Jesus is King
| Jesus is King | |||||
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| Studio album by Kanye West | |||||
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Publication |
October 25, 2019 |
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| Label (s) | GOOD Music , Def Jam | ||||
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Format (s) |
Download, streaming |
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Title (number) |
11 |
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running time |
26:59 |
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| occupation |
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Kanye West, Budgie Beats , Federico Vindver , Francis Farewell Starlite , benny blanco , Ronny J , Boogz , E * Vax , Xcelence , Timbaland , Angel López , Brian "All Day" Miller , Pi'erre Bourne , Michael Cerda , FnZ , Labrinth , Warryn Campbell , DRTWRK |
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Jesus Is King is the ninth studio album by the American music producer , singer and rapper Kanye West . It was released on October 25, 2019.
background
West originally announced a follow-up work called Yandhi for September 29, 2018, just three months after his last studio album ye . On this were among other guest posts from ign Ty Dolla $ , 6ix9ine and XXXTentacion (posthumously) planned. Despite intensive promotion, active work on the work and the announcement of the tracklist , its publication was postponed several times, ultimately for an indefinite period. A rough version of this album was later leaked .
In August 2019, Kanye West announced instead that they are now working on a new album, which will be titled Jesus Is King and will consist of Christian music . Its release was originally announced for September 27, 2019, but was later postponed two days. This date was also not kept because West was still dissatisfied with the project. Ultimately, the new release date was set for October 25, 2019, on which the album was released - albeit several hours late. On the same day, a half-hour concert film of the same name also premiered.
It was announced in advance that Kanye West was thinking of quitting rapping and from now on devoting himself only to singing and production, since rap is the music of the devil. In a conversation with a clergyman , Pastor Adam Tyson , West assured him that he did not share his view and that he could just as easily rap for God . On the finished album there are sung passages as well as rap interludes. Furthermore, the work on the album was characterized by sexual reluctance. Not only did he try to overcome his sex addiction himself , he also asked participating artists not to have extramarital sexual intercourse during the creation phase of the work. Instead, they should pray and fast together.
Every song on the album was written and produced by Kanye West himself, always with the support of additional musicians. In addition to him, the producers were Budgie Beats , Federico Vindver , Francis Farewell Starlite , benny blanco , Ronny J , Boogz , E * Vax , Xcelence , Timbaland , Angel López , Brian "All Day" Miller , Pi'erre Bourne , Michael Cerda , FnZ , Labrinth , Warryn Campbell and DRTWRK involved. The Sunday Service Choir , Ty Dolla $ ign , Ant Clemons , Fred Hammond , Clipse and Kenny G appear as guest musicians . The vast majority of tracks also use samples and interpolations.
No singles were released from Jesus Is King .
Music and lyrics
Jesus Is King is shaped by Christianity both aesthetically and in terms of content . West combines elements of gospel and traditional church singing with modern hip-hop and electro elements; the song Closed on Sunday also has clear folk motifs, and through an extensive saxophone - Solo on the otherwise minimalist electronic piece Use This Gospel there in this well Smooth Jazz Bonds. The music of the work also offers more experimental song structures and sound combinations, for example choral singing is provided with autotune , many of the songs end abruptly, or refrains are dispensed with. West himself can be heard singing and rapping in roughly equal parts, his voice is sometimes alienated with effects, but often left natural. His voice does not appear on the opening track Every Hour , only a church choir and a piano can be heard. In terms of content, the musician pays homage to his spirituality throughout and reflects in several songs his behavior and his mistakes, and to what extent these would be compatible with his Christian faith, or to what extent he was under the influence of the devil in the practice . Motifs and quotations from the Bible can also be found in various places.
Cover design
The design of the cover artwork for Jesus Is King is based on a vinyl record . This is blue and has four lettering in the center circle: the album title is at the top, the name of the artist at the bottom, "New Songs AR 1331 A" on the left and "33RPM LP" on the right, each in golden yellow letters.
Track list
| Jesus is King | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | title | length |
| 1. | Every Hour (feat. Sunday Service Choir ) | 1:52 |
| 2. | Selah | 2:44 |
| 3. | Follow God | 1:44 |
| 4th | Closed on Sunday | 2:31 |
| 5. | On God | 2:16 |
| 6th | Everything We Need ( feat.Ty Dolla $ ign & Ant Clemons ) | 1:56 |
| 7th | Water (feat. Ant Clemons) | 2:48 |
| 8th. | God is | 3:23 |
| 9. | Hands on (feat. Fred Hammond ) | 3:23 |
| 10. | Use This Gospel (feat. Clipse & Kenny G ) | 3:33 |
| 11. | Jesus is Lord | 0:49 |
criticism
In both German and English-speaking countries, Jesus Is King polarized more strongly than any Kanye West album before.
Positive reviews felt that the album, unlike its predecessor ye , sounded focused and dense. The production would be "absolute upper class", the gospel-heavy songs would be opulent, while the hip-hop would invite you to nod your head. It is a work of confidence and clarity, and radiates sincerity and peace. In terms of content, the maturing process was praised; so Kanye West would have overcome his megalomania in favor of humility before Jesus Christ .
Negative reviews, however, condemned the album as completely irrelevant both musically and in terms of content. It is a testament to the fact that the career of the musician, who was once considered the most innovative artist of his generation, is now primarily based on his self-marketing, not on his work. It was criticized that the songs sounded like short sketches , would ripple and offer too little substance to provide insight into West's mind. The line "Closed on sunday, you're my Chick-fil-A / You're my number one, with the lemonade" on the song Closed on Sunday was also controversially received . The celebrated restaurant chain previously hit the headlines because of its negative attitude towards the LGBTQ + community.
Charts and chart placements
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
|
19th (3 weeks) | 3 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Date of publication. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ High Snobiety Article on "Yandhi". Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ The Fader Article on Leak. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Independent article on displacement. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ "Jesus is King" movie. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ laut.de article about Kanye West's attitude towards rap. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ laut.de article about Kanye West's attitude towards sex. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ credits. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Samples and Credits. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ "Selah" -Songtext. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ "Follow God" -Songtext. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ "Water" -Songtext. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ "Hands On" -Songtext. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ album cover. Retrieved October 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Musikexpress criticism. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ^ NME criticism. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ^ Telegraph criticism. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ↑ World Criticism. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ^ Spex criticism. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ↑ The Guardian Review. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- Jump up ↑ Hip-Hop DX review. Retrieved October 28, 2019 .
- ↑ Kanye West - Jesus Is King. GfK Entertainment , accessed on October 31, 2019 .
