Kanye West - JESUS IS KING: The Auto-Tuned Gospel According to Kanye

Kanye West, the formerly self-proclaimed God, announces his usurpation with the gospel album, JESUS IS KING. In bold, assertive caps a major adoration of God is declared which considerably bifurcates from the self-love for which Kanye is rather infamously renowned. Retiring from the expletive, controversial rap communicated in previous albums, like The Life of Pablo, JESUS IS KING undoubtedly portrays a more Christ-like version of Kanye, and with his ambitious transformation from rap to Christian worship, this album certainly marks the most fascinating development in Kanye’s music career so far. Yet with a running time of only 27 minutes, the brevity of the album is unsatisfying, leaving much to be desired. Many musical ideas of undeniable greatness are introduced, but they are significantly wanting and frustratingly underdeveloped. Kanye may have found an inspiration in God, but has he simultaneously sacrificed the inspiration for his music?

With the burden of soul-saving weighing heavily on his shoulders, Kanye opens the album with ‘Every Hour’, a rich and powerful gospel song whose strength is sourced in the presence of the faultless Sunday Service Choir (– or indeed, perhaps, the absence of Kanye’s presence). Their impressive unison and swelling harmonies are expertly delivered and transform the rather repetitive lyrics into a glorious praise of God. It is an exciting and energetic beginning which stands in a total contrast to the following track, ‘Selah’ where Kanye’s gravelly rapping derails the divine atmosphere. It quickly becomes clear that Kanye’s attempt to merge an elegant gospel choir with his angry rapping is not genius but foolishness. It is jarring, awkward and unconvincing – even the nod to traditional choral hymns with the organ accompaniment doesn't quite cut it.

Many similar contradictions continue to permeate the album. Kanye consistently acts as his own worst enemy and is hell-bent on derailing every good idea in favour of less holy, and more boring, ground. Frequent moments of musical beauty are glimpsed in abrupt fragments before they are restrained, unfortunately, by Kanye’s simple and monosyllabic rhymes. Nowhere is this phenomenon seen clearer than in ‘Closed on Sunday,’ a fantastically atmospheric piece of arresting quality which sees Kanye begin to sing with more emotional depth and urgency (albeit with much heavier auto tune). Secular lyrics lace with scripture-bathed ones and conjure a vivid image of the West family uniting in worship of God. ‘Stand up for my home/Even if I take this walk alone’ is delivered with such power and conviction that it is shiver-inducing – a truly memorable moment of the album. Infuriatingly, the compelling atmosphere is not sustained and an unsolicited ‘chick-fil-a’ pierces through the track – a harsh squawk that forces the listener to forget the glorious beauty of what has passed.

In a nutshell, the album is an omphalos of confusion and contradiction. Like a piece of music ending on the dominant 7th, JESUS IS KING creates an overwhelming sense of frustration with its short length, lack of development and unfinished feel. The questionable fusion of rap and gospel choir overshadows many of the album’s merits leaving a forced and uncomfortable feeling. Having said this, there is a strange appeal about the album, a tangible force that compels us to overlook the awkwardness, and forgive Kanye for the album’s flaws. JESUS IS KING may not great, but it is certainly has an addictive quality.

Watch 'Closed on Sunday' below: