Kanye West’s newest album follows his announcement of complete devotion to Christianity earlier this year. The Atlanta-born artist increasingly strives to promote the teachings of the Bible through his music. In this way, he represents the classic born-again narrative, an archetype he promotes to great effect. While other artists have also utilized religion in their work such as Chance the Rapper, few other musicians command West’s authority and creativity in equal measure.
The IMAX film released alongside the track is nothing short of surreal and groundbreaking. Footage of deer leaping through the forest mingle with West singing to one of his children. The film as a whole is both provocative and moving. Its complex themes can be difficult to digest, but the unique perspectives and relevance to modern life therein are well worth the effort. The juxtaposition of the stereotypical church robes and religious traditions with the avant-garde setting make for an appealing film that accurately communicates the artist’s intention – West hopes to make Christianity appeal to the younger generation. With films like this, he may prove successful.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the standalone album. Jesus is King suffers from issues that have plagued Kanye West ever since he stepped into the spotlight. The album proves repetitive and a bit too eccentric to be called genius. The songs seem to blend into each other and fail to garner the religious distinction in modern rap that West strives to achieve. “God is” suffers from a notable blandness indistinguishable from other songs on the album. The warm melodies don’t entirely blend with the rapper’s often sharp and provocative vocals, which does both the album’s content and musicality no favors. West coerces notable features such as Timbaland and Ty Dolla $ign into blending their sound with the pervasive rhythm of the album. Done well, this could have resulted in a strong cohesion and stronger message. Instead, featuring artists fail to make their impression on an album that could have proven groundbreaking.
However, a few gems to stand out. The contrast between the nostalgic choir and West’s rhythmic vocals stirs emotion on “Follow God”. In this instance the rapper attains his heavenly fusion of rap and gospel that proves both innovative and moving. The pattern of new melody is also heard on “Closed on Sunday” as West’s soft and moving vocals flow over rippling chords. While longtime fans of Kanye may find elements of his style in this release, newcomers will likely find the album mediocre.
If Kanye West hopes to reach the masses through gospel-fueled hip hop, he must reconcile with the demons that have come to hinder his success in recent years. This latest release isn’t quite praiseworthy and proves that the artist still has some reflection to do before he can successfully blend spirituality and rap.
