MAID OF HONOUR by Drake

Drake MAID OF HONOUR

70
ChoruScore
2 reviews
Early read
May 15, 2026
Release Date
OVO/Republic
Label
Early read Mostly positive consensus

Early read based on 2 professional reviews. Drake's MAID OF HONOUR opens as a maximalist, dance-forward comeback that marries party production with recurring threads of insecurity and self-pity. Across professional reviews, critics note the record's appetite for trend-hopping - from club-ready beats to Jamaica-tinged grooves - even as the lyrics frequently pull

Reviews
2 reviews
Last Updated
May 21, 2026
Confidence
90%
Scale
0-100 critics
Primary Praise

“Cheetah Print” is best for its playful robo-rap effects and Ibiza-ready finale that turn trend-chasing into personality.

Primary Criticism

Reviewers agree the production is often thrilling, but they also flag recurring insecurity and self-pity in the songwriting as a divisive element.

Who It Fits

Best for listeners looking for comeback and party/club production, starting with Cheetah Print and New Bestie.

Standout Tracks
Cheetah Print New Bestie Hoe Phase

Full consensus notes

Drake's MAID OF HONOUR opens as a maximalist, dance-forward comeback that marries party production with recurring threads of insecurity and self-pity. Across professional reviews, critics note the record's appetite for trend-hopping - from club-ready beats to Jamaica-tinged grooves - even as the lyrics frequently pull back the curtain on a performer anxious about relevance.

Critics consistently single out standout tracks as proof of the album's uneasy charm: “Cheetah Print” and “New Bestie” emerge as the best songs on MAID OF HONOUR, pairing goofy club abandon with candid lines, while “Hoe Phase” and “Amazing Shape” show Drake's knack for turning genre-blending production into vivid moments. The record earned a 70/100 consensus score across 2 professional reviews, a signal that reviewers found it compelling in parts even as its ambition sometimes tips into excess. Reviewers agree the production is often thrilling, but they also flag recurring insecurity and self-pity in the songwriting as a divisive element.

Taken together, the critical consensus presents MAID OF HONOUR as a late-career move that is enjoyably club-ready and occasionally essential, especially when critics praise specific tracks; at the same time, some critics view the emotional confessions and relentless trend-chasing as limits on its cohesion. Below, detailed reviews unpack whether the record's high points make it worth listening to in full.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Cheetah Print

1 mention

"the crazy fun of “ Cheetah Print ” might never have left his drafts."
Pitchfork
2

New Bestie

1 mention

"He gets at that notion on “New Bestie,” a classic Drake breakup anthem"
Pitchfork
3

Hoe Phase

1 mention

"The moody So Far Gone -era atmosphere of “Hoe Phase” that erupts into a high-octane sample"
Pitchfork
the crazy fun of “ Cheetah Print ” might never have left his drafts.
P
Pitchfork
about "Cheetah Print"
Read full review
1 mention
95% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Hoe Phase

1 mention
67
03:23
2

Road Trips

0 mentions
04:03
3

Outside Tweaking

1 mention
47
03:10
4

Cheetah Print

1 mention
100
03:22
5

Which One

0 mentions
02:49
6

Amazing Shape

1 mention
53
02:56
7

BBW

1 mention
33
03:31
8

True Bestie

1 mention
5
02:28
9

Where’s Your Stuff Interlude

0 mentions
00:52
10

New Bestie

1 mention
80
04:19
11

Q&A

1 mention
7
03:43
12

Stuck

1 mention
40
02:57
13

Goose and The Juice

0 mentions
04:23
14

Princess

1 mention
27
03:13

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What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

In a voice that alternates between exasperated admiration and amused disbelief, Drake turns MAID OF HONOUR into a maximalist party record that nevertheless lives in his insecurities. The best songs on MAID OF HONOUR - like “Cheetah Print” and “New Bestie” - pair goofy club abandon with lines that expose a wounded performer trying to claw back his throne. There is real thrill in the production collage on “Hoe Phase” and the Jamaica-tinged glide of “Amazing Shape”, moments where Drake converts trend-hopping into something that feels personally urgent. The album reads as a desperate, winning attempt to be the soundtrack of the summer while still confessing his fear of an ending.

Key Points

  • “Cheetah Print” is best for its playful robo-rap effects and Ibiza-ready finale that turn trend-chasing into personality.
  • The album’s core strength is turning disparate regional dance trends into a personal, unpredictable club record that exposes Drake’s insecurities.

Themes

comeback party/club production insecurity and self-pity genre-blending dance trends