Over the past year, Canadian rapper Drake has been hard at work releasing three albums in close succession. He released his sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy in September 2021, and followed it up with his seventh album Honestly, Nevermind in June 2022. In November 2022, he teamed up with 21 Savage to release the collaborative album Her Loss. According to Drake, Her Loss forms a cohesive narrative with the previous two albums.
Drake released ‘Her Loss’ with 21 Savage in November 2022
Drake and 21 Savage first collaborated on the song “Jimmy Cooks” from Honestly, Nevermind; the track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. When they released a video for the song in October 2022, it announced that a joint album titled Her Loss was on the way.
Her Loss made an even bigger splash on the Hot 100. Eight of the top 10 spots on the chart were dominated by songs from Her Loss the week after its release, with breakout hit “Rich Flex” remaining a constant No. 2. (Drake celebrated the achievement by posting a photo of the top 10 with the No. 1 song, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero,” blurred out with emojis.)
Drake’s ‘Her Loss’ is part of a trilogy with ‘Certified Lover Boy’ and ‘Honestly, Nevermind’
Drake explained in a new interview that surfaced on Twitter that Her Loss is the conclusion of a trilogy that started last year with Certified Lover Boy.
“We got CLB, Certified Lover Boy, that was like the, you know, ‘I’m trying my best to make her love [me], I’m chasing you,’” he said. “And then Honestly, Nevermind is the realization that maybe that lifestyle is not for me.”
“Then Her Loss is like ‘No Pigeons.’ Remember when [Sporty Thievz] dropped ‘No Pigeons’ when [TLC] had ‘No Scrubs’ out?” he continued. Sporty Thievz released “No Pigeons” in 1999 as a rebuttal to TLC’s No. 1 song “No Scrubs.”
In a conversation with 21 Savage on SiriusXM’s OVO Sound 42 radio, Drake himself touted his (and Savage’s) accomplishments, calling Her Loss one of his best albums ever.
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“[Her Loss] is one of the greatest albums I ever made in my life,” he declared. “I said the other day, I think this is a clear entry into my top five of my catalog — if not, top three.”
‘Her Loss’ sparked backlash for lyrics
Besides upsetting Taylor Swift fans with his celebration after Her Loss‘ release, Drake also drew backlash for lyrics seemingly aimed at Megan Thee Stallion and Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian.
On the track “Circo Loco,” Drake rapped, “This b*** lie ‘bout getting shots but she still a stallion,” seemingly alluding to her alleged shooting at the hands of Drake’s fellow Canadian rapper Tory Lanez in July 2020. Megan responded after the album’s release with a string of since-deleted tweets, ultimately reminding people who stand with Drake and Lanez that they’ll look foolish when the facts come out in Lanez’s ongoing court case.
Tech founder Alexis Ohanian also came into Drake’s crosshairs on Her Loss, as he addressed tennis superstar Serena Williams (whom he was rumored to be dating in 2015) and her husband Ohanian. “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No, boo, it is, like you comin’ for sushi,” he rapped. Ohanian, for his part, took pride in being called a groupie to his wife and their daughter Olympia.
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