Kanye West is seen at “DONDA by Kanye West” listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium July 22 in Atlanta. Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/TNS
After months of teasers and faux album announcements, Kanye West released his 10th studio album, “Donda” — titled after his mother — Sunday.
There has been some fan speculation as to who actually released “Donda.” West shared an Instagram post Sunday that stated, “UNIVERSAL PUT MY ALBUM OUT WITHOUT MY APPROVAL AND THEY BLOCKED JAIL 2 FROM BEING ON THE ALBUM.” While some fans believe West’s label Universal Records released this album without his approval, others believe it’s just another marketing stunt by West himself.
Many fans also believe “Donda” might have a similar rollout to his album “The Life Of Pablo,” where songs were added or remixed throughout the weeks following the initial release. “Donda,” at the time of publication, was released as a clean project, censoring any explicit language throughout the album.
Regardless of what is happening behind the scenes, it’s clear “Donda” is a masterpiece. This album features 27 songs and is an astounding 1 hour and 48 minutes long. A project of this length is bound to have a few duds, but when the album hits its highs, it hits them hard.
Following the intro, “Donda Chant,” comes an attention-grabbing and long-overdue collaboration with Jay-Z, “Jail.” This track, like many others following it, is soulful. It features a simple instrumental with an electric guitar riff, letting West and Jay-Z’s vocals elevate the track.
After “God Breathed” and the awkward “Off The Grid” comes “Hurricane,” featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby. Angelic vocals from The Weeknd with Lil Baby’s feisty verse make this the perfect introduction for West’s telling verse.
Just two songs later, one of the most emotional and beautiful tracks on the project appears: “Jonah.” This song begins with a spiritual-sounding chorus and verse from Vory and effectively transitions to a passionate verse from Lil Durk, where he touches on the loss of his brother.
While “Jonah” is an extremely moving track, the next three tracks show just how difficult it is to make a 27-song album with no dull moments. While none of these songs necessarily take away from the positives of the project, they fail to offer anything conceptually new or unique.
“Moon” is a track that had garnered attention before the album release, as leaks were thrown around social media, and it did not disappoint. This track is ethereal and otherworldly, featuring heavenly vocals from Don Toliver and Kid Cudi. While this song doesn’t sound grand or anthemic on the surface, it creates a feeling of frisson with each listen.
Following “Donda” and “Keep My Spirit Alive” comes the most heartfelt and revealing track on the project, “Jesus Lord.” West’s verse is vulnerable and raw, speaking on the struggles within his family and telling a magnificent, gut-wrenching story in the process. His verse is followed by a phenomenal verse from Jay Electronica and a touching outro from Larry Hoover Jr.
The most out-of-place and disappointing track in the project, especially considering how closely it follows West’s best song on the album, is “Tell The Vision.” This song features a monotonous piano instrumental and a distorted, quiet verse from the late Pop Smoke that wouldn’t have fit anywhere else in the album.
Later in the project, West and Roddy Ricch collaborate for an uplifting track with familiar gospel-esque instrumentals and a moving outro by Shenseea on “Pure Souls.” “Come to Life” is another powerful track that features West at his most revealing, touching on his relationship with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian-West and his hopes for a better tomorrow.
“No Child Left Behind,” with Vory, was another track that was highly anticipated prior to the release of “Donda,” and it exceeded expectations. It serves as the perfect outro to the album, celebrating the soul-stirring project before heading into some of the remix tracks.
The last four tracks serve as remixes to songs previously heard on the project. None of them take away from the originals, but they also sure don’t enhance the project by any means. “Jail pt 2” features a verse from DaBaby in place of Jay-Z, and “Jesus Lord pt 2” adds on verses from Sheek Louch, Jadakiss and Styles P. Their respective verses serve their purpose, but they can’t seem to match the energy of West and Jay Electronica.
“Donda,” though long and heavy, may just be the most-needed project of the year. West’s spirituality and vulnerability shine through this project from start to finish, both through him and the features throughout. This project consists of moving, heart-rending tracks, with more than its fair share of encouraging, precious moments.
It’s fair to say that there is almost no circumstance where one could enjoy every song on a 27-track album, but “Donda” may be the closest to ever do that. This is a project that gets better with each listen. The sincerity throughout the project outshines almost any low point that it may have by a country mile.
Rating: 4.5/5
