Early success has its perks and its drawbacks. Since the Toronto duo Majid Jordan wrote and and co-produced Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home," they've seen every new song and video of theirs given the same treatment as if it were new material from the 6 God himself. The co-sign led to a major-label signing and an eager, supportive audience for their self-titled debut album. But it also means that Majid Jordan are immovably situated in Drake's shadow, and their self-titled debut doesn't really serve to extricate them.
Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman (the group's singer and producer, respectively) aren't run-of-the-mill Drake copycats by any means: They're pop enthusiasts, first and foremost. Witness the synth pads on "Hold On, We're Coming Home," which were cheesy and irresistible enough for us to take Drake's desire for "hot love and emotion" seriously. This sense of fun is often missing on their solo material, where they too often experiment with darker, self-consciously deeper sounds that fall flat. 2014's A Place Like This EP begins at breakneck speed before devolving into easily ignorable background music. Majid Jordan, likewise, mixes brisk pop efforts with moody cuts that blur together.
The album begins promisingly with "Learn from Each Other," which is kept afloat by pulsating bass and uptempo drums. Standout single "Something About You," produced with the Weeknd architect Illangelo (and featuring background vocals from Vince Staples' secret weapon Snoh Aalegra), deftly samples Al Maskati's distorted vocals. But for every "Something About You," there seems to be a dud, whether it's "Pacifico," "King City" (2016 OVO muzak at its flimsiest), or "Shake Shake Shake" (a "Maneater" update). "Day and Night" sounds like a Prince castoff.
And so the question remains: Why bother with Majid Jordan? They are occasionally brilliant—"Something About You," "Every Step Every Way," "My Love," "Small Talk," and "Warm" could make for a tremendous EP—and a full-blown pure pop LP would be welcome. Unfortunately, the duo's apparent ambitions to be something more hold it back from reaching serotonin-peaking heights (like Carly Rae Jepsen's E•MO•TION). Drake may have propelled Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman to heights they may have otherwise never achieved. His specter, however, keeps them grounded.
