On August 29, 2021,  Kanye West released his most awaited album Donda filled  with a new mix of rap and R&B songs. Then, five days after Donda was released Drake released his album CLB (Certified Lover Boy). Kanye’s album opens up with an extended chant of his dead mother’s name Donda which is a drumless yet energy-filled track. It continues with meaningful and memorable tracks that are far better than Drake’s album.

Drake describes his album as, “a combination of toxic masculinity and acceptance of truth, which is inevitably heartbreaking,” but in reality CLB is just like all his albums filled with lyrics about all the same things, basically him being a complete self-absorbed man. Both albums have tracks that feature artists like DaBaby, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, JAY-Z, Future, and other well known artists. Certified Lover Boy was inspired by Drake’s toxic “love cycle” while Donda was a life project about Kanye’s life. 

Donda had been delayed many times before its actual release, but it was worth it. Donda has 27 tracks that are just flawless. The album surprised me because it showcased his style and range of talent. Kanye received a lot of backlash when Donda was released because of all of the controversy that was happening between Kanye, his wife, Kim Kardashian, and some other artists featured in Kanye’s album. A lot of people criticized it and only focused on all the drama surrounding it. But in all honesty, people missed out on a phenomenal album. The songs had a good rhythm and the lyrics were impeccable. Each song in Kanye’s album had a special meaning and connection to his life which made it beautiful.  

Drake is known for his inflated ego and cocky attitude about having so many top songs. This album has surely added to that even if it was criticized for not being that great. A review in the Washington Post compared the album to “a McDonald’s menu board, joyless and unchanging man-as-brand stuff,” and I agree. CLB was a joyless album lacking creativity. There was only one song, “Fountains” ft. Tems., that was more for my taste, from the rhythm to the sound of the song it was all satisfying. From just having one solid song, Drake would’ve done better if CLB started from the half part, a 13-track project starting from “7 Am On Bridle Path,” plus a couple of the earlier tracks, it would have made for a stronger straight-through listen. 

“Hurricane ” was the best song in Kanye’s album Donda, which featured The Weeknd and Lil Baby. “Hurricane” made Kanye top streamed song in Billboards for the third time. The lyrics to this song were pristine; it is such a blissful song. Listening to it made me go to a whole other reality. What made it better was The Weeknd’s verse: 

“Finally free, found the god in me, 

And I want you to see, I can walk on water 

Thousand miles from shore, I can float on the water 

Father hold me close don’t let me drown 

I know you won’t” 

Donda had many controversies, but that didn’t stop it from becoming Kanye’s tenth and best album.