short notice, but excessive advertisement and anticipation, for Her Loss (2022) in satirical promotions that mocked artists who require press-runs for publicity, as well as by choosing a polarizing album cover that features a model/exotic dancer named Qui Yasuka. This condescending rollout that celebrity elites like Drake and 21 Savage deployed is appropriate for the album’s subject matter, just as Yasuka’s inclusion is, but the duo often presents themselves as bashfully vapid rather than confidently assertive.

Drake’s affinity for beat-switches is more than apparent throughout Her Loss, as we receive a taste of this on the album’s opener in “Rich Flex”, as well as on other cuts such as “Broke Boys” and “Pussy & Millions”. On a cut like “Rich Flex”, the beat switch is somewhat disappointing, as the production that accompanies Savage’s verse is a lot grimier and nuanced with its vocalizations sampled throughout before the change. Regardless of the instrumentation though, an production change mid-song would be welcomed if whoever is introducing their song section with energy to match the context of the tracks; this notion runs true for “Broke Boys”, but Travis Scott comes through with a monotone verse on “Pussy & Millions” that sounds phoned in, even though his pacing certainly matches the vibe of the track.

Much of 21 Savage’s lyrical content remains consistent to his image; violence and threatening remarks are present, but Drake’s influence seems to be rubbing off on him. Drake could easily be deemed a toxic romantic, a title he would probably glady don, and this notion is ever present to the fullest extent on Her Loss. Drake’s transactional perception of love comically reveals itself on a track like “Major Distribution”, where he raps “Know you're tired, we just did dinner for three hours/Lyin' to me all night/Buyin' Benz Benzes out of spite/Paid a hundred, ran up somethin' light/Simple price to keep 'em out my life.” As I mentioned before, 21 Savage runs with this thematic torch on a cut like on “More M’s”, when he states “Had to cut her off, she got too attached/I ain't wastin' time that I'm never gettin' back.” Common objectification from the pair aside though, “Spin Bout U” actually sees the two taking a more progressive stance where they acknowledge the fact that men shouldn’t dictate a woman’s life, particularly in relation to abortion. It also becomes apparent on a track like “Treacherous Twins” how much the partners value friendship and loyalty, albeit on a song that features incredibly boring vocal performances from Drake.

Speaking of vocal performances from Drizzy, he blatantly rips the flows and styles of rappers like Playboi Carti and Young Thug on songs like “BackOutsideBoyz” and “Jumbotron Shit Poppin”, although its execution is serviceable in comparison to the original artists. Long-winded introspective songs are always to be expected on a Drake album, particularly one with a time-stamp, but he allows Savage to take responsibility for this duty on “3AM on Glenwood”, a moderately pleasant change to Savage’s typical delivery and content. Similarly, tracks like “Middle of the Ocean” and “I Guess It’s Fuck Me” have luscious instrumentation to back Drake’s melodrama that balances itself between genuine insights and self-indulgence.

The highs of Her Loss are high, and while the lows are not necessarily rock-bottom, the album can often present itself as too nonchalant. This particularly applies to a lot of Drake’s contributions to the album. Even though this is labeled as a collab album, it often feels as though Savage is taking the backseat to the Canadian rapper on an album where he should be within his element. Similarly, Savage is sometimes forced to endure, or fully vacate the premises, in order for Drake’s typical soulful-chops that are clearly not an aspect of the Atlanta rapper’s expressionary taste. Songs like “Hours in Silence” and “Middle of the Ocean” just do not fit the vibe that attaching someone’s name like Savage’s on to a project should be associated with. This isn’t to say that Savage is fully incapable of delivering in a similar capacity, but he often isn’t even given the opportunity to; about a third of the album are basically just throwaways off of Drake’s previous solo efforts. Menacing trap beats are what Savage built his brand off of, and I wish we would have seen more consistency in the production in order to make the Atlanta rapper feel more at home. Instead, Her Loss has its bangers that absolutely hit, but you sometimes have to swim through the watered-down and cringeworthy crooning from Drake to find them.