The album that has been topping the charts since its release on September 3rd is known for more than its music. “Certified Lover Boy” is Drake’s sixth studio album that was anticipated to come out over a year ago. If you are a Hip Hop fan who enjoys more of an electric and up beat, then this is your album. Within the first twelve hours of its release date, the album broke the Apple Music record of the most listened to album in a day of 2021. The songs included on this album will make you get up, dance, and have the utmost confidence. “Certified Lover Boy” will be known for its catchy tracks, but also for its album cover.
The album cover has been the center of the meme universe since its release which was before the album release. The background of the cover is white and displays twelve emojis. The emojis are twelve different versions of the pregnant female. The emojis are displayed in rows of four all facing the same direction. This album cover took over the meme community and even got into the hands of Lil Nas X. Even a crystal store on Instagram, @moonlightjewelsco, made a meme of the cover including crystals. More than its controversies in the meme community, it is also making waves in the art world.
The reason “Certified Lover Boy” is making waves in the art world is due to the artist behind it, Damien Hirst. He is a renowned contemporary artist who came to light in the early nineties.The reason he became so well known is due to the extreme lengths he would go for his art. Some of his art includes For the Love of God, 2007. This piece is a human skull with human teeth completely covered in diamonds. He also has a piece called The Physical Impossibilities of Death in the Mind Someone Living, 1991. This piece includes a thirteen foot Tiger Shark submerged in a formaldehyde in a small tank. Overall, his art truly pushes boundaries in the art world and in common human thought. That is why it was a shock to the art world that he would create Drake’s cover with emojis.
Is there deeper meaning? What was the original thought? Who do the emojis represent? How does it relate to the album? I guess the answer to those questions are for you to interpret.