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
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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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