October 19, 2021

By Charlie Recchia

Graphic by Jack Copeland

Kanye West: a man who needs no introduction. Many would consider him to be one of music’s most recognizable icons, for better or for worse. 

On one hand, there is a legion of loyal fans who will defend anything West releases. On the other, there is a legion of royal critics who ridicule the artist for his wacky persona and constant delaying of new releases.

“Donda,” West’s 10th album, is no exception to this delaying habit that has plagued the artist ever since the early 2010s. Originally set to be released in early August, “Donda” went through several delays, resulting in a release date of Aug. 29, 2021. 

As a moderate West fan, I will say that I find these constant delays incredibly unprofessional and disloyal to his fanbase. I was also worried that these delays would make “Donda” one of his worst albums yet. Luckily, I was wrong on that sentiment. 

“Donda” is West’s best album since the release of “The Life Of Pablo.” The production is ethereal, the vocal performances by West and his collaborators are as good as ever and the religious themes throughout the album do not feel as forced as they were on West’s last failure, “Jesus Is King.”

“Donda” starts off with an excellent one-two punch. “Donda Chant” has garnered some controversy for being a one-minute interlude of a woman chanting the title of the album over and over again without an instrumental. I love this intro, as the repetition of the word leads listeners into a false sense of hypnotic safety before the album explodes into one of West’s best songs ever: “Jail.” 

I will never forget hearing this song for the first time in my friend’s car with the volume turned all the way up. This is a song that builds up for nearly six minutes and ends with a minimalist beat drop with reverb-drenched drums that never fail to get me dancing. The only issue I find with this song is its six-minute runtime. It’s way too long.

The only two other incredible highlights on this first half are the tracks “Off The Grid” and “Jonah.” The former is an absolute banger with a bass heavy beat, incredible features (including Playboi Carti’s verse, which is amazing) and a hypnotic hook from West himself. The latter is an emotionally devastating track that discusses fighting inner demons and how lonely that process can be, even if you are a star. The ghostly hook on this song always gives me chills.

Other than that, this first half of the album lacks substance. Although the religious themes are more focused than ever before, a lot of these songs don’t land in terms of substance. “Hurricane” and “Moon,”  two songs gaining a lot of positive buzz, are incredibly dull and out of focus. 

Additionally, West should have more presence on this album. Even on the songs I love in the first half, sometimes West rarely sings and leaves most of the work to his guests, which honestly feels like a bit of a rip-off. 

This brings me to the second half of the album, which is the highlight of the entire piece. The first half of “Donda” has some great moments, but it lacks focus and West himself. In this second half, not only is almost every song great, it manages to make me, the least religious human in the world, feel a little faith. 

“Jesus Lord” stands out as my favorite song on this entire project for a plethora of reasons. For starters, if an eight to nine-minute song can hold my interest the whole time, that is something special. I felt myself raise my hands to pray with this song’s spiritual soundscape. Additionally, West’s flow and vocal performance throughout this song is emotionally powerful and leaves an excellent lasting impact. 

The second half’s instrumentals are more groovy and accessible. A perfect example of this is the head-bopping “Keep My Spirit Alive,” which has an incredible electronic drum beat reminiscent of electronic acts such as Stereolab and Aphex Twin. I also should give a quick mention of the song “Come to Life.” This is one of the most tear-jerking moments in West’s entire career. You just need to hear it for yourself. 

Although I have plenty of overall positive things to say about “Donda,” this album feels like it overstays its welcome in parts. This album is an hour and 48 minutes long. This is an instant red flag to me when it comes to finding new albums to listen to. It is very rare (unless you are avant-garde rock band Swans) that I listen to an album over an hour and a half long and actually like it. Although I like “Donda” overall, I hate this runtime. 

After finishing this album, it felt like my brain and ears ran a marathon. Sometimes I look for this kind of listening experience, but for a pop artist such as West, this is the last thing I am looking for. I honestly don’t know how I could handle listening to religious rap tunes for nearly two hours. West still finds a way to keep me interested. 

However, this album does not have great sequencing. None of the songs flow into each other at all, and it really makes this album feel like a bad case of whiplash. At one moment, I am banging my head and grooving, and then the next song I am moved to tears with no preparation. With an album, it’s better for the songs to build up or build down gradually in relation to each other. “Donda” does not do this at all. 

Despite all the delays, “Donda” was worth the wait. I get upset with West’s delays, especially this time around, but I cannot stay mad when the final product is so well made. “Donda” is one of the most beautiful fires I have ever seen. However, West has a hard time controlling the flame. 

Verdict: 8/10 

Edited by Shannon Worley | sworley@themaneater.com