On October 25th, 2019, after months of waiting and multiple delays, Kanye West’s new Christian album dropped. Before you say anything, yes, you read that correctly: American rapper and husband to Kim Kardashian West released a Christian album. The album, called Jesus is King, reached number one on iTunes and the Billboard 200 chart hours after it was released; it’s also had over 20 million streams on Spotify. This album has changed how we view Kanye, rap and gospel music, and Christianity, and these things have made people criticize the album. But, after listening to Jesus is King, I must say that this album is actually quite good and I’m loving the new era of Kanye that’s just getting started.
Before I begin, here’s a little background information on Jesus is King. It was announced in August of this year when Kanye’s wife Kim revealed a track list of the album on Instagram. It was originally supposed to be released on September 27th, but in good old Kanye fashion, he pushed the date back. He worked on the album throughout October and even announced that a movie with the same name as the album would be released in IMAX theaters. Kanye finally revealed that the movie and album would be released on October 25th and stuck to his word. Jesus is King is only 11 songs that are all less than 4 minutes, adding up to a total of 27, so you can listen to the album pretty quickly. The album features artists such as Kenny G, Ty Dolla $ign, Ant Clemons, and Kanye’s very own Sunday Service Choir. I cannot speak about the movie, however, because I sadly didn’t get the opportunity to see it.
Now, let’s dive into Jesus is King. Why is this a good album? For starters, I like the new Kanye who’s all about the Lord. Don’t get me wrong: past Kanye is great, too. This album hasn’t stopped me from listening to his 2010 hit “Runaway.” But it’s so rare to find celebrities who are outspoken about their faith—especially celebs as popular as Kanye—so for him to use his platform to spread the gospel is pretty amazing. I applaud him for continuing to talk about his faith despite people accusing him of being “fake” or no longer the “real Ye.” But Kanye is still himself; his faith has just grown more passionate, and I personally like the Kanye we’re now seeing.
Another reason why this album is so good is because of the songs. Like I stated early, some people think Kanye’s changed, but when you listen to these songs, you realize that he hasn’t. This album still has the Kanye tone we know and love; also, he raps in most of the songs, so don’t tell me he’s not a rapper anymore because he still is. But what I love about the songs in this album is the lyrics. Some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard in my life come from this album. An example: “Closed on Sunday/ You my Chick-fil-a.” The power that lyric holds is just outstanding. Honestly, what was my life was like before I heard Kanye rap about Chick-fil-a? The songs on this album also have fantastic beats. He’s always had good beats in his songs but, for this particular album, he went above and beyond. He continues to prove how talented he is and I continue to be blown away by him.
If you haven’t listened to Jesus is King yet, I highly recommend you do. It’s powerful and inspiring, and the wait for this album was definitely worth it. This is one of the best albums I’ve heard in years and I’m going to be listening to it for a long time (especially the song about Chick-fil-a). Kanye West once again proved why he’s one of the greatest artists alive with Jesus is King, and I’m so excited to see what he’s going to do next!