Review

By Luca Aquino | 15/06/2026

Drake is back with a bang with three albums released in one night. ICEMAN is the Canadian artist's first solo album since his infamous beef with Kendrick Lamar, and it feels like he never left. ICEMAN has been teased since the release of his joint album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with fellow OVO artist PARTYNEXTDOOR, alongside the single What Did I Miss?, which was released on July 5th, 2025 and even performed live for the first time at Wireless Festival. Drake starts the album with Make Them Cry, where he immediately begins to address his thoughts following the Kendrick Lamar beef and his ongoing legal battle with his label, UMG. In the second track, Dust, Drake begins with a slow and reflective intro before transitioning into a style of Drake that fans have not heard consistently since Scorpion. The song contains multiple sneak disses, showing that although he is trying to move forward, he is still willing to respond to critics and rivals. Throughout the album, Drake sends a clear message that he remains one of the biggest artists in the world despite claims that his career has declined. Songs such as Janice STFU, Shabang and 2 Hard 4 The Radio showcase his confidence and prove that the events of the past year have not damaged his ability to create commercially successful music. At the same time, he continues to send direct messages to others. On Burning Bridges, he addresses ASAP Rocky, referencing how Rihanna, the mother of his children, does not publicly support his music career. This highlights how Drake continues to use personal relationships and ongoing tensions as inspiration for his songwriting. An interesting fact about this album is that the “Make Them” songs were originally intended to be part of Drake’s famous timestamp series. However, he changed the titles to better fit the overall concept of the album, as many of these tracks are focused on reflecting on and responding to events from the last few years. This decision helps create a stronger narrative throughout the project, making ICEMAN feel more personal and deliberate rather than simply a collection of songs. Overall, ICEMAN feels like Drake officially drawing a line under one of the most controversial periods of his career. Rather than avoiding the criticism surrounding him, he confronts it head-on and uses it as motivation. The album demonstrates that, despite intense public scrutiny and one of the biggest rap feuds in modern history, Drake still possesses the confidence, influence and star power that have defined his career for over a decade. Whether people support him or not, ICEMAN is Drake’s statement that he is still at the top and has no intention of slowing down