Donda vs CLB: The Saga Between Kanye West and Drake Continues In These Two Album Releases

By Quinny Tan  •  in Music
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Source: Hypebeast

Over the past week, you might’ve seen these two new albums spark some heated conversations between you and your friends.

The two albums have been in the works for months, even years. Fans have been waiting for a new album from West since he started sharing bits from YANDHI, and from Drake since Certified Lover Boy was first announced last year.

Both albums kept getting pushed back, delayed, and teased, sending fans who were desperate for new music into raptures when they finally dropped. Kanye’s Donda dropped on August 29, while Certified Lover Boy dropped a week later on September 3.

So let’s unpack what the critics say.

All the hype around Kanye West’s 10th studio effort Donda finally helped the Grammy-winning rapper in landing his 10th number one album on the Billboard 200 charts.

Despite missing out on two days (the album was released on a Sunday instead of traditionally on a Friday), the rapper’s latest project scored a massive 309K units in sales making the biggest chart debut at number one in 2021.

Source: BBC

West’s 27-track album was released on August 29 only via streaming services and digital retailers featured guest verses from DaBaby, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lil Durk, Marilyn Manson, Roddy Ricch, and The Weeknd among a few others.

Critic reviews for Donda have so far been mixed. New Musical Express said there were some “gems” among the 27 tracks, highlighting how the album has a spiritual focus and provides glimpses into struggles with mental health.

Source: NME

However, by Ye’s third listening party, fans were tired and wanted the album, and also had high expectations for the final product. When Donda finally made its way onto streaming platforms, a lack of enthusiasm showed.

The dramatic rollout was so long that when the album was finally released, the hype had already fizzled out, and most fans had already heard the songs at least three times.

Moreover, Kanye claims that Donda was released by Universal without his permission. West made the allegation shortly after the album was finally released on streaming services on Sunday.

He also claimed Universal had “blocked” a song featuring DaBaby and Marilyn Manson from being on the record.

“Universal put my album out without my approval and they blocked Jail 2 from being on the album,” Ye wrote in an Instagram post, now removed.

Source: 711Web

This doesn’t take away the fact that Donda is still well-loved by many fans.

Rolling Stone reported that the album was “the kind of tonally complex, musically adventurous suite that made West one of the most adored artists of this century. It also baits the listener to step outside of the text itself.”

As for the contender, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy (CLB), seems to have won in numbers. The album is expected to arrive on the number one spot when the numbers get pulled up next week.

However, the 21-track album is already breaking streaming records. Apple Music revealed that Drake’s latest full-length project garnered over 170 million streams within a 24-hour period.

According to HighSnobiety, Drake’s CLB holds a firm winning place over Kanye’s Donda.

The outlet states: “Drake’s album is refreshing and incredibly well-executed, whereas Kanye’s has been described by many critics as chaotic and unfinished.”

Source: Complex

But numbers don’t mean everything.

Social media users rushed to Twitter as soon as Donda landed at the number one position on the album charts.

Kanye’s loyal fans called Drake a “radio puppet” and claimed that “everyone already bored with CLB.”

It seems as though both albums have a mixed bag of opinions. The general consensus is that Donda feels ‘unfinished’, whereas CLB is lacking due to Drake’s ‘overdone’ love songs.

What do you think?

 

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