Before releasing the house-filled 2022 album, “Honestly, Nevermind,” Drake had seven hit studio albums, each with a unique sound.
Read this article to find out what are the ten best songs on Certified Lover Boy.
“Certified Lover Boy” was the sixth album by Canadian rapper Drake, released on January 2021. The album features 21 songs and boasts enormous names in the industry, such as JAY-Z, Future, Young Thug, and Travis Scott.
Certified Lover Boy song ratings weren’t incredibly high, especially compared to his previous albums. Many people thought that the album was too slow or overindulgent. Even still, a record-breaking nine songs made it to the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100,
This article will provide a Certified Lover Boy breakdown, detailing what we believe are the 21 best songs on Certified Lover Boy and why.
Best Songs on Certified Lover Boy Album
“Way 2 Sexy” ft Future & Young Thug
“Way 2 Sexy” is the most-streamed song on Certified Lover Boy — for good reasons. It’s funny, catchy, and features two of the best rappers in the game — Future and Young Thug.
The song is a play-off on Right Said Fred’s 1991 smash hit “I’m Too Sexy,” which brings a bass-heavy, hip-hop flair to the music.
“Way 2 Sexy” is one of the best songs on Certified Lover Boy for parties or the club because the beat is catchy and easy to groove to. It’s also an excellent song for getting ready in the morning or anytime you want to perk up and feel good about yourself.
“Knife Talk” ft 21 Savage and Project Pat
“Knife Talk” demonstrates the “tough” side of Drake, which comes out in some songs more than others (think “Nonstop” or “0 to 100”).
It has a very aggressive and slightly malicious tone that fits with the violent and hostile lyrics about gang banging.
Whether Drake knows what it’s like to be in a gang is questionable, but he presumably has hung around enough people that he knows what to say and how to act to demand the same level of respect — or “street cred.”
It’s a heavy bass-banging song perfect for head-bobbing in the car or playing in the background when hanging out with friends.
“Champagne Poetry”
Back to “soft” Drake, the opposite side of “tough” Drake that we see in songs like “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance.”
“Champagne Poetry” is one of the best songs on “Certified Lover Boy” for its incredible production value and soundscape. The song is built around the sample of “I love you, I love you, I love you” from “Michelle” by The Beatles.
Additionally, “Champagne Poetry” was welcomed by many long-time Drake fans, as it has a similar musical style as songs from his Take Care album, like “Marvin’s Room.”
“Fair Trade”
Fair Trade is one of the most appreciated songs from the album across various tastes and preferences.
Both fans who love hard-hitting beats and fans who love thoughtful lyrics can appreciate “Fair Trade.”
This song has meaningful lyrics about Drake’s life, emotions, and specific circumstances from his life in the public eye. Still, it’s a great song to sit back with and vibe.
“Papi’s Home”
Being confident or even arrogant is a common trait among rappers who want to prove or flaunt their status in the rap game. Drake doesn’t shy away from this mentality in much of his music, and “Papi’s Home” is no different.
Drake openly brags about his accomplishments and calls himself “Papi” to allude to the idea that other rappers are his “sons” or below him.
Nicki Minaj is not technically featured in the song, but Drake samples her talking crap to other people to further support this track’s humorously arrogant and competitive feel.
“TSU”
“TSU” is about the life and hardship of a former stripper trying to get her life together and make the most of what she has.
Drake speaks as someone who has gone to the strip club and watched her, supporting her endeavors as a stripper.
However, her parents presumably either don’t agree with her career choice or are not around for other reasons, so it’s hard for her to get the money she needs to start her business plan.
Drake uses his signature storytelling skills to make a relatable track about the type of person many might otherwise wrongfully judge or criticize.
The acronym and song title “TSU” refers to Texas Southern University, an HBCU in Houston.
“IMY2” ft Kid Cudi
One of CLB’s most underrated songs is “IMY2,” an acronym for I Miss You Too. Drake collaborates with Kid Cudi to make a thoughtful yet still bass-heavy track.
Drake has a slightly complicated history with Cudi, even making disses at him in the song “Two Birds, One Stone.” However, this song is an emblem of them squashing their beef and becoming friends again.
Both artists have been vocal about their mental health struggles, so it’s no surprise that there are deep lyrics throughout this track from both of them.
“Fountains” ft Tems
Drake is no stranger to incorporating sounds and musical inspiration from around the globe, and he teams up with Nigerian vocalist Tems in this eclectic, afrobeat-inspired track.
“Fountains” is a fantastic example of Drake using his platform and influence to help bring up-and-coming artists up — especially extremely talented ones like Tems — instead of only collaborating with already big names.
“Love All” ft JAY-Z
“Love All” is another slow, “Take Care”-reminiscent song with numerous catchy punchlines that people quickly began using for quotes and social media captions.
The beat is smooth and soulful, and Drake’s sing-song rap flow matches it perfectly.
Instead of being a testimony to how rich and famous Drake and Jay are, this song delves into the depth and complexities of their unique level of success.
Drake makes a statement about pouring out his soul, and he does exactly that on this track.
“Pipe Down”
Lastly, Drake’s “Pipe Down” is a true ode to the album’s title, as he raps about a complicated relationship.
He’s a certified lover boy in that he can get many women, but on the flip side, he is far from immune to emotional entanglement with women.
Drake has never been and will likely never be afraid to express his feelings and even convey sadness, irritability, frustration, and heartbreak in his tracks.
“Girls Want Girls” ft Lil Baby
Drake has a conversation with a gay woman in this track and tells her that he relates to her admiration of women. “Say you’re a lesbian, girl me too,” he tells her. Their mutual love of women gives them common ground, and Drake uses this to strike up a conversation and discuss their similarities. Lil Baby joins Drake on this track and talks about being in a polyamorous relationship.
“In The Bible” ft Lil Durk & Giveon
Drake speaks about a girl who he sees as being a hypocrite. The girl in question claims to be a Christian, but Drake points out inconsistencies in her theology and behaviour. Notably, he questions whether going out drinking and having one-night stands all the time lines up with the religious text she supposedly follows.
Lil Durk raps the second verse of the track, in which he speaks about his own faith and his respect and admiration for the women he’s dating. Giveon takes the third verse, in which he warns the girl he’s seeing that he’s hiding parts of himself from her, and that he might not end up being good for her.
“N 2 Deep” ft Future
Another one of Drake’s high-profile collaborations on Certified Lover Boy is this team-up with Future. The song is divided into two parts, which show the before and after of a situation. In the anticipatory, slow-build first half, Drake tries to seduce a girl in a Houston club.
The track then switches to a track beat, as Drake reflects on the night that the two just spent together. Whilst he enjoyed sleeping with the girl, he worries that he has two many regrets from the kind of life he’s living but that he’s now “in too deep”. This second half sees Future provide a verse about the club scene in Texas.
“Yebba’s Heartbreak” ft Yebba
This interlude sees Drake hand the reins over to R&B singer Yebba, who croons this soulful piano-led track about a love that isn’t always kind to her, but that she can’t help feeling anyway. It lends a great contrast to much of the rest of the album, allowing the listener a quiet, emotional moment as Yebba asks, “Can I show my love for you?”
“No Friends In The Industry”
Drake states clearly that he doesn’t have any friends in the rap game. He’s had to learn to strictly distinguish between those that he can actually trust and those that will turn on him if given the opportunity, and he’s come to the conclusion that the music industry is not where he’ll find his people.
He also lets his rivals know that there’s no point coming for him – his numbers show that he’s clearly on top. One of the rappers that Drake addresses directly is Kanye West. He makes a dig about Kanye losing friends from his close circle, and speculates that West doesn’t really have people around him he can trust.
“7am On Bridle Path”
This freestyle track from Drake sees the rapper once again addressing Kanye West, his former friend turned arch-rival. Whilst Drake never names West, he makes several illusions to various incidents between the two over the years. Most notably, ‘Bridle Path’ in the song’s title references Drake’s address, which West once posted on social media as retaliation for shots Drake took in his music.
This is the fifth in a series of songs that see Drake freestyling at a certain time of day, such as “9AM In Dallas” and “6PM In New York”. The song also sees Drake working basketballer Giannis Antetokounmpo’s surname into a line, which he admitted that he did due to a challenge from a fan on Twitter.
“Race My Mind”
After a call from his girlfriend, Drake finds moping at home over the knowledge that she’s coming home drunk. Last time that happened she fell asleep without having sex with him or chatting to him, and he wants to spend time with her before all her energy is used up partying.
Drake tells her that he wants her to “race my mind”, meaning spend quality time with him rather than showing up after a night out. He references Alesha Curry, cooking TV star and wife of his friend Steph Curry, as ideal wife material – “How I’m supposed to wife it? You not Ayesha enough.”
“Get Along Better” ft Ty Dolla $ign
Drake shows his vulnerable side in this R&B-fused track. He’s confused about where he stands with the girl he’s been seeing and finds himself starting to get along better with her friend. He knows that she might perceive him pursuing her friend as an act of revenge, but he assures her that isn’t the case – he just has to stay true to how he actually feels and he doesn’t think she really tried to be good to him in the relationship.
“You Only Live Twice” ft Lil Wayne & Rick Ross
Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross cover a range of topics in this high-energy track. Overall, though, the track is a celebration of friendship and being successful in your career. Rick Ross talks about the pain of betrayal and the satisfaction that comes with finding success, whilst Drake and Lil Wayne celebrate the position they’re in now,
“F*****g Fans”
Drake knows he’s far from perfect in this introspective track. He knows that he’s been selfish and unfaithful and he wants to change for the girl he loves and be the man she wants him to be. He doesn’t want to leave her sitting at home wondering what he’s up to anymore, and he also wants him to be able to trust himself on a night out and know that he’s treating her like he should.
“The Remorse”
Drake looks back on his origins in “The Remorse”, from dropping out of school and sleeping in budget hotels to where he is now. He wants to keep track of everyone he owes something to and make sure he pays everyone back the best he can – he’s grateful that he didn’t have “snakes in the mix” when he was entering the industry. He was surrounded by good people that wanted the best for him, and thankfully he still is.
Final Thoughts
This is our rating Certified Lover Boy songs. It’s in no way objective or unarguable, but we factor in various aspects of this album’s hits, including theme, style, lyrics, flow, and instrumentals.
Overall, this is a complex album that some say got too much credit and others feel is criminally overrated.
Caitlin Devlin is a music, entertainment and lifestyle writer based in London. When she’s not creating playlists for Repeat Replay, she’s reviewing gigs and interviewing artists for Ticketmaster UK and thinking about what her Spotify Wrapped will look like this year.