Whether it goes through Drake, Drizzy, Champagne Papi or 6 God, one thing is certain: there is no one in today’s music who operates quite at the same level. When the data came in to find out who was the #1 most streamed artist of 2021, it had to be Drake. Did we really expect anyone else to outdo the man with “more slaps than the Beatles”?

According to Graphic data, Drake’s music garnered a total of 8.6 billion on-demand streams, meaning one in every 131 streams was a Drake song. While many have expressed feelings of disappointment towards his last full album Certified lover, this:

• Sold over 600,000 units in its first week
• Broke Apple Music and Spotify records for largest day one streams
• Was the only rap album of 2021 eligible for double platinum certification by the RIAA
• Was platinum a month after release
• Was the first rap album of 2021 to spend five weeks at No. 1

RELATED: Drake eats pasta on the Spotify plate for a billion streams

As Drake said himself:

“The distance between us is not like a store, it is not a closable space”

Despite the absurd numbers, many people will be quick to dismiss this. Critics will point out that for someone who is so clearly in a league of their own, the music itself is pretty mundane. There’s not really a strong artistic vision, it doesn’t push any limits, and sometimes the lyrics absolutely lack depth.

However, I actually believe that Drake doesn’t get enough credit in this regard. There’s an X factor to Drake’s music that’s so likable. There’s enough charisma and personality that you almost can’t help but enjoy it. Is ‘Way 2 Sexy’ inexplicably stupid? Absoutely. But to his credit, he unmistakably has the Drake sound.

Many other rappers have come along and tried to replicate the style, although there’s clearly something Drake has that can’t be copied. If it was easy to be Drake, we’d have a hundred, but it’s not. In the end, maybe pop music doesn’t need to be any deeper than a Canadian rapping about women and money. Laugh now you will cry later.