By Gavin Bowyer and Adam Sarsfield
So we have a problem. Let’s be real, there is no real reason to compare these two albums besides an argument amongst ourselves over personal opinion. All of these artists are extremely talented and deserve their stardom with how well they can put together their albums. Travis regularly releases good songs, and he may even be, debatably, better than Drake or 21 Savage, but not all Travis is good Travis. When you hype up Travis and then convince yourself that the album is good when in reality it isn’t, you are simply delusional and can’t face the harsh reality that Travis did not execute properly on his newest album. So finally we shall settle this debate: UTOPIA or Her Loss.
Drake and 21 Savage are an iconic duo. The pair’s debut collaboration, “Sneakin” displayed a great potential achievable by the two, that would eventually lead to amazing shared albums and singles. The beautifully resonant, smooth, and soft lyrics of 21 Savage contrasting with Drake’s more intense, but not overpowering, and masterfully crafted lyrics, formulate truly amazing song pieces. Undeniably, when it was announced that a collaborative album would be released on November 4th, 2022, fans were ravenous.
Drake is THE #1 MOST STREAMED ARTIST, overtaking even the most likely singers, such as Taylor Swift or The Weeknd, amassing 75 billion streams on Spotify alone. 21 Savage is an expert singer, making his way onto at least 1 feature on popular rap creators albums, INCLUDING 2 SONGS ON UTOPIA. Nobody can deny that the album gave 21 Savage and Drake time as a popular pair to perfectly perform picturesque pieces.
For months after the life changing release date on November 4th, people across the world streamed the awe inspiring songs day after day, selling 400,000 units within the first week. (Utopia outsold Her Loss with over 500,000 units sold its first week) Eventually, after a short 4 months, Her Loss took platinum, surpassing many popular artists. On top of that the debut hit #1 on Billboard charts. While UTOPIA does deserve some credit, the highest topping song “Meltdown” only took 3rd, and FEATURES DRAKE, meaning even on Travis Scott’s albums is Drake taking gold. 21 Savage’s collabs also were on the billboard at spots 17 and 38, meaning still was there assistance on the album. Her Loss on the other hand dominated the Top 200 billboard charts, taking all spots from 2nd – 19th, purely just Drake and 21’s album, where UTOPIA intermittently took up spots all the way down the list.
The album earned Drake his 12th #1 streamed album, and 21 Savage his 3rd, beaten only by the Beatles and Jay-Z. Ultimately, it is simple to see that Her Loss is simply BETTER when compared to UTOPIA. This is undeniable based on statistics and world wide viewership, despite common opinion in simply one area by one group of people. It is understandable that people could mistake UTOPIA for better, in reality it was well made, but people really are simply glossing over Her Loss, not giving it the credit it deserves.
However on the flip side of the argument the production of Her Loss compared to Utopia falls short. The two albums cannot be compared production-wise as Travis was able to spend five years cooking some of the most impressive beats. Also Utopia was able to spend its first month at the top of the charts at #1. Likewise the pure emotions following the release of both albums could never be described as being on par with each other. The hype and feeling of waiting for Utopia by Travis Scott was never even touched by the fans of Drake and 21 Savage. While Utopia was filled with amazingly crafted beats and effects, Her Loss sounds as if it was a screeching record being played.
Overall, these albums were created with care and passion from all three amazing artists. Their albums cannot be fully compared as to the difference and genre and overall style. However, it is the responsibility of all music listeners alike to continue comparing different songs and albums as it only promotes the passion to aspire to be the best artist of all time.