If you're a Taylor Swift fan, you're used to pulling out all your most outstanding and darkest detective skills to crack codes, understand hidden messages, and dive into the deep end with clues fake fans didn't even know were actually clues.
Now, while Taylor Swift and Drake might be on entirely different musical spectrums, Drake's latest cover art for his new album Lover Boy is making people tilt their heads sideways while they muster up a "hmm" as their brain wheels spin uncontrollably to figure out the significance of the twelve pregnant emoji women.
Lover Boy's album cover, designed by artist Damien Hirst, at first glance, seems evident that it combines Hirst's sculpture The Virgin Mother, a painted bronze sculpture, with his famous spot paintings. The result is reminiscent of both while remaining 100% unique to both artists' brands.
However, social media sleuths have dissected the art down to the most gruelingly specific details. For instance, @4PLAYYGRL on Twitter stated, "Drake is dropping Certified Lover Boy, an album about love (baby-making) 9 months after the expected release date, (9 months is a full-term pregnancy), on LABOR day weekend (labor as in giving birth) which is why there are pregnant emojis on the cover." Others have made jokes about Android users not seeing the cover art as intended or how some people thought Apple had just released new emojis.
Drake is dropping Certified Lover Boy , an album about love (baby making) 9 months after the expected release date, (9 months is a full term pregnancy), on LABOR day weekend. (labor as in giving birth) which is why there are pregnant emojis on the cover, hence is why the album wi pic.twitter.com/P7HQU7Pst4
— Playy⁷ ♡⋆⋆꙳⁎* (@4PLAYYGRL) August 30, 2021
Like most modern art, the album cover might lie somewhere between ingenious and rudimentary, and the commentary that stems from it is often as significant as the art itself.
And, while we're on the topic, if anyone has any clues as to what the greater significance of Kanye West's cover art for Donda means, please, do tell.