Jesus Is King
A gospel-driven declaration of faith that redefined the artist's sonic and spiritual direction.
Jesus Is King is the ninth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings on October 25, 2019. It follows a Christian theme, in stark contrast from previous works by West, who described it as "an expression of the gospel." It features guest appearances from Clipse, Ty Dolla Sign, Kenny G, Fred Hammond, Ant Clemons, and the Sunday Service Choir. Production was handled by West himself, as well as Federico Vindver, Ronny J, Pi'erre Bourne, Labrinth and Timbaland, among others.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Kanye West
- Released
- October 25, 2019
- Recorded
- 2017 – October 2019
- Genre
- Christian hip-hop; gospel
- Length
- 27:04
- Label
- GOOD; Def Jam
Lore & Background
West began recording the album in August 2018, originally announcing it as Yandhi. The album missed two initial release dates in September and November 2018 under the original title, before being delayed indefinitely due to leaks. West had formed his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir in January 2019, performing gospel songs and covers of songs from West's discography. The song "Water" was performed live prior to release by the group. In August 2019, Yandhi was reannounced as Jesus Is King, but it missed two planned release dates for late September 2019 under the new title. The final release of Jesus Is King was simultaneous with that of a concert film of the same name, which included a number of the tracks as part of the soundtrack.
Reader's Guide
The singles "Follow God" and "Closed on Sunday" were both released in November 2019, charting in the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. The album received mixed reviews from music critics, with a number of them drawing comparisons between it and West's previous solo album, Ye (2018). Some critics complimented the former's composition, while others expressed negative feelings towards the lyrics and the inconsistency of ideas. Jesus Is King won the Top Christian Album and Top Gospel Album awards at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021.
It stood as West's record-tying ninth consecutive studio album to debut atop the US Billboard 200. In addition, West broke several Billboard charts' records. The album was a chart topper in nine other countries, including Australia and Canada, while attaining top five positions in the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It has been certified gold and silver in the United States and the United Kingdom by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively. A companion album, Jesus Is Born, was released in December 2019 by the Sunday Service Choir.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Every Hour (featuring Sunday Service Choir) | Kanye West, Benjamin Scholefield, Federico Vindver, Nikisha Grier | 1:52 |
| 2 | Selah | West, Cydel Young, Dexter Raymond Mills Jr., Vindver, Gene Thornton, Jahmal Gwin, Jeffrey LaValley, Rennard East, Terrence Thornton, Evan Mast, Matthew Leon, John Boyd, Adam Wright | 2:45 |
| 3 | Follow God | West, Gwin, Bryant Bell, Aaron Butts, Curtis Eubanks, Calvin Eubanks | 1:45 |
| 4 | Closed on Sunday | West, Angel Lopez, Brian Miller, Vindver, Timothy Mosley, Chango Farías Gómez, G. Thornton, East, T. Thornton, Victory Elyse Boyd | 2:32 |
| 5 | On God | West, Gwin, Michael Cerda, Jordan Timothy Jenks, Vindver, Young, Dijon Isaiah McFarlane | 2:16 |
| 6 | Everything We Need (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Ant Clemons) | West, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Anthony Clemons, Michael Mulé, Isaac DeBoni, Ronald Spence Jr., Gwin, Vindver, Mike Dean, Bradford Lewis, Young, Josh Berg, Gerard A. Powell | 1:56 |
| 7 | Water (featuring Ant Clemons) | West, Clemons, Gwin, Lopez, Vindver, Mosley, Alexander Nelson Klein, Bruce Haack, V. Boyd | 2:48 |
| 8 | God Is | West, Warryn Campbell, Timothy Lee McKenzie, Lopez, Vindver, V. Boyd, Robert Fryson | 3:23 |
| 9 | Hands On (featuring Fred Hammond) | West, Fred Hammond, Lopez, Vindver, Mosley, Butts | 3:23 |
| 10 | Use This Gospel (featuring Clipse and Kenny G) | West, G. Thornton, T. Thornton, Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, Lopez, Michael Suski, Vindver, Mosley, Gwin, Jenks, Derek Watkins, East, Leon | 3:34 |
| 11 | Jesus Is Lord | West, Lopez, Miller, Claude Léveillée, Vindver, Mosley | 0:49 |
| Total length | 27:04 | ||
Did You Know?
- The album was originally announced as Yandhi on September 17, 2018, with a release date of September 29, 2018, but missed that date and a rescheduled November 23, 2018 date before being delayed indefinitely due to leaks.
- Saxophonist Kenny G recorded his part for "Use This Gospel" the day after meeting West for the first time on February 14, 2019.
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