Nothing Was the Same is pendular: the vocals swing steadily between R&B melodies and verses of straight-up rap. Drake‰’s third studio album features guest appearances by Sampha and Jay-Z, and brings an hour of solid pop music to the world September 24.

“This is nothin‰’ for the radio, but they‰’ll still play it though, ‰cause it‰’s that new Drizzy Drake, that‰’s just the way it goes,‰” raps Drake on the opener “Tuscan Leather,‰” introducing his new work, and offering his motives for creating it. Here he indicates that he made this album for reasons beyond accruing more dough (which he reminds us stands at “20 million off the [last] record‰” in the first line of the album).

Other songs on the album offer a clue as to what this ulterior motive could be. In “Furthest Thing,‰” he sings, “And I hate that you don‰’t think I belong to ya/ Just too busy runnin‰’ s*** to run home to ya.‰” That some of Drake‰’s most valued relationships have slipped out of his grasp as a result of his fame poses a theme for the album. Drake also sets himself up as an example of a chivalrous lover on “Own It,‰” when he sings, “Next time we talk, I don‰’t want to just talk, I want to trust.‰Û

Not all of the tracks focus on abandoned love, however. “Started From the Bottom,‰” offers everything that one could desire for a night cruising around with friends bumping cuts. Inversely, the single “Hold On, We‰’re Going Home‰” provides a dance-floor pop rhythm that sounds strangely similar to those of Toro Y Moi.

While the auto-tune verses can get repetitive, Nothing Was the Same keeps listening interesting with a diverse array of styles. Its seamless transitions from one style to the next make listening to the album accessible and interesting.

Check out the campy, gun-packed video to “Hold On, We‰’re Going Home‰” below.