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Jesus Is King

Jesus Is King is the ninth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released on October 25, 2019, and distributed through GOOD Music. The album follows a Christian theme, different from his usual work. West described it as "an expression of the gospel".[1] It features guest appearances from Clipse, Ty Dolla Sign, Kenny G, Fred Hammond, Ant Clemons, and the Sunday Service Choir. Production is included from West, Federico Vindver, Angel Lopez, BoogzDaBeast, and Timbaland, among others.

For the accompanying concert film of the same name, see Jesus Is King (film).

Jesus Is King

October 25, 2019

August 2018 – October 2019

27:04

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. 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.

Background and recording[edit]

August–November 2018: Yandhi, Chicago and Uganda[edit]

Throughout May and June 2018, five seven-track albums produced by West at his ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming were successively released as the Wyoming Sessions. American rapper Pusha T's third studio album Daytona was released first, followed by West's eighth studio album Ye, West's collaborative studio album Kids See Ghosts, with Kid Cudi as Kids See Ghosts, Nas' eleventh studio album Nasir, and Teyana Taylor's second studio album K.T.S.E.; all of the albums were released in 2018. In July 2018, Chicago music artist Chance the Rapper announced that West was coming to Chicago to produce for his seven-track debut studio album.[a][3] West was seen in the city at the end of August 2018, and simultaneously confirmed to Fox News that the two of them were recording music together.[4][5] West later stated that his recording sessions with Chance the Rapper had helped the former reconnect with his roots and faith in Jesus.[6] The following month, West released the collaborative single "I Love It" with fellow American rapper Lil Pump.[b][8] Later that month, West visited Colombia to record music with fellow rapper 6ix9ine.[9] West also reactivated his Instagram account after a half-year absence,[10] with indications that he was working with American record producer Ronny J, and Chance the Rapper, alongside the latter's brother Taylor Bennett, and American rapper G Herbo. Through his Instagram, West confirmed that he was collaborating with 6ix9ine and began posting snippets of new music.[11][12][13] American singer-songwriter Ant Clemons, who had previously worked with West on Ye and K.T.S.E., was invited to Chicago where he entered a studio room with West, Chance the Rapper, and American conservative commentator Candace Owens.[14] During these Chicago sessions, Clemons recorded his vocals for "Everything We Need” and an earlier version of the track "Selah" (originally titled "Chakras").[14] West also announced that he was permanently moving back to Chicago, which his wife Kim Kardashian was not aware of until she heard about West's announcement through social media,[15] and that he was actively working on a collaborative studio album with Chance the Rapper titled Good Ass Job.[16] West ultimately did not move back to Chicago and Good Ass Job has yet to materialize.[17][18]

Music and production[edit]

Jesus Is King is a Christian hip hop record, and features a significant gospel influence.[77][78] Complex journalist Eric Skelton considered that it was not a sonic departure from West's previous work, noting its "healthy doses of bass, pretty chords, hip hop sensibilities, and pop melodies." and claimed that it borrows elements from his past albums such as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Ye, and The Life of Pablo (2016),[79] while Samuel J. Robinson of Rolling Stone highlighted its use of trap drums, ambient flourishes and samples.[78] However, Charles Holmes, also from Rolling Stone, described it as a "far more muted, stripped-down affair than most West albums," with him noting the exception of the track "On God", produced by Pi'erre Bourne, due to its "galactic, fiery, and intense" beat.[77]


Holmes also considered that, despite its gospel influences, "Jesus Is King is a gospel album in the same way a square is a rectangle," only fitting "the most basic criteria," and wrote that its production consists largely of recognizable gospel components such as "pared-back guitars, mournful organs and pianos, and choral arrangements deployed like soul samples."[77] Andrew Legg, Tasmanian musician and director of the ARIA award-nominated Southern Gospel Choir described Jesus is King as "a remarkable gospel album," calling it contemporary in a genuine way and he predicted that the album would "inevitably challenge the traditional concept of African American gospel while influencing it shape for years to come."[80] Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick viewed Jesus Is King as where "West has confounded expectations once again with a set of dramatic, evangelical hip hop testimonials."[81] McCormick commented that choir elements of gospel are included on it, while also citing church organs, synths and vocoder harmonies as being present.[81] Torsten Ingvaldsen from Hypebeast noted the influence taken from West's previous albums, describing Jesus Is King as what "can be seen as Kanye's way of reenvisioning his past, updating it within his own hip-hop missionary lens in an attempt to bring something new to these seemingly anachronistic principles."[82]

Commercial performance[edit]

On the US Billboard 200, Jesus Is King opened at number one with 264,000 album-equivalent units, of which 109,000 were pure album sales, ranking as the second-largest sales week of 2019 for an R&B/hip-hop album.[182] This gave West his ninth consecutive studio album to debut atop the chart, tying him with a record held by fellow rapper Eminem.[182] The chart-topping position stood as the sixth time that West did so with an album in the 2010s, tying him for second place with fellow rapper Future and Canadian singer Justin Bieber for most number one albums of the decade.[182] The album simultaneously entered atop the US Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums charts.[183] By doing so, Jesus Is King gave West his first appearance on the respective charts and the sales stood as the biggest unit week on both charts.[183] On the US charts, the album became the first to ever top the Billboard 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Rap Albums, Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums at the same time.[184] In its second week on the Billboard 200, Jesus Is King did not remain atop the chart, falling to number two with 72,000 album-equivalent units, experiencing a 73% decline in sales.[185] The album was replaced at the top position by rapper Post Malone's third studio album Hollywood's Bleeding, which was number two on the Billboard 200 the previous week, and this marked its fifth week atop the chart.[185] On June 16, 2020, the former was certified gold by the RIAA for pushing 500,000 certified units in the US.[186]


Jesus Is King topped the Canadian Albums Chart with 16,000 total consumption units and 17.9 million on-demand streams that the units were mainly generated through.[187] The album stood as West's seventh number one album in Canada and his second consecutive chart topper.[187] Jesus Is King debuted atop the ARIA Albums chart, giving West his third number one album in Australia and becoming his second consecutive chart topper, while standing as the first time that an album with the word "King" in its title reached the summit.[188] This stood as the 498th time that an album debuted atop the chart, though became the sixth for Def Jam and the 20th to do so in 2019.[188] The reign of the album at the top position continued into its second week on the ARIA Albums chart, giving West his first album to remain at number one for over a week in Australia and also leading to him ranking as 139th on the list of "Accumulated Weeks at No.1: 1965 to 2019", while placing West at number 16 for accumulated weeks at the chart's summit within the 2010s decade.[189] Jesus Is King gave West his second chart-topping solo album in Norway by debuting at number one on the Norwegian Albums Chart.[190] A chart-topping debut was also attained by the album on the Danish Albums chart, standing as West's second chart topper in Denmark.[191] Jesus Is King debuted atop the Estonia Tipp-40, ending the seven-week reign of Hollywood's Bleeding.[192] The album also reached number one in Iceland, Latvia, New Zealand, and Slovakia.[188][193][194][195]


Jesus Is King debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, being blocked from the top spot by Welsh rock band Stereophonics' eleventh studio album Kind.[196] However, this gave West his sixth top 10 album on the chart.[196] On March 26, 2021, the album was certified silver by the BPI for sales of 200,000 units in the UK.[197] It entered the Irish Albums Chart at number two, being prevented from becoming a chart topper by Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy's debut album Without Fear.[198] Despite this, Jesus Is King stood as the highest new entry of the week on the chart and West's sixth top 10 album in Ireland.[198] On the Sverigetopplistan albums chart, the album reached number two, tying with The Life of Pablo for West's highest charting album in Sweden, while reaching the same position on the Lithuanian Albums chart.[199][200] In the Netherlands, Jesus Is King peaked at number three on the Dutch Album Top 100.[201] Similarly, the album charted at number four and five on the Finnish Albums and Czech Albums charts, respectively.[202][203]


All eleven tracks from Jesus Is King charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, with "Follow God" debuting the highest at number seven.[135] This made West the artist with the fifth-most songs in the history of the chart, with his total number of Hot 100 entries amounting to 107, while also leading to him ranking at number one on the US Billboard Artist 100.[135][184] With the album, West simultaneously became the first artist to monopolize all top 10 spots on the US Christian Songs and Gospel Songs charts, respectively.[204]

signifies a co-producer

^[a]

signifies an additional producer

^[b]

Track listing and credits adapted from Tidal and the BMI Repertoire.[e][205]


Notes


Sample credits[88]

at Discogs (list of releases)

Jesus Is King

Official website