Dancehall vibes and strong starts can’t save Drake’s final trilogy drop from running out of gas

Released May 15th 2026

I consider this the third album of the ICEMAN drops, but last is definitely not least here. Bringing a more upbeat, dancehall vibe, it has some stuff I really like—but it also carries over some of the issues from HABIBTI.

The album starts off solid enough, especially with “Hoe Phase” and “Road Trips.” These tracks feature bouncy beats with higher BPMs than anything on HABIBTI. And although I’m generally not a big fan of Drake singing, I don’t mind him as much on tracks like these. While there are some peaks and valleys, the stretch from “Hoe Phase” to around “Amazing Shape” or “BBW” is good enough to enjoy. I do wish Drake would stop making us listen to Sexyy Red on tracks like “Cheetah Print,” but that was balanced out by a solid feature from Central Cee on “Which One”—one of my favorite songs alongside “Road Trips.”

Unfortunately, after “True Bestie,” the album really loses steam for me. Putting “New Bestie” back-to-back with “Q&A” was a rough combination that completely took me out of the experience, and the album never really hooked me back in. The beats calm down and shift into a bubblegum-pop sound that I just can’t get into. Even the quicker-paced songs, like “Stuck,” don’t do it for me. I won’t get into it too much because I already covered it in my HABIBTI review, but the lyrical content all over this album is immature and reflects a weird view of women. In Drake’s world, women are sex objects to be paid for, used, or stolen from other men. But god forbid a woman leaves him for someone else or gets sick of his shit lol.

Even though I don’t love Drake’s lyrics here, I still prefer this over him dissing everyone like he did on ICEMAN. If MAID OF HONOUR had kept its original vibe throughout, I’d have enjoyed it a lot more. Instead, it loses steam halfway through and falls short of keeping me engaged. It would have been nice to get a single album compiling the best tracks from all three drops, but Drake ultimately delivered for the fans who have been waiting. Unfortunately, for anyone who isn’t a stan, this release method spreads the quality a bit too thin.

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑 (5.5/10)

Standout Tracks: “Hoe Phase,” “Road Trips,” “Which One,” & “BBW”