At some point, the actual music doesn’t really matter anymore. After so many release dates gone by without a release, highly controversial interviews, and cryptic tweets, Kanye seems more interested in being a cultural and political icon who just happens to release music. As time goes on, the music becomes more difficult to separate from the musician.
I find myself most disinterested in the reactions to Kanye’s antics. Kanye can believe what he likes, say what he likes, manage his career how he likes, and make the music he likes. Kanye is certainly an uneven individual, and whether his yearning for attention is or isn’t under his control, it’s worth recognizing that it’s a part of who he is as an artist.
Kanye fans are weird beasts. A lot of them seem to be looking for an excuse to drop him out of their lives at a moment’s notice. A lot of them made a big deal about his friendship with the president, others just like to complain about him releasing his music late or changing it after it’s released. I saw some atheists say they’re dropping him since Jesus Is King is to religious for their liking. I prefer to observe from afar, watching the story of Kanye unfold like a gift that keeps on giving.
Of course, none of us could be sure that Jesus Is King would ever see the light of day. After the release got pushed back multiple times, it seemed like it might end up like Yandhi, a supposedly-finished Kanye album that might not actually exist. But now it’s actually here and Kanye is free to go back antagonizing his fans in other ways.
The thing about the music is that it’s just good music without a whole lot of bells and whistles. We’re sent through a hell of a roller coaster ride to end up with a short, simple, high-quality album with quite a bit of re-listen value. I’m ultimately pleased with the product, but it almost feels weird, since it doesn’t have any of the wildness that everything else involving Kanye tends to have.
Kanye’s last solo project Ye had the same sort of feeling. I find myself plunged into an extremely tense state with new Kanye projects, expecting something radical and experimental, or some lyrics that truly wrack the brain. Jesus Is King is an effective fusion of hip-hop and gospel music, but that’s really all it is. Is it really worth all of the madness?
Clocking in at just over 27 minutes, Jesus Is King is a brief journey with a great many unique ideas. The album opens with a raucous choir hymn, switches to pure hip-hop banger on “Follow God,” includes an acoustic ballad with “Closed On Sunday,” and features an excellent saxophone solo from Kenny G on “Use This Gospel.” There’s a lot of jumping around to be sure, but the album, for the most part, stays on message: Jesus is King.
It is tricky to view Kanye as a religious figure. Just a couple albums ago Kanye was singing about fucking models with bleached assholes. I suppose it’s not entirely unfair to have difficulty taking Kanye’s rebirth seriously. But if there’s one thing to take away from God’s teachings, it’s that even the most troubled and embattled people are capable of achieving salvation.
Is Jesus Is King a turning point in Kanye’s story? That remains to be seen. I’m somewhat skeptical that Kanye has undergone a true transformation as an artist and as a person, but I do find Jesus Is King highly commendable as an ambitious artistic venture. Kanye continues to try new things and constantly achieves musical success.
While the album does jump around a lot, I do think it actually flows quite well because of its dedication to its religious theme. There are no detours into crude humor or personal attacks, and while “Closed on Sunday / You’re my Chick-fil-a” is by itself an amusing and ridiculous lyric, at the same time, it’s oddly adorable.
I do my best to evaluate albums as standalone works. While I do spend time ruminating on Kanye’s “extra-musical” activites, I only do this because the context surrounding an album assists the listener in understanding the origin of the music itself. The music, once released, is much more fun to critique on its own merits. It’s why I am reluctant to issue an opinion on what Kanye says and does, and keep my critique limited to what’s actually coming through my headphones. Some may think this an irresponsible form of music criticism, but I really couldn’t care less about what other people think about my reviews (unless you really really love them, in which case, thanks!).
Thus I conclude: Jesus Is King is a pretty good album. I like Kanye’s approach to making a gospel album while still letting his personality shine through. Though the album is short, I think it’s smartly put together; I was never bored or annoyed with the pacing while listening to it, and it’s something I feel like I’d enjoy coming back to several times over. In a world where most God-exalting music is painfully boring, Kanye manages to offer his praises in a form that’s fresh and enjoyable. That is an achievement in and of itself.
Time will tell if Jesus Is King is just empty words or the mark of a real transformation. Kanye’s career has spanned over 15 years at this point, and what’s most impressive is that he continues to capture our interest. Very few artists can claim the same cultural impact. While it’s not always pretty, a world without Kanye is a much duller place than I care to imagine, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy his music and watch his story unfold.
Ryan Reviews Music 