Jesus Is King: The Resolution of Kanye West’s Story Arc

After months of hype and fake release dates, “Jesus Is King” has finally come down from the heavens.

Kanye West’s ninth studio album “Jesus Is King” has been in the works for well over a year, and now that we finally have it, we can ask ourselves whether or not it was really worth the wait. The overarching theme of the album is religion, specifically Christianity, as Kanye has finally found his place in life, as a born again follower of God.

When the album was first announced, I was just excited for a new Kanye album, but learning about it being a religious themed album had built the hype up even more. I could tell Kanye would make it a special project since it would be his first fully religious project. As an artist who has had religious undertones sprinkled throughout his songs over the years, seeing Kanye release a full fledged album with the central theme being God made me happy, knowing Kanye would finally be at peace with himself and create some beautiful music along the way.

While the actual release of the album was a bit rocky, on Oct. 25th the project had finally hit streaming services. While Kanye’s fanbase and the hip-hop community at large had given the album mixed reviews, with some loving it and some hating it, I decided I would give my personal take on “Jesus Is King.”

Upon the first listen of the album, I realized that there were no songs that I disliked and that the piece as a whole is a beautiful and well structured praise to God as Kanye speaks about having found peace. The album opens with the beautiful Sunday Service Choir singing the song “Every Hour,” which opens the album in a very grand, gospel-driven way. While this song is probably one I won’t go back to as often as other tracks, I still appreciate it for what it is, serving its role and doing so beautifully.

Stand out tracks on the album for me are Follow God, Selah, God Is and Jesus Is Lord. While three of these songs, excluding God Is, could use some mixing adjustments or extensions to the length of the song, these tracks have been stuck in my head and in constant rotation since the release of the album. Follow God features Kanye rapping with a unique and constant flow over a gospel-sampled beat. Selah includes some of the most powerful “hallelujahs” I have ever heard, leading up to the drop of Kanye’s second verse. God Is is the best song on the album with Kanye’s soothing singing voice carrying the layered track. And lastly, Jesus Is Lord features Kanye singing over a beautiful, yet very short, horn ensemble, as if the listener has arrived at heaven’s gate.

INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 21: Kanye West performs Sunday Service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019 in Indio, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella)

The main gripe I had with the album is its wasted potential. For the wait and build up of the album, I was expecting a lot more from it. With the track list spanning a length of 27 minutes, I was left hungry for a bit more music. The mixing on the album could be a bit better and maybe more live gospel vocals could be used as opposed to the original song’s samples that are present on the album. Overall though, I do really enjoy “Jesus Is King” and am very happy to have a full gospel Kanye West album. Seeing an artist that has been through an incredibly hectic career finally be at peace is a beautiful thing.

My official rating:

7 / 10

Makes sure to comment down below your thoughts on the album as well!