After months of speculation, Kanye West finally returned to bring the world his long-awaited, gospel-themed album, Jesus Is King. West brings a unique blend of top-tier production and innovative sound to the gospel genre, but what holds Jesus Is King back from being the quality of project West is known for is the most basic element of all gospel music—soul.
It seems like the lack of soul is something West tried to address, as the first two tracks are two of the most impactful on the entire project.
With no Kanye West, The Sunday Service Choir sets the gospel tone early on "Every Hour", but "Selah" was the early standout, as the track delivered on all the potential of a Kanye West gospel album.
Powerful production is perfectly matched with passionate lyrics from West, as each beat drop intensifies lyrics like "Ye should be made free", "John 8:36, to whom the son set free, is free indeed" and "he saved a wretch like me". The lyrics and production is perfectly paired to compliment a " Hallelujah, Salvation, and Glory" that timely pops in and out of the standout track.
However, directly after doing everything perfectly on "Selah", West kills all momentum with the lazy delivery, run-of-the-mill lyrics, and the trivial hook of the filler track "Follow God".
In a way, "Closed on Sunday" is the sonic representation of the actual Chick-Fil-A; both are quality products, but one supports homophobic practices and the other stalely references a restaurant with homophobic practices, making them impossible to enjoy.
The track allows West to shine with simplistic, yet memorable production that paves the way for West to rise and sink in his delivery as well as switch from preachy lyrics like "hold the selfie, put the 'gram away" to proclamations like "my life is his, I'm no longer my own". Sadly, all the positives of "Closed on Sunday" are negated by West's lyrics of "Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-Fil-A, You my number one, with the lemonade", followed a screeching shoutout of "Chick-Fil-A" at the end of the song.
Pi'erre Bourne brings in high-paced, video game-like production matched with a sample of G.O.O.D Music's "Mercy", allowing West to share some of his more personal lyrics, like his battles with the IRS, the deep reasoning behind bleaching his hair and the questionable logic behind the Yeezy price tag.
The use of Ant Clemons and feature parsley Ty Dolla $ign helps make "Everything We Need" worth revisiting, as West phones it in on this song and the next, wasting a brilliant Clemons feature on "Water".
Then right when you think Kanye got bored of the album and just wanted to get back to Jackson Hole air, he gives us one of the best songs of the year.
"God Is" brings all the passion and soulfulness that lacks on much of the album and pairs it with the gripping soul samples West became famous for, fulfilling all the potential of a Kanye-gospel combination.
West thanks Jesus, addresses the nature of Sunday Service, and publicly gives his soul to God with no assistance from a choir or feature; the lone use of West's voice with only soulful production as assistance creates the feeling of a person letting out all their emotions in a church's solo performance and is easily the emotional highpoint of Jesus Is King.
West addresses the criticisms targeted at his religious transformation on "Hands On", but the track doesn't leave much of an impression.
"Use This Gospel", on the other hand, positions itself as one of the best songs on the album, with a Clipse reunion and one of the catchiest hooks of the 11-track project. The instructive elements of the song along with the perfect blend of rap and gospel would have been perfect for an earlier placement on the tracklist.
The album's outro track, "Jesus Is Lord" is anticlimactic but very fitting of a months-delayed, 27-minute project.
Overall, Jesus Is King shows blindingly bright flashes of the power Kanye West has in the gospel realm, but it doesn't show enough flashes to champion the album alongside West's legendary discography. Although West labeled Jesus Is King as a rap album, the project featured 95% gospel lyrics, and gospel isn't the genre where artists can get away with subpar effort. The lack of soulful connection on certain tracks is glaringly apparent, and it drags down what had the potential to be a great forging of worlds.
Score: Zane Lowe/10
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