Drake has proven his versatility and talent throughout his sixteen-year career. 21 Savage is also a talented artist known for his lyricism and features. The two teamed up to create what some are calling the album of the year. The album, Her Loss, released on November 4 features sixteen tracks and a Travis Scott feature.

Her Loss is Drake’s thirteenth album and 21 Savage’s eighth. Following Honestly Nevermind, Drake’s June 2022 album which received low praise from fans and critics alike, Her Loss is said to be a strong rebound. Other fans took to social media to say Her Loss is not Drake and 21’s best work. Among Westborough High School, there is a large group of fans and haters. We talked with members of both sides.

Many students feel let down by Her Loss, but particularly in Drake.

“We want Old Drake. Personally I loved Drake’s old R&B rhythm. What made Drake a household name is not what he delivers today. It’s disappointing,” one male WHS senior said. When asked about 21 Savage’s contribution to the album he responded, “Honestly, I’m stunned. I’ve always liked him as an artist, but his verse and delivery really takes him to another level.”

Alternatively another senior male shared, “This is a rebound album for Drake, and it worked. Certified Lover Boy was good; Honestly, Nevermind was forgettable; Her Loss reminds me of Drake in his prime.”

As for fans’ favorite songs, many females enjoyed listening to “Major Distribution” and “More M’s”. Sophomore Anushka Diddee says, “I liked the name drops. Drake and 21 were dicey for doing it but it’s also one of the reasons the album is so popular. I liked the Kim Kardashian reference in More M’s.”

Many males said their favorites were “Circo Loco” or “Privileged Rappers”.

Sophomore Kemuel Montanez said, “I appreciate Drake’s shift to rap. Of course he was always a rapper, but more recently a lot of his music has been hardcore rap rather than singing. He’s good at what he does, he always has been. A shift in style doesn’t make him any less of an impactful artist. On Her Loss Drake demonstrates he knows what he’s doing when it comes to the rap game.”

Since the album’s release, reviews have remained mixed. The common takeaways are a longing for Drake to bring back his old R&B sound and 21 Savage managed to outperform one of the (arguably) most influential rappers of the 2000s.

Numbers contrast critics: Her Loss debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 (blocked by Taylor Swifts Midnights) then quickly rose to number one. The album broke streaming records with 513.56 million official streams of tracks within the first week of dropping. This marks Drake’s twelfth number-one hit on the Billboard 100 and eleventh number-one album on the Billboard 200. All sixteen tracks debuted in the top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100. For 21 Savage this is his eighth album to debut in the top 5.

Overall, Her Loss was hugely successful for Drake and 21 Savage. The album bridges the gap between Drake’s old sound and his new voice. For 21 Savage Her Loss introduced new fans to his signature style. The album is titled Her Loss, but it was really their gain.