Fans Are Giving Drake's New Album a Thumbs Down, Calling It "Forever 21 Music"

On Thursday, June 16, Drake surprised fans when he announced that he would be dropping his seventh studio album "Honestly, Nevermind" at midnight. The rap prodigy kept to his promise, but it seems some fans might have preferred if he didn't.

The 14-track album featured less of Drake's routine rhymes and more of his vocals paired with upbeat instrumentals. On Twitter, fans seemed to agree that "Honestly, Nevermind" was giving off much more of a mainstream pop sound than his past albums.

"Why Drake [does] sound like he's singing in the shower on every track? I'm heated," tweeted one user. Another wrote, "I laughed when Drake started singing on the second track so let me go to bed and try again in the morning.

The feedback got even worse. Fans started bringing fashion into the mix, and Drizzy's latest album did not pass the drip test. In fact, it was being compared to the likes of fast-fashion retailer Forever 21.

Keep scrolling to see all the petty, hilarious slander. Plus, for those not in the know, we'll break down why Drake's album being compared to Forever 21 is actually kind of a major burn.

After the album was released, some of the first reactions to it on Twitter classified it as "a mall music album." And from there, the comments started getting even more specific.

Fans started naming stores that the album reminded them of. "I thought Drake was finna rap his a-- off. He gave us Forever 21, Hot Topic, H&M a-- music," one person wrote.

It seemed that the store references really caught on and in particular, people really leaned in to the Forever 21 bit.

In case you're wondering, being compared to Forever 21 is a major diss. Forever 21, a prominent fast-fashion retailer headquartered in L.A., was (and still kind of is) a very popular chain store amongst young people. The brand is known for offering fashionable and trendy pieces at very low prices. However, it's gained somewhat of a negative image over the years as it's gotten itself involved in a number of controversies.

Major issues with the brand include its labor practices as well claims of copyright infringement. In fact, Forever 21 was sued by Ariana Grande after it dressed its models in clothing that looked like it was copied from her "7 Rings" music video.

It has also been criticized for some of its slogans printed on clothing, such as its "Allergic to Algebra" shirt in 2011. Not to mention, Forever 21 was called out by consumers after it used a white model to advertise its "Blank Panther" sweater.

All this piled up and lead Forever 21 to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2019. The company shut down a handful of its international locations and 178 of its stores in the U.S.

While the store still exists today in a limited capacity, it doesn't have the most positive image. These days, many shoppers are opting for higher-quality, more sustainable attire.

However, Forever 21 hasn't lost its entire fanbase and neither has Drake. Some fans liked hearing this different side of the Toronto native.

Bottom line: It's just all about what you prefer. And even if he did take an L with this album, I'm sure Drake, who was crowned Billboard's Artist of the Decade in 2021, will be just fine. It will just make his next studio album even better, right?