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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
Nothing Was the Same bristles with epiphanies, absurdities, and plenty of bluster, but it’s all fodder for a hyperrealistic portrait of Aubrey Drake Graham, not some coronation ceremony.
90
Nothing Was the Same wrestles Drake’s successes with his ever-lingering insecurities, and like some of the best music, we can see ourselves in these songs. It’s an exhilarating change of pace for the genre.
86
As Drake albums go, this is the Drakiest: Except for Jay Z, who shows up at the end of the album, Nothing Was the Same is an entirely solo affair, and all of Drake's tendencies are dialed up.
85
Nothing Was the Same is a tougher, more grown up album than he’s made before and, if it never quite reaches the emotional depth of Take Care’s ‘Marvin’s Room’ or ‘Take Care’, it surpasses the previous album in consistency and unity of vision.
83
The change in soundscape is drastic and helps complete Drake’s transformation from consummate professional to broody enigma. Even on the party songs, he is suspicious of everyone and painfully susceptible to the corruptive nature of his adult playground.
83
On his follow-up, Nothing Was The Same, Drake eases up on that machismo and distances himself even further from genre tropes to further mine the late-night vibe of Take Care’s softest stretches.
80
There’s also less fat in general: throughout the album’s lean, cohesive set of 13 tracks, Drake packs multiple emotions into individual songs instead of adding on extra items.
80
He makes up for the lack of addictive anthems and playfulness with his impressionable stream of sentiments -- our kryptonite, his superpower.
75
Nothing Was the Same is filled with beats that are a joy to listen to and Drake often has worthwhile things to contribute. But, more and more, his confidence is getting the best of him. Sure, he sounds like a star. But I’d rather he sound a like a person.
72
Drake's pop music con job is just too well executed despite all its obvious flaws to not be enjoyed.
70
A steely affair that finds Drake and longtime producer Noah "40" Shebib pulling their sound and worldview further inward to increasingly murky results.
70
Nothing Was the Same doesn't show large amounts of growth, but the small changes to the sound and the slightly wider net his lyrics cast make it worthwhile.
70
Nothing Was The Same is a moody record, like a bottomless pit of violent and vocal hormones during puberty. A little confusing, a little stand-offish in parts, but when an equilibrium is reached, virtually perfect.
70
While Nothing Was The Same won’t do anything to win over Drake’s detractors, doing pretty much nothing new for the rapper except bringing in more drill-style hi-hats and scaling back the obsession with 808s, dude is nothing if not reliable.
70
Nothing Was The Same is a challenging, uncompromised major label rap album with a handful of impeccable songs, weighed down slightly by the rapper's increasingly solipsistic viewpoint.
50
Drizzy’s candid lyrics about battered egos and insecure relationships were refreshing early on in his career, but the persona is wearing thin as he recalls how rich his melancholy has made him.
50
Here, Drake continues with his lyrical obsession with the tattered relationships of his past, which is fine, but he hops on a gauntlet of nutty trap beats on this LP that are less than flattering to his clean-cut persona.
20
A few spins in, listening to Nothing Was the Same is akin to putting up with Big Sean in order to get to Kendrick: Drake is just tolerable, and it’s tempting to skip through him to get to the good parts, which are instrumental passages and guest spots.
Favourite: Too Much
Worst: Own It
1. Tuscan Leather - 10
2. Furthest Thing - 9
3. Started From the Bottom - 8.5
4. Wu-Tang Forever - 8
5. Own It - 7
6. Worst Behavior - 9.5
7. From Time - 9
8. Hold On, We're Going Home - 8
9. Connect - 7
10. The Language - 8
11. 305 to My City - 8
12. Too Much - 10
13. Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 - 10
Average: 8.61
Quick Comment: I want this Drake back. The Drake that produced classic lyrical music that makes you go wow and also the production as well. ... read more
Worst: Own It
1. Tuscan Leather - 10
2. Furthest Thing - 9
3. Started From the Bottom - 8.5
4. Wu-Tang Forever - 8
5. Own It - 7
6. Worst Behavior - 9.5
7. From Time - 9
8. Hold On, We're Going Home - 8
9. Connect - 7
10. The Language - 8
11. 305 to My City - 8
12. Too Much - 10
13. Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 - 10
Average: 8.61
Quick Comment: I want this Drake back. The Drake that produced classic lyrical music that makes you go wow and also the production as well. ... read more
Decent.
Well I think so far this is my favorite Drake album, it has one of my favorite songs ever "Hold On, We're Going Home", and I think it's still a solid album. Maybe there are some songs that fall out of the sound of the album that made me like it a little less, but I think this album is an honorable mention.
Favorite tracks: Furthest Thing, Started From The Bottom, Wu-Tang Forever, Own It, From Time, Hold On, We're Going Home, Too Much, Pound Cake/París Morton Music ... read more
Well I think so far this is my favorite Drake album, it has one of my favorite songs ever "Hold On, We're Going Home", and I think it's still a solid album. Maybe there are some songs that fall out of the sound of the album that made me like it a little less, but I think this album is an honorable mention.
Favorite tracks: Furthest Thing, Started From The Bottom, Wu-Tang Forever, Own It, From Time, Hold On, We're Going Home, Too Much, Pound Cake/París Morton Music ... read more
happy Valentine’s Day AOTY! I felt like it would be fitting to listen to and review a project from everyone’s favourite lover boy in it’s entirety for the first time.
Drake’s huge influence over the rap game and popular music in general is undeniable at this point, and he’s always been an artist I’ve enjoyed - I’m pretty sure everyone’s in the mood for Drake at some point. However, I’ve always really seen him as a singles or playlist ... read more
Drake’s huge influence over the rap game and popular music in general is undeniable at this point, and he’s always been an artist I’ve enjoyed - I’m pretty sure everyone’s in the mood for Drake at some point. However, I’ve always really seen him as a singles or playlist ... read more
While not as polished and interesting as "If You're Reading This It's Too Late", Nothing Was The Same is still a great listen and one of Drake's better performances. The tracklist has some filler, but it still has lots of bangers to make up for it.
BEST TRACKS: Worst Behavior, Hold On We're Going Home, Pound Cake
WORST TRACKS: The Language
BEST TRACKS: Worst Behavior, Hold On We're Going Home, Pound Cake
WORST TRACKS: The Language
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Track List
| 1 | Tuscan Leather 6:06 | 90 |
| 2 | Furthest Thing 4:27 | 89 |
| 3 | Started From the Bottom 2:53 | 83 |
| 4 | Wu-Tang Forever 3:37 | 75 |
| 5 | Own It 4:11 | 70 |
| 6 | Worst Behavior 4:30 | 85 |
| 7 | From Time 5:22 feat. Jhené Aiko | 85 |
| 8 | Hold On, We're Going Home 3:51 feat. Majid Jordan | 83 |
| 9 | Connect 4:56 | 70 |
| 10 | The Language 3:44 | 80 |
| 11 | 305 To My City 4:15 feat. Detail | 72 |
| 12 | Too Much 4:21 | 88 |
| 13 | Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 7:13 feat. Jay-Z | 91 |
Total Length: 59 minutes
Year End Lists
| #2 | / | Complex |
| #2 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
| #5 | / | Billboard |
| #7 | / | Dazed |
| #7 | / | Piegons & Planes |
| #9 | / | Slant |
| #11 | / | Amazon |
| #12 | / | The Line of Best Fit |
| #14 | / | Rolling Stone |
| #19 | / | Consequence of Sound |
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Added on: June 22, 2013