By Warren Janssens
Nobody has had a more confusing 2021 with new music drops than Drake and Kanye.
Fans of the iconic rappers have eagerly awaited the highly anticipated Donda (Kanye) and Certified Lover Boy (Drake) after being teased for over a year.
The continually changing release dates of the albums and Kanye’s three listening parties before finally releasing Donda had fans on edge. Both rappers are widely known in music and are easily recognizable with chart-topping hits such as Drake’s Hotline Bling, One Dance, and Passionfruit. Kanye’s top hits include Gold Digger, Stronger, and All of the Lights. The talk of the two artists has been about their latest two albums.
Which one comes out on top?
CLB (Certified Lover Boy), released on Sep. 3, lasts an hour and a half and is an honest lyrical reflection, keeping tune with Drake’s long-lived (and well-loved) style. Travis Scott, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Future, Young Thug, and Jay-Z are some of the featured artists who serve to bolster the album’s talent and skill.
On the other hand, Donda, released a week prior on Aug. 29, is essentially a hip-hop and gospel collection influenced by West’s past work, including pop and reformist rap and trap, as well as impacts from boom bap, drill, electropop, hip house, and modern hip jump.
As for sales, CLB is currently number one on the iTunes album chart, with Donda at a close second. Drake’s album sold over 613,000 units (Donda sold over 309,000 copies) and was the most streamed artist in a day on Spotify. Drake also accomplished a rare feat of landing all of his ten songs on the Rolling Stones chart.
CLB benefited from having seven days of sales and streams after West rushed to release on a Sunday. Because Donda was originally supposed to drop summer of 2020, fans were confused about the release and how long they had to wait to get this album, and it did not have much time to gain traction before Drake’s album hit the charts shortly after Donda’s final release.
CLB has racked up the sales and streams because Drake is easily recognizable and more fans rely on his music for guaranteed quality. However, as he sold more, Drake’s album was poorly received by critics because his lyrics and beat were repetitive and fans wanted more style and versatility.
Kanye’s album was received well with excellent mixing and style compared to CLB.
Comparing these albums is tricky because they are entirely different genres. Drake’s album is R&B while Kanye’s is more hip-hop orientated.
The ultimate winner is Certified Lover Boy in terms of sales and streams. Drake’s familiar style on the album makes it likeable for Drake fans. In contrast, Kanye’s album is more ambitious and experimental. All in all, it comes down to personal taste and preference.
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