Twenty-one-time Grammy Award winner Kanye West has released his highly anticipated album “Jesus is King,” but it lacks the charm and excitement found in West’s previous releases.
Although he delayed the album many times, the whole production seemed rushed, and the album lacks West’s signature creative flare.
In the past year, West has become a more devout Christian to cope with his ongoing struggle with bipolar disorder. He started holding his highly publicized Sunday Services, where he performs gospel music. At the services, he often performs with his personal choir in front of his family and other celebrities. After scrapping his previous album, “Yahndi,” West’s newfound faith is evident in “Jesus is King.”
The first song, “Every Hour,” sets the tone for the album. It features West’s choir, the Sunday Service Choir, singing over an up-tempo beat. However, the song lacks an appearance from West and is disappointing, as it does not feature any substantial lyrics.
My favorite parts of the album are when West showcases his famous lyrical and musical ingenuity as a producer. In “Selah,” he produces a unique mesh between his style of rapping and a higher voiced choir. In “Follow God,” he demonstrates his unique rhyming and lyrical abilities as he raps over an up-tempo beat and includes creative lyrics, elements often featured in his hits.
The album includes songs featuring other talented artists like “Everything We Need,” in which Ty Dolla $ign provides a brilliant vocal hook, but West does not quite connect the musical elements.
Saxophonist Kenny G and rapping duo Clipse combine for the best musical performance of the album in “Use This Gospel.” The contrast between jazz elements and West’s rapping create a unique song.
However, “Closed on Sunday” disappoints because it has West rapping over an overly aggressive beat as he preaches about his intimate relationship with God. He then goes on to include pop culture references such as Chick-fil-A being closed on Sunday, which do not fit in.
In “On God,” West includes lyrics with forced references to his relationship with Jesus, a controversial claim that the 13th Amendment should be repealed and a statement on why the prices of his merchandise are so high. These contrasting lyrics are featured over a basic beat, making for a subpar song.
“Water,” featuring R&B singer Ant Clemons, is a perplexing song as it features a mishmash of pitches and tones, causing me to question West’s ability to create songs with complexly orchestrated musical elements.
A couple of the songs on the album are enjoyable to listen to, as West demonstrates his ability to produce songs with unique sounds and beats. However, as a whole, the album failed to capture my attention because it did not live up to its potential.
West let down his fans. He produced an album full of awkward beats and lyrics that lack West’s great musical abilities, causing the album to fall short of the many expectations set by his followers.
Released November 2019. Digitized 2025.
