Drake has always had a certain flare for melodrama. The former child star has become infamous for his heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics and rejected persona. But on his sophomore album, “Take Care,” the heartbroken heartthrob is wrestling with different demons. No longer does Drake despise the fame his music has achieved. Instead, he’s reveling in it.

“Take Care” is an album dedication to the excess of celebrity and the dark realities that cringe underneath. On his debut album, “Thank Me Now,” Drake sounded like a starting player who really just coveted the sidelines. Regardless, his tales of rapper woes were as unbelievably earnest as they were relatable to the kids in dorm rooms he seemed to envy. “Take Care” is a different story. The album is bursting with a yearning for a fulfilled life that transcends beyond bottles of champagne.

Drake’s collaborators assist in making “Take Care” a masterclass. Drake’s speedy rap delivery is complemented by Lil’ Wayne’s intensified brashness on “HYFR.” And on “Doing It Wrong,” Andre 3000’s reference to Adele’s inescapable “Someone Like You” is equally smile educing and crushing. But even with these notable guest appearances, it’s obvious that this is Drake’s album.

“Take Care” will probably be compared to the colossal “Watch the Throne” simply because they’re high profile hip-hop albums. However, what Drake does better than Jay-Z and Kanye West is create a cohesive story that avoids the artist’s weaknesses, capitalizes on his strengths and relies on realism.