Light relief from all this darkness was found on the luscious soul of the Sampha-assisted “Too Much,” while the heartfelt “Hold On, Were Going Home,” a warm and breezy slice of pop-soul, proved the album’s big crossover hit, reaching No.4 on the US Billboard Hot 100.ĭespite its dark, uncompromising tone, Nothing Was The Same proved another huge success for Drake. On an album generally short of guest spots, one of Drake’s heroes, Jay-Z, contributes a memorable verse to the chilling, ethereal “Pound Cake.” Lyrically, the song was a morose affair, with angry broadsides at former girlfriends, family members, and school friends, alongside some disillusioned soul-searching and the usual boastful turns. Over a set of songs that largely eschewed any pop affectations for a dense mix of eerie synths and street-tough trap beats, Drake, armed with an improved singing voice and peak-performance rapping skills, unleashed some of the most compelling and consistent vocal performances of his career. With 40 once more handling production duties, alongside OVO Sound affiliates Boi-1da, Mike Zombie, and Majid Jordan, Nothing Was The Same became a darker affair than its predecessors. Riding the crest of a wave, Drake had spent much of 2012 touring in support of Take Care, while also finding time to start the record label OVO Sound with his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib, and embarking on sessions for his next album. Unsurprisingly, the Canadian rapper’s newfound status as one of hip-hop’s most vital crossover artists fed into the aggressive, ultra-confident tone of his third album, 2013’s Nothing Was The Same. Mixing downtempo R&B, hip-hop, and soul with introspective, emotionally open lyrics, Drake’s first two studio albums, 2010’s Thank Me Later and the following year’s Take Care, were huge worldwide successes.

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