Drake experiments with club-driven sounds but doesn’t fully meet expectations.
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TOP 5
5. True Bestie
Can we give a standing ovation to Iconic Savvy? She was given an opportunity to dunk on a Drake track and absolutely delivers, sounding like Latto’s starving younger sister.
As for Drake, he does well here, too. He plays the ultimate backup role, leaning into his inside voice and a frantic flow to hype up a girl who sounds like she’s one minute away from hopping on a table at brunch, twerking, downing shots, and farting on bystanders.
The track is cool overall, but it sounds a little incomplete.
4. Which One (Ft. Central Cee)
“Which One” will go down as Drake’s most boring single release to date. His rap style feels stale, the beat lacks creativity, the beat switch provides no spark, and his lyrics, centered on putting women through mattresses and treating them splendidly, come off repetitive and uninspired.
That said, Central Cee delivers an outstanding verse. His aggression and animation cut through immediately, and he actually shows up in a way that stands out against what feels like a series of mailed-in performances by Drake.
Despite the criticism, this is still one of the few tracks on the album strong enough to make the cut, which says a lot about the project as a whole.
2. Cheetah Print (Ft. Sexyy Red)
I actually really like “Cheetah Print.” First off, I rock with the heart-pumping, JJ Fad-type beat that drives the track. Secondly, despite being stupid lyrically, the chorus is weirdly catchy and super infectious. I also enjoy how Drake plays this cool, detached character from start to finish, sounding like that one guy in the club who only talks to girls near the bathrooms.
As for Sexyy Red’s chaotic contributions at the end, where she basically turns into the Cha Cha Slide man, they aren’t bad. BTW, why was Sexyy Red on both this album and HABBITI… Is she blackmailing Drake?
Guys, stop being so serious all the time. This song is fun.
2. New Bestie
I don’t want to be that guy at all, but isn’t Drake a little too old to have two songs on an album with “Bestie” in the title? Then again, I guess I’m also too old to be questioning it, so I’ll shut the hell up.
“New Bestie” probably should’ve ended up on Drake’s other project HABIBTI. It opens with a super-gentle R&B vibe, with Drake slipping into a slight reggae inflection and delivering emotions no other man should probably be allowed to express in public.
Then the energy shifts. The track picks up, another accent shows up out of nowhere (It’s almost like a Dillion Brooks-type accent), and it suddenly leans into a club-ready bounce. The chorus lands really well, too, which makes the whole thing feel more fun than it has any right to be.
In 2027, we have to ban the following words: “bestie” and “twin.”
1. Road Trips
How many times am I going to hear Ice Spice on a track without her being credited? Ice Spice is Iconic Savvy and Stunna Sandy too, right?
If you swapped Drake’s vocals with The Weeknd’s, this track would probably hit even harder. The production already leans into that hectic pop tempo The Weeknd thrives in, paired with a hypnotic melody and subtle ’80s shimmer.
The song is good as it is, I just think certain artists could elevate it even further. Too bad Drake lost all of his friends in 2024.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Hoe Phase (3.5/5)
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RGM GRADE
(60%)
In my review of ICEMAN, I said we probably wouldn’t have gotten that album without the Kendrick Lamar beef. With MAID OF HONOUR, I don’t think we get this one without the success of “NOKIA.”
While Drake has always ended up in nightclub spaces, it wasn’t really until “NOKIA” that he was successful in pitching actual club-obsessive music. That influence shows up across MAID OF HONOUR. These tracks are energetic, fun, hella gimmicky, highly catchy, and clearly built to be chopped, flipped, and stretched by DJs.
For people who don’t even consider Drake a rapper (and yes, that debate still makes my head spin), the rapping he does here will come off as watered-down or cheesy. He loosens his grip, leaning into a more shameless, algorithm-aware style of artistry aimed at TikTok and IG audiences, while still trying to match the production at its core. Sometimes it lands awkwardly, other times it plays it safe and only slightly misses.
What’s interesting is that while Drake is undeniably versatile, I’m not convinced he’s unhinged enough to fully commit to a project like this long-term. Put someone like Tory Lanez on these beats, and it probably explodes in a different way. Drake, however, stays just a bit too controlled, reusing familiar approaches over either overplayed production styles or sounds that don’t always suit his strengths. Overall, the album just didn’t fully grab me. It felt more boring than bold. Welp, at least ICEMAN exists.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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