Donda
by Kanye West
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3155 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,070 out of 3155
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 3155
  3. Negative: 924 out of 3155
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  1. fuccboi_slim
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    I’m all for incorporating cultural/historical/political context into a review and considering the artist as part of the work but I’ve yet to read a single review of this album that focuses on assessing the music more than it serves as a vehicle for the writer’s personal opinion of kanye west. The only way I can explain some of these numbers is by assuming that half the critics straight upI’m all for incorporating cultural/historical/political context into a review and considering the artist as part of the work but I’ve yet to read a single review of this album that focuses on assessing the music more than it serves as a vehicle for the writer’s personal opinion of kanye west. The only way I can explain some of these numbers is by assuming that half the critics straight up did not listen to the album. Jail is excruciatingly beautiful. I teared up the first time I listened to it and it doesn’t really slow down from there. It’s a bit meandering in structure and I wanted more recordings of his mother because her voice is so powerful and the few selections he did include started to give a sense of what she meant to him & what her memory means to means to him at this point in his adult life with his divorce and very public psychological spiral, but he kind of abandoned that thread.

    overall this album **** rules. I’m not even gonna say anything about the Marilyn Manson/ da baby fiasco because i don’t think it’s worth defending and I’m not gonna jump on that bandwagon just to check a box but if you rly expected kanye to *not* intentionally piss everyone off... you’re being willfully ignorant. In 5 years or so when people are less absorbed in the current events aspect of its release and Manson (hopefully) faces some semblance of justice people will likely see this album for what it is: a glorious return to form and a sprawling albeit desperate masterpiece    … Expand
  2. IceCoffee89
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    The abuse of that distorted bass in almost every song make you tired and makes the album feel longer.
  3. flrnkrllr
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    Such a weird project.
    First of all it is waaaaaayyy too long, it becomes tedious to listen to after a while, which takes away from the really great highs the album offers. Scrap 6 to 10 songs, get the album down to 1hr15. Due to the length the album feels incoherent and is incredibly prone to weird moments of disappointment. Like did this half-assed track have to follow those incredible    Such a weird project.
    First of all it is waaaaaayyy too long, it becomes tedious to listen to after a while, which takes away from the really great highs the album offers. Scrap 6 to 10 songs, get the album down to 1hr15. Due to the length the album feels incoherent and is incredibly prone to weird moments of disappointment. Like did this half-assed track have to follow those incredible previous ones (Junya contends for the worst song of the year). “Jesus Lord” is one of the best tracks Kanye ever made. It’s kind of the “Runaway” moment, it is so stellar and overshadows everything on Donda. Also please appreciate 24, my personal favorite, thats what the whole album should be like. Please do not proudly claim the greatness of donda when u hated on Jesus is king, yall hypebeasts suck the enjoyment outta everything. Donda is mid overall. Could’ve been worse though.
    Regarding the features: many of them are stunning and fit really well, but it is just too much. It takes away from Kanye, sometimes they absolutely are not supposed to be on a kinda gospel album (sorry Pop Smoke). “    … Expand
  4. alicej243
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    Too long and overrated. Most songs are just fillers and honestly Kanye hyped up his albums way too much and makes fans wait and wait. By the time the album finally drops it is unfortunately underwhelming.
  5. FreeWilly1995
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    I am very disappointed Kanye West :(

    Donda? More like Donda es el good music
  6. LilLooneyB3ar
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    After listening to the album two times it's evident this album has been overworked. This album has a track for every Kanye fan but lacks content overall, the album seems to suffer from too much filler. It's clear to see that Kanye was struggling to get the album to where he wanted it. From start to finish on this whole album, I would go as far as saying that the worst musician on the albumAfter listening to the album two times it's evident this album has been overworked. This album has a track for every Kanye fan but lacks content overall, the album seems to suffer from too much filler. It's clear to see that Kanye was struggling to get the album to where he wanted it. From start to finish on this whole album, I would go as far as saying that the worst musician on the album was Kanye himself, the audio mixing was ok at best but had room for significant improvement. This is far from his heights of MBTDF. The album feels erratic like whatever he thought of at the time was thrown into the album such as audio from the Globglogabgalab (from Strawinsky and the Mysterious House).
    This album's Closest comparison is an extremely overseasoned soup.    … Expand
  7. Eli_YamGod
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    I feel like this could have been so much better but the amount of fillers is way too high and lyrics are not consistently good. Instrumentals are great. Expected more Kanye but the album is mostly features, so it's basically a DJ Khaled album on steroids. Also it is clearly unfinished so I don't know why Universal decided to release the album without his authorisation.
  8. Totaldrama
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album is pretentious af. It’s not totally trash but 10/12 tracks could literally not be there and the album would probably be more interesting and enjoyable. This should be a celebration of Kanye’s mother, Donda, but it ends up being another self celebration for him. + The feats are boring as hell.… Expand
  9. Godisgangsta
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    The album didn’t live up to the hype. Certainly you could sense that there was something special about the album but apart from 4 tracks, the whole album was weird and not enjoyable. Yeah, being weird is awesome and weird context is my taste, but DONDA was weird in a bad way. I’ve listened to dozens of albums lately and they all top DONDA. I’ve been going through comments and seen biasedThe album didn’t live up to the hype. Certainly you could sense that there was something special about the album but apart from 4 tracks, the whole album was weird and not enjoyable. Yeah, being weird is awesome and weird context is my taste, but DONDA was weird in a bad way. I’ve listened to dozens of albums lately and they all top DONDA. I’ve been going through comments and seen biased fans saying DONDA is AOTY; but the truth is that the album is overrated. I doubt if i ever recommend it to be honest. Don’t act biased. You acting biased is why Kanye thinks the album was fire :))))… Expand
  10. dodosuke
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    I've been following Ye since the college dropout and I can easily say that this album lacks confidence and character. He is at a stage in his life where he is too sensitive to be criticized and meme'd and therefore it affects his mind and cannot put together a brave work that sounds like a statement.

    I waited this album for too long without listening to any kind of snippets and felt    I've been following Ye since the college dropout and I can easily say that this album lacks confidence and character. He is at a stage in his life where he is too sensitive to be criticized and meme'd and therefore it affects his mind and cannot put together a brave work that sounds like a statement.

    I waited this album for too long without listening to any kind of snippets and felt kinda let down. Unfortunately it is too long and all over the place, therefore I cannot even consider it in the same category as TLOP, MBDTF, Yeezus and 808's & HB, which to me are S rank albums. I can only list it after Ye, Graduation, Late Reg, College Dropout which are A rank to me. So it would be a B rank album in Kanye's discography.

    This album made me want Kendrick to release his album as soon as possible, so we can all remember how greatness feels like.    … Expand
  11. keysonkeys
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album is the first time I had properly listened to a Kanye record since TLOP. In my opinion, including TLOP, Kanye's recent work has been underwhelming, with maybe the exception of the odd single. And, unfortunately, 'Donda' continues this trend.

    The main problem with this album is the **** tracklist. Kanye has compiled 27 songs, 70% of which are average/below average, which have no direction towards a greater theme whatsoever. Considering the title of the album, I had the impression Kanye would take a more conceptual point of view when writing these tracks. But again, we get a very similar sort of theme to 'Jesus is King'. How can a man with probably the biggest production and PR team in the game, have this much trouble making the tracklist sound tight and consistent? The worst thing about the tracks though is that the highs throughout the album are unforgettable, which makes the lows even more jarring to listen to as there is no consistency and the album is constantly up and down. Don't get me wrong, there are moments on this album where the beats are gorgeous and Kanye fits over them so well, but the majority either sounds boring or nothing more than noise. 'Junya' is definitely a contender for the worst track I've heard all year and the Pop Smoke interlude thing is nothing short of offensive. Some decisions Kanye has made on this album make absolutely no sense and it is clear that he needs direction in his music for it to work.

    Kanye's attitude on this album seems more at peace compare to his last few records. Even though the Jesus Freak vibes are still present, he sounds way more sure of where he is and how he feels. Some bars are stupidly cringe, like the one where he compares him and Kim to a Taco Bell and KFC collab (who said romance was dead), but at the same time, the fashion Kanye uses them in, gives them a more acceptable tone. The album is very much an egocentric record, but it is more celebratory than arrogant and over-confident, something we are all very used to hearing from Kanye. Here Kanye sounds top of his game, maybe not lyrically but certainly in terms of his head space and attitude.

    The beats and features are one of the highlights of the albums. There are several unforgettable beats which save the tracklist from being terrible, but for some reason Kanye has become even more minimalistic since 'Ye'. Overall the production is luscious and unusual (in the best way possible). DaBaby, is probably one of the best features on the album, despite his subject matter being bare wet, along with Cudi, which is expected. The Griselda feature is unforgettable as well and both Westside and Conway do bits in their respected verses. Lil Yachty and Marilyn Manson are the most boring features and Baby Keem's performance is actually unlistenable. Like for real who let this guy on a song with Ye and Travis; honestly the talent gap is so obvious it's ridiculous. The mixing and mastering on almost every song is **** **** How the **** is a mainstream artist's mix on his 10TH STUDIO ALBUM this bad. There are crackles on vocals, buzzes coming from almost every organ chord (and trust me there are organs on almost every cut) and a lot of samples sound tinny. Kanye strikes me, production wise, as a very polished producer. This kind of mix doesn't work for his beats and vocals. It just doesn't and hopefully with his next project we'll get a mix that is 100x better.

    Overall, 'Donda' isn't a bad album, but it is certainly disappointing. If I'm honest I'm slowly becoming less and less invested in what Kanye does, not because I think he's lost talent, but genuinely because he hasn't got the same visionary mindset he used too have. He lacks focus and direction, and for some reason I feel as though now his music has no redeeming qualities, because let's face it, Kanye has no morals. In my opinion this is a lacklustre and uninspiring project. 5/10 - Average    … Expand
  12. SebastianSaxton
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    A Kanye album was once groundbreaking good. A masterpiece in a hole. A lot has happened since dark twisted fantasy and Donda sounds just like a collection of songs. Some good some not that interesting. To me it’s really missing what he used to be so good at - direction. The last part of the album is way more interesting to me than the first. Gotta respect the good songs and that’s why I’mA Kanye album was once groundbreaking good. A masterpiece in a hole. A lot has happened since dark twisted fantasy and Donda sounds just like a collection of songs. Some good some not that interesting. To me it’s really missing what he used to be so good at - direction. The last part of the album is way more interesting to me than the first. Gotta respect the good songs and that’s why I’m not rating lower. There really are good songs. Some. I actually thought it would be a concept album dedicated to his mom. Sorry to hear that doesn’t really seem to be the case. Instead it seems like an album about his ego. His media-stunts and so on. Without any regrets.… Expand
  13. lopezalex
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    This is his second attempt at trying to redeem himself after his past album “Jesus is King”. He does this by blending In elements of “Ye” and trying to call back to his first albums, but fails to deliver. The album consists of repeated themes, and features meant to excite the audience but not provide substance.
  14. MusicGuyMack
    Sep 1, 2021
    5
    Though (as to be expected) certainly not without its moments or lacking in ambition, "Donda" largely misses its chance to be West's return to form, continuing to exemplify many of the issues that have plagued his more recent releases: tepid, unimaginative songwriting and production, excessive length with far too much filler, and a distinct lack of the passion and creative direction thatThough (as to be expected) certainly not without its moments or lacking in ambition, "Donda" largely misses its chance to be West's return to form, continuing to exemplify many of the issues that have plagued his more recent releases: tepid, unimaginative songwriting and production, excessive length with far too much filler, and a distinct lack of the passion and creative direction that his best albums are fit to burst with.… Expand
  15. rodsmarquet
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    uma merda sonora com direito a feat com homofobico q debocha de aids e um estuprador acusado de abuso sexual
  16. jefferypereira3
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    Amazing, simply simply amazing. Lots of beautiful sounds! The rollout was also impresdive
  17. DeciusB
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    You could cut at least 10 of these tracks and be left with a great album….
  18. Toeknee99
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    Subpar offering from a legend of hip-hop. Kanye can't help himself and includes every single idea that he has on the album, not mattering if it sounds good. So many half-baked songs and honestly filler. Only a handful of songs OUT OF 23 are worth listening to a second time.
  19. Lears
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    Thera are only some good songs on this album. the ress is sort of like filler songs to me. to me its kinda too long and unfinished. kinda overated. but maybe ill change my opinion after i have listen to this album a few more times
  20. barnyardbrandon
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    A bloated, incohesive, overhyped album with around 2-3 very good songs, comparing this to his older works genuinely hurts.
  21. hausofhonza
    Aug 31, 2021
    6
    This album is like a new journey for Kanye. It kinda has a gospel vibe, but far from being a hit on the radio.
  22. thunderboltway
    Sep 1, 2021
    4
    A few songs are decent but they’re still hard to finish. I haven’t listened to Kanye since TLOP - but his last few records must’ve been pretty bad for fans to praise this bs highly - the dated synth sounds all over this thing need a lot of work
  23. gibson2488
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    This album could have been an 8, 9 or 10, because so many of the songs sound amazing. But the album is 27 SONGS LONG and 1 song is 11 MINUTES. The album is super bloated and because a that I can't give it anything higher than a 6
  24. Edgar_XD
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    Se siente incompletp, asi de simple, se siente como un monton de cosas producidas y compuestas en un par de horas en vez de sentirse como un album
    Que enorme decepcion
    Simplemente siente flojo, medio terminado y eso apenas
  25. kolbert
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    In itself, the way this album was promoted was phenomenal, it's just that we were too expecting something extraordinary. A few songs I don't like (e.g. Hurricane, Come to Life, Remote Control), but there are also songs that I liked immediately (e.g. Jail, 24, Moon). I was a bit disappointed, however, I think this is a reasonably good album in terms of performance.
  26. LoverOfPies
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    I don't know how I feel about this album. While it has some great songs like Hurricane and Moon, most of the album feels different... Doesn't feel like your usual Kanye album. Stuff like Yeezus was different, but that still felt like a Kanye album. I don't know how to explain it, but there's definitely aspects of this LP that could be changed, and those changes would make the album better.
  27. AshF87
    Aug 30, 2021
    6
    So this is coming from someone that loves Kanye but more so Kanye 2004-2010. Ever since then the albums have been downhill for me with only a few good songs on them (whereas previously it was almost every song on each album). Like other recent albums from Ye, only a few tracks on here are good, the following is a list of songs I enjoyed and will continue to listen to:
    Hurricane Heaven and    So this is coming from someone that loves Kanye but more so Kanye 2004-2010. Ever since then the albums have been downhill for me with only a few good songs on them (whereas previously it was almost every song on each album). Like other recent albums from Ye, only a few tracks on here are good, the following is a list of songs I enjoyed and will continue to listen to:
    Hurricane Heaven and Hell
    Believe What I Say
    Jonah
    Keep My Spirit Alive
    Aside from these I found the other tracks to be over produced and boring or un-relatable.    … Expand
  28. Josua1
    Aug 30, 2021
    6
    Come to life hurricane off the grid praise God heaven and hell donda keep my spirit alive new again lord I need you are all great
  29. Mwmyrin
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    "Ye" has yet again not only reinvented himself, but has pushed the world's perspective of modern music yet again. With his immaculate rollout of his 10th studio album he revisits many ideas, feelings and sounds of his past, present, and eventual future. I personally recommend going into this album understanding that the basis of Christianity is popular because it easily encapsulates the"Ye" has yet again not only reinvented himself, but has pushed the world's perspective of modern music yet again. With his immaculate rollout of his 10th studio album he revisits many ideas, feelings and sounds of his past, present, and eventual future. I personally recommend going into this album understanding that the basis of Christianity is popular because it easily encapsulates the human condition itself. The idea of the devil and god can be related to ones inner conscienceness. Kanye has perfectly captured the feelings of shame, passion, hope and glory in his lyrics and his beats. Wether or not you believe in the same God that Kanye does, you can take the music at your own face value… Expand
  30. j_mc
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    While there are undeniable highs on the album, a lost focus, uninspiring lyrical content, lacklustre mixing & mastering at parts and songs left with unrealized potential, the record falls short of lofty expectations. As a dedication to Donda the album fails to be either a tribute or a celebration, feeling instead like a ragtag mashup of half-baked sounds from various eras of Kanye'sWhile there are undeniable highs on the album, a lost focus, uninspiring lyrical content, lacklustre mixing & mastering at parts and songs left with unrealized potential, the record falls short of lofty expectations. As a dedication to Donda the album fails to be either a tribute or a celebration, feeling instead like a ragtag mashup of half-baked sounds from various eras of Kanye's star-studded career.

    The lyrics are nothing new for Kanye - it's not like he hasn't been incredibly vulnerable before on albums like Ye or 808s and much of the religious language is a vague rehash of what we heard on JIK, though the packaging around the lyrics has improved markedly. Much of this falls on my deaf ears given his enthusiasm with which he defends and supports abusers.

    The concept of the album leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He announced an album with the name DONDA, clearing intending it to be a project dedicated to his mum given what we heard at LP1 and since then it has undergone changes that leave it undeniably about Kanye, which is a completely Kanye thing to do.

    As a huge fan of his discography of the whole, I've only managed to get through the whole thing in a single sitting once but that's not to say I haven't been slogging through it; for me it's the first Kanye album that I felt legitimately bored listening to and while I don't think it's as bad as JIK, it also wasn't interesting enough to grip me.

    My score is a 5/10    … Expand
  31. Neil_dubs
    Aug 31, 2021
    6
    It’s good, not great. In dire need of editing. There’s a classic 10 to 12 song album buried in the 27 songs Kanye gave us. But editing concerns aside, there are SO many beautiful moments. It’s like watching a gorgeously shot 4 hour movie with virtually no plot. All in all, it’s an enjoyable yet exhausting listen. I would place it up there with the best of the “New Kanye” era (post Yeezus),It’s good, not great. In dire need of editing. There’s a classic 10 to 12 song album buried in the 27 songs Kanye gave us. But editing concerns aside, there are SO many beautiful moments. It’s like watching a gorgeously shot 4 hour movie with virtually no plot. All in all, it’s an enjoyable yet exhausting listen. I would place it up there with the best of the “New Kanye” era (post Yeezus), but don’t think it cracks the top 5 of Kanye’s discography.… Expand
  32. James46907
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just very average and many skips. Not Kanye’s best work. Many songs sounds very similar and drag out for too long… Expand
  33. arc55
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    I see too many people saying this album is either AOTY or complete garbage, let's be honest it is neither, I think the album is way too long and on the second listen a lot of songs got pretty boring once the excitement wore off. Still, it has an interesting and slightly unfinished production with a few bangers like Hurricane, and Jail.
  34. bl_nk
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    Bloated and in desperate need of an edit. I ended up with 13 tracks kept out of 27.

    Glimmers of what made Kanye compelling will shine through on tracks like "Hurricane", "Moon", "No Child Left Behind, but thematically, Kanye's narcissism-presented-as-religiosity is suffocating. Some of the production is beautiful, but I can't remember a single bar, it's all church camp rap. Curses are    Bloated and in desperate need of an edit. I ended up with 13 tracks kept out of 27.

    Glimmers of what made Kanye compelling will shine through on tracks like "Hurricane", "Moon", "No Child Left Behind, but thematically, Kanye's narcissism-presented-as-religiosity is suffocating. Some of the production is beautiful, but I can't remember a single bar, it's all church camp rap. Curses are edited out, but references to gang violence etc. are included, as well as contributions from notable creeps in the music industry such as Manson. It's morally inconsistent, and (frankly) massively obnoxious.

    You get the sense that Kanye thinks he has nothing to learn from anyone else in the room because he's such a "genius" that every fart is gold, and in many ways this album is his reality check.    … Expand
  35. Clap4Everything
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Kanye West - DONDA - ALBUM REVIEW

    If you take all the bad parts of "Yeezus" and mash them together with some of the better sounding parts of "T.L.O P" ....

    Then take that. ..

    stuff it through a "Jesus is King" filter and drag it on for nearly 2 hours.....

    You have DONDA.

    With very few gems scattered among a huge amount of filler...this is NOT the definitive Ye comeback album we all wanted. 5/10    … Expand
  36. bfoore90
    Sep 3, 2021
    5
    An album full of incredible highs and the lowest of lows. Donda is excruciatingly long due to needless filer and lacks the structure of previous releases
  37. LatinCritic13
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    There's no way in hell that Ye can be a Priest after this. I know Kanye misses his Mom but needs mental psychiatric help. And his latest album is a mess but at the same time it sounds pretty good too on a technical sound standpoint..
  38. musikman91307
    Aug 30, 2021
    6
    It has its moments with songs like Jesus Lord, God Breathed & Moon but ultimately it's too long, feature-heavy, and unfocused. Donda deserved better than this.
  39. destinyfan1
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    An album with really high heights and really low lows.(With some average tracks)
    The album starts of strong (donda chant song of the year).But already weakens off at praise god with a meh travis verse and awful keem verse. Jonah picks it up a bit .But im not so crazy with the beat tbh.Ok ok and junya are just afwul tracks .What made kanye think to bring lil yachty on this album is beyond    An album with really high heights and really low lows.(With some average tracks)
    The album starts of strong (donda chant song of the year).But already weakens off at praise god with a meh travis verse and awful keem verse. Jonah picks it up a bit .But im not so crazy with the beat tbh.Ok ok and junya are just afwul tracks .What made kanye think to bring lil yachty on this album is beyond me.But don't get me wrong it's not only bad because of lil yeachty.The beat is generic and kanye probably brings one of his weakest performances on this song.Rooga was ok.After that we get a couple of mediocre songs wich i did get the appeal of but just didn't land with me.Remote control was also pretty bad lmao.Then tha album pciks up heavy again with moon.Probably my 2nd favorite track outside of off the grid.I also LOVE keep my spirit alive with a killer chorus and verses.
    jesus lord it needed a switch up(get it?).Great track tbh but it's samy after 8 minutes.Then ffs the album drops again in quality.Probably the most inconsistent album in have heard in years.Kanye should have never made the album 28 tracks long.The pt2 tracks were cool but i liked the part 1 tracks more.(except for ok ok were part 2 is slightly better).Then it ends good with the last 3 tracks(not oncluding the pt 2 tracks).
    If kanye simply took the best 14 tracks of this album it would have been one of the best albums ever like not even kidding.Just the ammount of meh tracks on here made this album just ok ok.

    top 5 tracks:
    -off the grid
    -moon
    -jail
    -hurricane
    -keep my spirit alive
    least favorite:
    -tell the vision
    -ok ok
    -new again
    -remote control
    -junya    … Expand
  40. CSA
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    Sorry, but unfortunately, this sounds like some new artist tryin' to sound like Kanye making his first songs and putting them all out at once without even selecting the ones which actually worth being on an album... Some of the songs sounded unfinished, some of the beats sound like they are undone, it feels they can't drop somehow and the entire song feels like made over a intro part ofSorry, but unfortunately, this sounds like some new artist tryin' to sound like Kanye making his first songs and putting them all out at once without even selecting the ones which actually worth being on an album... Some of the songs sounded unfinished, some of the beats sound like they are undone, it feels they can't drop somehow and the entire song feels like made over a intro part of the instrumental. So many filler tracks. Sure Kanye showed some signs of his talent on this one too but overall, it was luckluster.… Expand
  41. rusikpupsik
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    After all the hype that Kanye West did, I was expecting a **** job showing how to make music. On the one hand, the songs sound cool. Also pleases a large number of other performers. On the other hand, Kanye is still singing religious songs, which, firstly, got sick, because I listened to his albums not because of praising Jesus, and secondly, it does not give an opportunity to swear,After all the hype that Kanye West did, I was expecting a **** job showing how to make music. On the one hand, the songs sound cool. Also pleases a large number of other performers. On the other hand, Kanye is still singing religious songs, which, firstly, got sick, because I listened to his albums not because of praising Jesus, and secondly, it does not give an opportunity to swear, which is why some of the songs are censored. Further, the cool sound is present only from 2 to 5 songs, as well as 10 and 18, after which there are songs consisting of 2 to 4 instruments, and at the end you already start to feel sick from the organ, kick from 808 and claps. Besides, I don't understand the jokes, like the end of "Remote Control" and the whole song "Tell The Vision", which I consider to be the worst song on the album and in Kanye's entire discography. Well, the cherry on top is supposedly the second parts of the songs at the end of the album, which are actually remixes with other artists. There was no problem if the songs were originally labeled as remixes, but we are presented with this as a continuation of these songs, which means new songs, not the same ones. Ultimately, Donda is the same JESUS ​​IS KING, only under a different sauce that you don't understand at first, then you like it, and in the end you realize that it's the same thing. The main problem with this album is the excitement that has developed around it. After all, when you put on whole performances of your album, which you haven't even finished, and show the audience how you run into other artists, then the expectations from your work are higher than ever, and you had to justify them. Top 3 songs: 1. Off The Grid 2. Jail 3. Believe What I say… Expand
  42. clem666
    Dec 24, 2021
    5
    Wow. Hard to rate since 'Donda' is to me literally Ye's both worst and probably best material.

    What I found underwhelming was the overall repetitiveness of songs, especially 'Jail', the unlistenable 'Donda Chant', 'God Breathed', 'Ok Ok', 'Junya', the end of '24' and the awful and umpteenth version of 'Tell the Vision' trying to revive the guts of late Pop Smoke. Add this to the four    Wow. Hard to rate since 'Donda' is to me literally Ye's both worst and probably best material.

    What I found underwhelming was the overall repetitiveness of songs, especially 'Jail', the unlistenable 'Donda Chant', 'God Breathed', 'Ok Ok', 'Junya', the end of '24' and the awful and umpteenth version of 'Tell the Vision' trying to revive the guts of late Pop Smoke. Add this to the four 'part 2' tracks and you get an album based on very similar beats and compositions. Ye had the quite bright idea to invoke numerous fellow artists and friends on this record. However there are many tracks in which he seems to be invited on rather than be the obvious primary artist. In this case it is hard to love this material since Ye appears to be only one of its component. I mean, I'm not far from hating Playboi Carti and he's featured twice (or even three times counting 'Junya part 2'). He took way too much space in my opinion for me to really enjoy some of the consistent parts of 'Donda'.

    However I can't deny the fact that some artists did embellish the experience. Jay Electronica is fantastic on 'Jesus Lord', Kid Cudi is great on 'Moon' as Travis Scott and Baby Keem are more than welcome on 'Praise God'. Each artist delivered an interesting piece of oneself in order to craft and contribute to Ye's massive project.

    On his side, Ye gathered a surprising amount of producers. But he still got us confused with all these release dates, the terrible communication surrounding 'Donda' and all the drama. Ye's punchlines vary between awesome and totally dull (just remember the notable 'Dustin he a Hoffman'). Anyway, I'm glad this album came out, because I really doubted it would. Still a messy, uneven and chaotic release. In conclusion I love the tracks I originally liked and I hate songs I simply disliked at first listen. 'Donda Deluxe', even if it brought some great tracks, got us more confused than possible.    … Expand
  43. rocnado
    Aug 29, 2021
    6
    To me, every song gives off the same vibe. There are no “oh damn” stand out moments. It feels like I could drop any 10 songs on the album and not be butt hurt. A couple of the songs are worth adding to your “go to playlist” but I wouldn’t pick any of the best songs on this album over any of the decent songs on his other albums. I don’t think time will save this album either, mostly becauseTo me, every song gives off the same vibe. There are no “oh damn” stand out moments. It feels like I could drop any 10 songs on the album and not be butt hurt. A couple of the songs are worth adding to your “go to playlist” but I wouldn’t pick any of the best songs on this album over any of the decent songs on his other albums. I don’t think time will save this album either, mostly because the beats sound like mash ups of his other albums, and less like brand new sounding beats like 808s or yeezus. Overall the album feels like he threw everything at the wall to see what sticks, half the songs have collectively created a puddle on the floor. And to all those babies giving the album either a 0 or a 10, grow up.… Expand
  44. JoePapaReviews
    Nov 21, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't expect it to be rap because it really ain't it's gospel music at most. There are tracks which were great from the start like Jail and Off The Grid (Praise God is good but quite annoying) and then the awful tracks like Tell The Vision which was unfinished and still is poorly made and should've been cut from the original release. The deluxe version was alright but ordered different. Life Of The Party was phenomenal but should've been on the original release.… Expand
  45. 94SupremePosse
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    It ultimately lacks direction and is probably too long for its own good. There's some hits and misses and will probably spawn a few charting singles but as an album it is one of Kanye's weaker efforts.

    Ona a side note, might as well throw away that Independent review which is very clearly a personal issue with the artist and not a review of the subject material. It's a pretty sad grab for    It ultimately lacks direction and is probably too long for its own good. There's some hits and misses and will probably spawn a few charting singles but as an album it is one of Kanye's weaker efforts.

    Ona a side note, might as well throw away that Independent review which is very clearly a personal issue with the artist and not a review of the subject material. It's a pretty sad grab for clicks to be completely honest.    … Expand
  46. Mobina1
    Sep 10, 2021
    6
    An average album for "Kanye West" imo. 27 songs in an album is just boring. I was waiting for the album to end. btw it isn't that bad to get 0 from Independent lol
  47. ReviewThangs
    Sep 17, 2021
    6
    Absolutely bloated, there are moments in there I enjoyed but I can't find them again after repeated listens because so much of it is just boring. Sounds wise, there's nothing new or exciting here that Kanye hasn't done before, sounds kinda similar to Life of Pablo just way less inspired.

    If he managed to trim it or label it as a Disc 1 and Bonus Disc maybe you could make an argument    Absolutely bloated, there are moments in there I enjoyed but I can't find them again after repeated listens because so much of it is just boring. Sounds wise, there's nothing new or exciting here that Kanye hasn't done before, sounds kinda similar to Life of Pablo just way less inspired.

    If he managed to trim it or label it as a Disc 1 and Bonus Disc maybe you could make an argument that it's the best of the last 3 albums, which isn't really saying much.

    The album art too...

    Kanye was never the best lyrcist but still made even his dumbest lines work. His production was always where he was years ahead of his contemporaries but here it's just boring.
    I even somewhat enjoyed his last album shortly because it was at least unique for him despite the fact that it did not hold up on repeated listens. This can't even annoy me, which is the worst part, it's just bland and inoffensive.    … Expand
  48. Junkiest
    Sep 18, 2021
    6
    A wise man once said “This is not album of the year, this is album of the life.”
  49. amiru1isme
    Sep 7, 2021
    5
    Donda lacks unique production, brilliant lyrics and effort, yet considered to be a tribute to his mom. Few of the features are very well put and well assigned for the album but other than that, it's a filler/loop material that also lacks magic and craft that Kanye had beforehand.
  50. asdf123k
    Sep 18, 2021
    6
    This album had some trash songs, it's bloated, misconceived, and executed poorly. That aside, no one else could make it.
  51. Mshad23
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    The album was very difficult to get through on first listen. Over time there are a few highlights that have emerged, a few sparks of polished creativity, in a seemingly dark jungle of creative, but ultimately chaotic and unfinished darkness.
  52. Felice123
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    All the hype and buildup - for this?
    The album is one of the weaker Kanye Projects. It lacks cohesiveness and feels bloated. There is no need for 27 tracks on there, let alone the 3 remixes / oG versions of the songs which should’ve stayed on the B-Side / Deluxe. Some songs are so terrible that i don’t even comprehend how somebody listened to this and said - alright this sounds fire -    All the hype and buildup - for this?
    The album is one of the weaker Kanye Projects. It lacks cohesiveness and feels bloated. There is no need for 27 tracks on there, let alone the 3 remixes / oG versions of the songs which should’ve stayed on the B-Side / Deluxe. Some songs are so terrible that i don’t even comprehend how somebody listened to this and said - alright this sounds fire - let’s put it on the album. Junya for example, is, in my humble opinion, a strong candidate for the worst song of the year. I also don’t really think Kanye put any thought into when to place which song on the album. The production is wel behind Kanye’s potential, the grim 808s are abused so much that you get tired of them once you’re halfway through the album.
    Comically, half the rap-industry is featured on the album - which sometimes do deliver and sometimes not so much. Some features even feel abused for clout (like there was any reason for Pop smoke to be on this album…)
    Also I didn’t really get the message of the album other than Kanye really loved his mother.
    Overall you can really find some rare gems on the album, but to find them you will have to dig through a whole lot of mid songs.    … Expand
  53. MarkW
    Sep 1, 2021
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Donda:
    West has a collection of lyrically strong bars, impressive features, some solid melodies, and a couple of great songs. (Moon, Believe What I Say, Hurricane, and Hurricane being the best) but those elements don’t comprise all 108 minutes of Donda. Instead, much of the run time is consumed by tracks that were left far too barren. Songs like “No Child Left Behind” and “God Breathed” drag on with no meaningful musical progression for what feels like an eternity. Even stronger tracks like “Jail” suffer from these shortcomings. Additionally, many of West’s pieces feel incomplete as the instrumental elements frequently leave a sense that there simply isn’t enough here to be listening to.
    Often one gets the sense that there’s a strong start to a song that refuses to develop and go anywhere. The painfully static quality of most of the songs on the album only emphasizes how bloated this album really is. The few moments where Kanye fills the listeners ear with a true volume of sound mark the incredible highs of this album. But they are few and far between.
    Kanye’s greatest hits are defined by their dynamic sound that layers on itself as the song goes on to fill the ear with a tidal wave of music. (Black Skinhead, Gold Digger, Heartless, Homecoming, POWER, Heard em Say, etc.) But unfortunately most of Donda feels like we are stuck at low tide for five minutes straight. The ones that show some musical movement clearly separate themselves from the the rest of the pack. But there’s simply not enough to go around.
    The new Kanye wants to focus on a more reflective message rather than filling up a club playlist with bangers, and that’s alright. But the message doesn’t have to come at the cost of making the tracks exciting and engaging. And while most of the songs have some redeeming quality to them, they still mainly feel incomplete and unpolished. West’s latest work loses points for its excessive run time, lack of polish, and a small knock for the lack of his own presence on the album (less than half of the lyrics are his own), but most unforgivably, the unyielding empty sound nearly each song holds. Donda quite literally sounds like a shell of his former self. 6/10.    … Expand
  54. WarudoDZ
    May 18, 2022
    6
    Good Album , greatest tracks but to long (27 song) he did remove the part2 , Tell the vision et junya and this is a great 8 but now is is a 7
  55. Frisse99
    Sep 5, 2021
    5
    To me, this album is like throwing some excellent ingredients for a delicious soup in a pot but then taking it off the stove before it's cooked to completion.
  56. ninodanes
    Sep 21, 2021
    6
    overrally a good & not exceptional project from Kanye. the production & sound as expected of Kanye stands out in this album. of course there are highlights from the body of work but however too many features & the number of tracks make the album sound a bit saturated & lack of a certain direction altogether.
  57. MESSA21
    Dec 3, 2021
    6
    While this album has some good and even great tracks, West made it way too bloated to keep my attention through out the record. Tracks like Off the Grid, Jesus Lord, Moon, Jail, Praise God is what I wish Jesus is King was like. But tracks like Tell the Vision and all the Part 2's just seem like a waste of time. I enjoyed it but I'm not gonna sit down and this 2+ Hour album likely ever again
  58. aftergiowhore
    Nov 4, 2021
    6
    Though I'd call the album 'mid' for Kanye's standards but it very much does have some songs which you could consider to be career highlights.
  59. gabylovestaytay
    Nov 13, 2021
    4
    Kinda like going to church but do it an album... okayyy. god bless america,
  60. maelton
    Nov 23, 2021
    6
    I understand it's art and all, but honestly the album itself was kind of boring to me
  61. sodovich
    Dec 25, 2021
    6
    The max I can give is a 6. It has some good songs like "Hurricane" (best track) and "Moon", but overall lacks personality and the Kanye West that we are used to.
  62. Fuerstenberg
    Jan 20, 2022
    6
    A 108 minute roller coaster ride with a chaotic mix of good hip hop beats, gospel choirs and church organs. Kanye processes a lot and opens up like never before. Traded as album of the year before its release, "Donda" is almost forgettable after 5 months of listening.

    The bottom line is that Kanye's tenth album has its highlights, but only a few of the 27 songs really convinced me. And    A 108 minute roller coaster ride with a chaotic mix of good hip hop beats, gospel choirs and church organs. Kanye processes a lot and opens up like never before. Traded as album of the year before its release, "Donda" is almost forgettable after 5 months of listening.

    The bottom line is that Kanye's tenth album has its highlights, but only a few of the 27 songs really convinced me. And even the impressive feature guest list doesn't lead to a better rating than 6 out of 10.

    My favorites:
    "Off the Grid"
    "Hurricane"
    "Jail"
    "Jonah"
    "Moon"

    ~ Fürstenberg
    January 20, 2022    … Expand
  63. garfield7081
    Jun 25, 2022
    6
    still waiting for kanye to make an actual rap album again

    best song: praise god

    worst song: tell the vision
  64. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    4
    meh .
  65. themusicreview
    Apr 6, 2022
    6
    Donda is an insanely good output of consistent and awe inspiring music created from a man who has had some missteps in his recent production. The 27 tracks and more have proven to be an unrelenting force of gospel, psychedlic, trap and drill music bound in a historically long and marathon like slog which actually feels shorter than it really is.

    Donda is poetic and it feels like the    Donda is an insanely good output of consistent and awe inspiring music created from a man who has had some missteps in his recent production. The 27 tracks and more have proven to be an unrelenting force of gospel, psychedlic, trap and drill music bound in a historically long and marathon like slog which actually feels shorter than it really is.

    Donda is poetic and it feels like the magnum opus of a man who's had an up and down career path. There's flight and trajectory in songs like Moon, Off The Grid, Praise God, Jail, Come To Life, Junya, God Breathed and 24 where levitation and gravitation toward the Higher Self and Higher God comes to full fruition. It is a spiritual discovery and the climax of a man who is still searching for Jesus or God or anything that he comes close to.

    I believe Donda is an album that will age like fine wine, its sounds being so futuristic and minimal, the hollow sounds and landscape of solar like territory does well in a radio scene of repetitive hype rap or dull hooks. This is more than refreshing, it's an album of power and a stance against devilish material and also a moralistic choice to create art which stands in faith and strength despite public judgment. I come to full admiration for an artist who is able to create songs which compel light in times of personal struggle and his divorce comes to full investigation here as songs also reflect his recovering mental health.

    I hope Kanye improves on his editing and makes his album more tight to create a personal experience. It is outlandish and sometimes does feel too long with the part 2's. However this still earns a 10/10 because the highs do hit high. Moon is his best record in 5 years and Off The Grid is his entry into drill which Kanye has him rapping for his life like he's off his laziness. It is his best record since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and critics have failed to realise the depth and spiritual recovery uncovered in this jewel. It is healthy Kanye, a sane Kanye and a Kanye seeking repentance and change, if they can't accept that then it means they're just bitter against an antagonistic image of Kanye portrayed by media.

    You must be able to separate art from the artist and Donda has sounds which will prove in five years to be like the Christian Yeezus, wait and see. Incredible stuff, solid sounds and a incredible list of young features hungry, energizing a focused Kanye to become the soldier he once was. Prayers up for sure, Donda is a gem.    … Expand
  66. jake47jake
    May 17, 2022
    6
    i got very excited for this one. this disappointed me greatly. i still think it is good but heavily flawed. only a few songs are memorable in this 27 track project. that is a problem. despite that the production is top tier.

    Favourite songs- jail, off the grid, hurricane, moon
  67. AShinyG1ratina
    Jun 21, 2022
    5
    :trollface:
    In all honesty this album’s pretty good for what it is, albeit like 50 minutes too long.
  68. SideOrderoLemon
    Dec 5, 2022
    5
    Despite the hype leading up to the release of Kanye West's new album, Donda fails to deliver fully, but may surprise with decent beats. The emotional detail falls flat however when compared to Kanye's other albums and leads to a lack luster performance. Off The Grid may be the only song that is consistent throughout the album, but even so just highlights his fall from grace. From the veryDespite the hype leading up to the release of Kanye West's new album, Donda fails to deliver fully, but may surprise with decent beats. The emotional detail falls flat however when compared to Kanye's other albums and leads to a lack luster performance. Off The Grid may be the only song that is consistent throughout the album, but even so just highlights his fall from grace. From the very start, the irritating and repetitive "Donda Donda Donda" may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Though somewhat listenable, Donda does not do justice to Kanye's slowly fading vision.… Expand
  69. Blonisco
    Jan 26, 2023
    6
    这专是相当遗憾的一专，从豪华版换曲目来说就看的出Kanye制作时的混乱，很多donda2020时期的弃曲觉得比现版好听的多，当然现版也有很多优秀的曲子如24，BWIS，但是突出的缺点掩盖了优点，就像Yes的地形海。
  70. VanZizek
    Mar 6, 2023
    6
    I love Kanye and giving him a 6 is painful, very empty in its content, he is no longer the same guy I knew, nor has his evolution made any sense musically speaking. I know you have to separate the art from the artist but with Kanye it's impossible, the parts about his mother are brutal, his Christina part seems lost and I'm sorry but there are 10 unnecessary songs. Overrated album.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. musicOMH.com
    Sep 3, 2021
    60
    Though this isn’t a complete comeback, frustrated Kanye fans certainly have more grounds for optimism after this record than they did before it.
    Read full review
  2. AllMusic
    Sep 2, 2021
    60
    Donda isn't without its highlights, but taken as a whole, it's both confused and confusing.
    Read full review
  3. HipHopDX
    Sep 2, 2021
    62
    There are times where Kanye recaptures the magic of his golden years. ... But there just isn’t enough good here to look past the flaws. The final result is a collection of songs with little binding energy other than a vague Gospel through line, which runs across the tracklist — chaotic like The Life Of Pablo but devoid of the magic.
    Read full review
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