Usually when Kanye West releases an album, all hell breaks loose. This time, I think he’s going for the opposite effect with the release of his new gospel album, “Jesus is King.”
No matter your opinion of West, I think we can all agree this sudden change of genre is surprising. This is the famous rapper’s first album that isn’t labeled with explicit content. In 2013, he released a song called “I am a God” where he boasted about himself and his accomplishments.
Now, we see Kanye transition from claiming he is a god to creating an entire album in reverence to God. In fact, West said the album “has been made to be an expression of the gospel and the truth of what Jesus has done to me.”
West said the tour for Jesus is King will start “right away,” making it his first headlining tour in three years. In 2016, the artist unexpectedly cut his “Saint Pablo Tour” a month short when he was hospitalized for mental health purposes. Since then, West released two albums in 2018 that were not followed by a tour, “Ye” and “Kids See Ghosts.”
Though West has been out of the touring business, he by no means took a break from performing. Recently, he has been hosting Christian gatherings he calls “Sunday Services” every Sunday since Jan. 6. One would think a worship service would focus more on religion and less on performative elements, but it has been reported that attendees are given a dress-code and costumes assigned by West’s producer, asked to sign non-disclosure agreements and are welcomed on an invite-only basis.
West debuted his Sunday Service concert to the public at Coachella on Easter Sunday. Fans can expect his upcoming tour to follow the same format which is drastically different than that of a typical rap concert.
Discussing Kanye West can be crossing into controversial territory, especially since his public endorsement of Donald Trump, which he now claims was a practical joke. The same week the album released, he also declared himself “unquestionably, undoubtedly, the greatest human artist of all time.”
West certainly has a long way to go in humbling himself, but I don’t think he deserves the criticism he’s receiving from Christians about his sudden embrace of his faith. In his song “Hands On,” he predicts how Christians will respond to the album, singing “They’ll be the first one to judge me / Make it feel like nobody loves me.”
Christianity, like all religions, should be about welcoming and accepting everyone, regardless of their past baggage. It is not up to people to judge others; rather, our job is to be an example of unconditional love to everyone.
That being said, I’d like to put aside opinions of Kanye West and take a look at the album itself.
“Every Hour” is a powerful and energizing opener led by a gospel choir called The Samples. The next song, “Selah,” begins with an ominous church organ, inviting us into the soundscape of a traditional religious service. Kenny G and his saxophone provide a smooth jazz influence on the track, “Follow God.”
The only song I don’t like is “Closed on Sunday,” which tries too hard to be relatable. Though the song emphasizes the importance of family values and raising children in the faith, as hard as I try, I just can’t take the lyrics, “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-a/ You’re my number one, with the lemonade,” seriously. If anything, it could be an enthralling dramatic reading for an Out of the Box audition.
Overall, I really enjoyed listening to “Jesus is King,” because it was what I least expected it to be. I think it challenges our instinct to judge others quickly and asks us to really listen before we form opinions based on preconceptions.
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