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. Boospy
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The beats are really good and this album has very few skips. Those skips for me are Jesus Lord, and the Pop Smoke interlude. The interlude can be sort of revived if an explicit version of the album is released, as the lack of the swearing on that song sounds pretty weird. But other than that the songs range from Really Good to Absolutely amazing. Overall a very good album with a couple of skips.… Expand
  2. Natey
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Amazing album, despite the polemic collaborations, it's truly amazing, Kanye showed the world once again his unique sound, and his brilliant lyrics, Jail, Jesus is lord are masterpieces
  3. tallycritics
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    A solid 9. Daria 10 se não fosse pela versão extended, unica boa é Jesus Lord pt 2 que poderia ser apenas ela no lugar de Jesus Lord. As demais da extended são dispensáveis principalmente Jail pt 2 que é absolutamente terrível e vem logo depois de No Child Left Behind o que é uma blasfêmia, entendo que ele fez pela ordem que está na versão normal porém odeio igual. Tiraria Lil Yachty de OkA solid 9. Daria 10 se não fosse pela versão extended, unica boa é Jesus Lord pt 2 que poderia ser apenas ela no lugar de Jesus Lord. As demais da extended são dispensáveis principalmente Jail pt 2 que é absolutamente terrível e vem logo depois de No Child Left Behind o que é uma blasfêmia, entendo que ele fez pela ordem que está na versão normal porém odeio igual. Tiraria Lil Yachty de Ok Ok pois ficou meio off the beat, tiraria Shenseea de Pure Souls porque ficou uma musica grande sem necessidade e tiraria Tell The Vision também. Talvez mudar a ordem de algumas musicas para a transição fluir melhor. Fora isso apenas críticas positivas. Muito bem produzido como sempre, Kanye West um dos melhores produtores do mundo. Quero mencionar especialmente Hurricane, botar The Weeknd nessa foi genial. No Child Left Behind foi uma musica perfeita para finalizar essa obra de arte. Adorei as listening party achei muito conceitual tudo e inovador. Fico muito feliz com Jail porque sei o quanto Kanye gosta de Jay Z. Queria dizer que o album é ótimo e Donda estaria muito satisfeita com a homenagem (mesmo contendo feats do comando vermelho).… Expand
  4. zakolisty
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    great rollout and you can see how he was making this album better from listening party to release, i think it's not half done and long song endings are just ye thing. you can feel how your feelings change through listening
  5. donomess
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    A very solid album. Good variety of songs ranging from trap, gospel, and even a more pop-styled song. Very good features and production. Some very beautiful songs in there.

    Salty halsey fans please stop complaining a better album is getting more traction than your favorite artist's. Let the people who despise Kanye as a person hate, they're the ones missing out on a wonderful album.
  6. JeffBezos
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    This album is a really good collection of songs that I think is worth a listen, My favorite songs off of this album are Believe What I Say, Pure Souls, New Again, Come to Life, Junya, Remote Control and many more,
    God Breathed sounds cinematic
    The only weak part about this album is track "Tell The Vision" but other than that this is a great album, Kanye is a misunderstood and overhated    This album is a really good collection of songs that I think is worth a listen, My favorite songs off of this album are Believe What I Say, Pure Souls, New Again, Come to Life, Junya, Remote Control and many more,
    God Breathed sounds cinematic
    The only weak part about this album is track "Tell The Vision" but other than that this is a great album, Kanye is a misunderstood and overhated figure in the music industry due to his past controversies and it paints him in a bad light because of that, When in reality it's not a true reflection of what type of a person he is.    … Expand
  7. Quentin_Dot
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    One of the greatest album made by Kanye West. The production is impeccable. Featurings such as the Weeknd, Travis scott and Playboy Carti for example are really good. The mix of gospel and hip-hop makes the album almost perfect. Weak point: an album a little too long and sometimes repetitive but overall very good. I highly recommend it.
  8. Jummel47
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Fantastic album with an equally amazing rollout that was fun and entertaining. I was worried about the final product since the hype behind this was so massive, but I am not disappointed at all. I’ve been listening to it for a few hours now and I just can’t get enough. The only thing for me is how it’s censored. Now I don’t mind no cussing at all, but I really wish they didn’t swear in theFantastic album with an equally amazing rollout that was fun and entertaining. I was worried about the final product since the hype behind this was so massive, but I am not disappointed at all. I’ve been listening to it for a few hours now and I just can’t get enough. The only thing for me is how it’s censored. Now I don’t mind no cussing at all, but I really wish they didn’t swear in the first place if it’s gotta be censored. But at the end of the day it really isn’t a big deal. Great album, really give it a listen before giving it a rating just based off of your feelings for Mr. West himself.… Expand
  9. camekemem
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Very strong album. Very few misses on the album, but when it hits, it really hits. Songs like Come To Life will go down as one of my favorites of all time. Most of these negative reviews are coming from Drake fans anyway
  10. Romnan
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Really beautiful album, I have a couple minor complaints which takes away one point but it's still beautiful.
  11. EmiCh
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A work superior to the previous one, with better lyrics, a more solid concept. One of the best versions of Kanye in recent years.… Expand
  12. Kozabyte
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Really good album, almost every song is a hit, some songs go really hard while others are calm adding variety to the album. Censoring and the track "Tell The Vision" are disappointing though.
  13. bitty
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Incredible production, fire features and some of ye's best verses in years (off the grid). Yes it's long, self-indulgent and filled with religious overtones but Kanye somehow pulls it off. He's the only one making music like this at the moment and tbh don't know anyone else that would be able to pull it off. Ye has come out of a period in the wilderness to put together a top 3 album.
  14. rodrigoher
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Una joya, sin duda Kanye nos sorprende cada que lanza un nuevo álbum, el álbum está muy bien estructurado, la mayoría de las canciones son excelentes, las demás son buenas, puedo destacar entre las mejores, a mi gusto, Heaven and hell, Hurricane, Moon, Believie What i say, entre itras, en conclusión una gran obra, disfrutabke si eres oyente casuak,, claro si lo escuchas sin prejuiciosUna joya, sin duda Kanye nos sorprende cada que lanza un nuevo álbum, el álbum está muy bien estructurado, la mayoría de las canciones son excelentes, las demás son buenas, puedo destacar entre las mejores, a mi gusto, Heaven and hell, Hurricane, Moon, Believie What i say, entre itras, en conclusión una gran obra, disfrutabke si eres oyente casuak,, claro si lo escuchas sin prejuicios maliciosos, y oara los seguidores de Kanye, simplemente perfecto y lo que se tenía esperado dezde hace años, gran álbum de un gran artista… Expand
  15. Jacobbeck
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    Wonderful. Ethereal at times. Gorgeous production. The long wait was worth it. Cool to see how he fostered community and featured many rappers in unique ways.
  16. Jorge_J
    Aug 29, 2021
    9
    There’s a few filler tracks but the bangers are some of the best Kanye of the last 10 years
  17. Sanic3029
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    To be completely honest. Probably his best work. It’s like TLOP and yeezus just turned into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich loaded with msg. Amazing album. Probably the worst opening though
  18. kanyefan98
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amaizing album. Not his best work but definetly one his better ones. Some of the tracks make me feel something I've never felt before. Astonishing.… Expand
  19. bbatran
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Not his best album, but definitively his best material in some years. Album is kind of bloated, but has a lot of gems. Definitively the best album released in 2021 so far (in terms of Hip-Hop at least). Very introspective, emotional and funny at times.

    Not a 10/10 album, but I don't understand people giving it a 0. That's just stupid.
  20. cwaldie1
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Grows on you and eventually becomes a daily part of your life. Bangers and ballads galore
  21. Bruhbruhbruhh
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Tough to tell where this ranks among his best albums but that should tell you all you need to know: that he is back to his top form and this is some of his best work. The "god" angle he shoehorns into each song can be and frankly IS a bit annoying depending where you come down on religion but I'm not sure it takes enough away from it to keep this out of my music rotation this summer and beyond.
  22. hsch
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Everyone that gave this album worse than a 7 is simply a mad drake fan who can barely wipe their own ass let alone listen to music.
  23. LucasJones12
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Donda is a new approach to rap for Kanye West, almost telling a story as his rebirth into Christianity. The album features several different musical themes, starting with a more upbeat feel towards the beginning where more gospel themes appear in the later album. Although Kanye was no lyrical mastermind, the instrumentals more than made of for what he lacked in verses. The features areDonda is a new approach to rap for Kanye West, almost telling a story as his rebirth into Christianity. The album features several different musical themes, starting with a more upbeat feel towards the beginning where more gospel themes appear in the later album. Although Kanye was no lyrical mastermind, the instrumentals more than made of for what he lacked in verses. The features are also heavy on this album, with only a few names on the list underperforming.… Expand
  24. pedrxhp
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    just don't know why so many trolls man, literally one of the best albums of this year
  25. cg11t
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Kanye experiments with the sound of ambient music, which is new to his repertoire. He brings his usual knack for full album storytelling to the death, mourning, and acceptance of his mother's death. It is without a doubt that this album will grow and the meanings behind some of the decisions will become more evident over time. Some of Kanye's best qualities are on full display. Some ofKanye experiments with the sound of ambient music, which is new to his repertoire. He brings his usual knack for full album storytelling to the death, mourning, and acceptance of his mother's death. It is without a doubt that this album will grow and the meanings behind some of the decisions will become more evident over time. Some of Kanye's best qualities are on full display. Some of these being great production, clever and sometimes funny wordplay, and getting the absolute best out of his feature artists. Kanye gets very personal, emotional, and vulnerable. He also gets many of his features to do the same. He finally delivers some songs that fans have known about and anticipated for a year and sometimes more.

    Like many of the more recent Kanye albums, he can be often sporadic and all over the place. But that is who he is. That is the Kanye West of today and it is authentic. Some of the production, while sounding good, can be a bit rough around the edges. This has been a staple of Kanye's more recent work as well. I feel in a way, this album is the culmination of the Yeezy era we have been seeing starting with The Life of Pablo. It is a very long album, clocking in at an hour and 48 minutes if you include the four alternate versions of songs on the album. While it is very long, I wouldn't say there are really any songs worth skipping apart from Tell the Vision which is essentially an interlude. The choice to make the whole album censored is something that may change in the future but isn't surprising from Mr. West. It is a bit strange that he wouldn't have his features and himself rerecord new lines so the censorship isn't as noticeable. It doesn't ruin any of the songs, except Tell the Vision which was already a skippable track. I would prefer an uncensored version in the future.

    My personal favorite quality of the album is the soundscape and setting of the album. This is reflected in the listening parties with different scopes. Much of this album is undertoned by the sound of organs in the background. This gives the feeling of being in a void or desolate place. In the first listening party, Kanye walked around a desolate stage with nothing in "his world" so to speak. In the second listening party, he is enclosed in a single room surrounded by blackness and sometimes faceless people. In the third, he is back at his childhood home, but it is taken from its original spot and once again placed in the middle of a barren wasteland. he is now surrounded by people from his past life. Sinners, covered in black as well as Kanye.

    My only complaints are that, while no individual song is skip-worthy, it can be daunting to listen to the whole thing in one listen. Because of its length, this will be an album that people will either love or hate. Overall, there are also songs for people looking for different things. For people looking for upbeat bangers, there is Praise God, Junya, Heaven and Hell, Pure Souls, Jail, and the incredible Off the Grid. For people looking for more somber or chill songs, there is Hurricane, Jonah, Believe What I Say, 24, and No Child Left Behind. If you just want to cry, then there is Moon, Jesus Lord, Lord I Need You, and Come to Life. In a few years, this album will be remembered as a classic in true Kanye West fashion.    … Expand
  26. Tpitts987
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Donda is a culmination of various Kanye styles: JIK, TLOP, and yeezus. It is not his old school style of MBDTF that many will swear by as the only good version of Kanye. However a new style of music must be evaluated separately. This music cannot be reviewed solely on depth of lyrics or strength of production. One must listen to the track without any prejudice and take it all in. WithDonda is a culmination of various Kanye styles: JIK, TLOP, and yeezus. It is not his old school style of MBDTF that many will swear by as the only good version of Kanye. However a new style of music must be evaluated separately. This music cannot be reviewed solely on depth of lyrics or strength of production. One must listen to the track without any prejudice and take it all in. With this in mind there are many tracks including come to life, no child left behind, moon, and 24 that have left me at a loss of words simply by the movement of the music and melodies. Some would call hurricane, junya pt. 2, remote control, and new again repetitive but after a few listen one can realize that the reason for the chorus is so that the listeners can easily catch on and shout the lyrics. The all around category include songs such as jail, Jesus lord pt. 2, pure souls, keep my spirit alive, lord I need you, off the grid, and praise God hold replay ability and are songs for most settings and also include lyrics that makes one think on one verse for the rest of the song. The only reason this is a nine and not a 10 we’re the oddly placed percussion on many of the songs. Basic kick bases that don’t add much to the song or a lack of classical drums that would add greatly to the atmosphere of some songs. Also it would’ve been a little more complete if there was at least one song that relied heavily on lyrics where Kanye thought out a vision for the song and took a lot of time writing introspective lyrics. However, the overall “vibe” or atmosphere of the album is one that I continue to listen to over and over again.… Expand
  27. joshualagunasss
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Ye realmente ha viajado al año 3021 para producir este álbum y regresó al presente para lanzarlo. Una obra de arte de inicio a fin. Considero que, a pesar de lo largo del álbum, West nos dio realmente todo lo que buscaba expresar. Definitivamente van con MBDTF y TLOP como mi sagrada trinidad kanyista.
  28. Alexxp27
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Great album it was released without kanyes permission so obviously not fully finished, but with like the life of Pablo he can continue to improve the album
  29. Gunsun
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    It really is a very good album, Kanye and Mike Dean's production management make it undoubtedly the best album so far this year, all the media impact makes it striking. The only negative point is the duration but the rest is perfect. I feel like it's a mix between Yeezus and The college Dropout.
  30. KaijuuU
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Creo que es Justo un refrescante regreso para Kanye, no es un trabajo anticuado y en ciertos aspectos se siente innovador… Expand
  31. Oneshoot
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A renovação de um artista que nunca cai no ostracismo e mesmo depois de 20 anos na indústria,ainda tem o que mostrar… Expand
  32. SpoogeMcDuck
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Over all. A great album great production and lyricism from Kanye and other artists. Kanye has also perfectly weaved in gospel is a great way on this record. My only problem with the album is the tracklist which could’ve been more cohesive and fleshed out and some of the songs feel like filler material (that is expected for such a large album) that could be more polished out. Other thatOver all. A great album great production and lyricism from Kanye and other artists. Kanye has also perfectly weaved in gospel is a great way on this record. My only problem with the album is the tracklist which could’ve been more cohesive and fleshed out and some of the songs feel like filler material (that is expected for such a large album) that could be more polished out. Other that that a pretty great new release… Expand
  33. Itayshoham
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Near Perfect.
    Moon, Believe what I say, Jail, Remote Control, 24, Hurricane, Off the Grid, Come to life all absolutely fantastic, I don't have anything majorly bad to say about the album, very minuscule mistakes make it not a 10. worth the wait. I'd probably give it an 8-8.5 for purely music but being a Kanye fan I have to give marks for the meaning this album carries. His 6th best work    Near Perfect.
    Moon, Believe what I say, Jail, Remote Control, 24, Hurricane, Off the Grid, Come to life all absolutely fantastic, I don't have anything majorly bad to say about the album, very minuscule mistakes make it not a 10. worth the wait. I'd probably give it an 8-8.5 for purely music but being a Kanye fan I have to give marks for the meaning this album carries. His 6th best work in my opinion (sounds like a bad thing, but The College Dropout trilogy, MBDTF and TLOP are all 9.5-10's for me.)    … Expand
  34. BigDeacon97
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    I guess people giving this amazing album low scores must be stans of Charlemagne. From career defining performances from Fivio Foreign, Baby Keem, Vory, Rooga, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and more, Kanye West let every single contributer there time to shine.

    Favourite Tracks: Jail Pt. 1 Off the Grid Hurricane Praise God Junya Pt. 1 Believe What I Say 24 Moon Keep My Spirit Alive    I guess people giving this amazing album low scores must be stans of Charlemagne. From career defining performances from Fivio Foreign, Baby Keem, Vory, Rooga, Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and more, Kanye West let every single contributer there time to shine.

    Favourite Tracks:
    Jail Pt. 1
    Off the Grid
    Hurricane
    Praise God
    Junya Pt. 1
    Believe What I Say
    24
    Moon
    Keep My Spirit Alive
    Jesus Lord Pt. 1 & 2
    New Again
    Pure Souls
    Come to Life
    No Child Left Behind

    Least Favourite Tracks:
    Tell the Vision

    9/10    … Expand
  35. evandeary04
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An absolutely incredible album. Some of Kanye’s best hype songs, introspective songs, and powerful cinematic songs to finish the album. A great way to showcase how he’s fallen down a dark path and how God and his faith has brought him back and now he’s feeling new. Not as preachy as Jesus is King which is a nice touch.… Expand
  36. Griddd
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    Really great album from top to bottom ,before going into this album i expected a lot of filler tracks because of how long it is but ye manages to keep a high level of quality and creativity on almost all the the tracks and even tracks I didn't initially like have grown on me
  37. smaekkys
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    beautiful, spiritual, expressive, best kanye west album since the life of pablo
  38. RandyDandy63
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Great album. Jesus Lord part 2 is a top 10 Kanye song. Some mixing could be better and the pop smoke song is unpleasant, otherwise a generally great album.
  39. Vegathagod
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Fire besides jail 2 and tell the vision, other than that no skips, and listening to it 4 times in a row makes the work day go quicker
  40. Mat0
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Another classic album by Kanye, you can tell by the innovation and new sounds as always, almost every song is beautiful (except for Tell The Vision what was that) and overall feels like a very consistent album, i think the order of the songs are a liiitle random but not a big deal, this is not music, is art.
  41. Albumreviewer7
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    Anyone giving this a negative score due to his questionable collabs is a hater - rate the music, not the people. This album perfectly reflects the narrative that was strewn together from the 3 public listening parties that were held prior to its release. Kanye was able to visually display the entire story for us in those events, and people are somehow still not understanding this album. ItAnyone giving this a negative score due to his questionable collabs is a hater - rate the music, not the people. This album perfectly reflects the narrative that was strewn together from the 3 public listening parties that were held prior to its release. Kanye was able to visually display the entire story for us in those events, and people are somehow still not understanding this album. It baffles me that people are only able to critique superficially (both users and critics) and are missing the entire concept. It is not a 10 because of the very random Tell The Vision interlude.… Expand
  42. alexhtmll
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Take off Tell the Vision and the album would have been a 10/10. Love the whole rollout tbh
  43. djitymik
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Great album! Too much greats songs! My favorites...
    - come to life
    - pure souls
    - believe what i say
    - off the grid
    - remote control
    - Jesis Lord
    - hurricane
    - ok ok
    Thank u Ye for this masterpiece!
  44. MatthewThom
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Donda is an album that takes all the good gospel aspects from Jesus Is King, puts them on crack and combines it with hard trap beats and crazy good features. Too bad the pop smoke song brings it down to a 9.
  45. Hilu
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Donda is a masterpiece equivalent to "The Life Of Pablo", it is a great masterpiece among Kanye's numerous albums. Every time I hear it, I feel new.
  46. DondanotanL
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Amazing Album, just a few songs that stop me from giving it a ten. I love the production and the features. Kanye brings some of his best verses and lyrics in a long time.
  47. SnappyJ24
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    "Donda" is a beautiful tribute to his mother Donda West and features some of his best work, such as Off The Grid, Come To Life, and Moon.
  48. TOAD11
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Kanye West has made a fantastic album, one that seems thematically shuffled at first, but finds focus towards the end. Although some of the production is not perfect, and some of the songs do miss, overall Kanye has made a fine piece of work that conveys some of his more personal messages as discussed on ye, but followed up. The album rollout was fun to witness, and this is his best workKanye West has made a fantastic album, one that seems thematically shuffled at first, but finds focus towards the end. Although some of the production is not perfect, and some of the songs do miss, overall Kanye has made a fine piece of work that conveys some of his more personal messages as discussed on ye, but followed up. The album rollout was fun to witness, and this is his best work since The Life of Pablo, which seems very similar to this album. In the end, it rocks the unpolished feel, but I can see if some people do not like this album.… Expand
  49. Comeculo1
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Maybe it's not the Best album of ye, it feels like something left un this álbum
  50. 1LENOX1
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Buen álbum, aunque tuvo demasiado hype y pues quedó corto, poquito,pero quedó corto… Expand
  51. dookieboy
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Pretty much enjoyed every single track on the album except for tell the vision. I don't get the point of it, especially when it's basically just a piano version of the actual track off of Pop's album, but censored. Just sounds odd.

    I don't really count the pt. 2s. For me, the concept of the album ends at No Child Left Behind, which makes sense given that his last 2 listening events ended    Pretty much enjoyed every single track on the album except for tell the vision. I don't get the point of it, especially when it's basically just a piano version of the actual track off of Pop's album, but censored. Just sounds odd.

    I don't really count the pt. 2s. For me, the concept of the album ends at No Child Left Behind, which makes sense given that his last 2 listening events ended with it as well. The pt. 2s feel more like deluxe material to me but given Kanye's attitude towards everything, he's not gonna do anything of the sorts so he just put them at the end of the actual album.

    It doesn't just sound amazing though, it's also a very touching and deserving tribute to his late mother Donda, who'd be very proud of her son's work here. He can make you jump with excitement to songs like Jail or Off the grid but then also drag you down to the reality of life with songs like Lord I Need You and Come to Life (which is a song that gets me every time lol).

    My favorite songs off the album altogether are Jail, God Breathed, Off The Grid, Hurricane, Praise God, Believe What I Say, 24, Remote Control, Moon, Heaven and Hell, Donda, New Again, Lord I Need You, Pure Souls and Come to Life. So basically almost the entire LP, which is leaps and bounds ahead of his last release, Jesus is King. As much as I want to, I can't give it a 10. But if I can't do that, then it's definitely a 9 to me. Everyone I've talked to, who's listened to the album, likes a number of tracks and they all differ. Everyone likes a different number of songs and that's great because it shows that it's not aimed at 1 type of listener    … Expand
  52. dirtiehob
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    The album is generally good, but some fluff could be trimmed. Kanye fleshes out his ideas from Jesus is King and combines them with a more hip hop flare. The use of church organs give it that ethereal heavenly feel that leaves a lasting impact on the listener. Kanye seems to be more introspective on this album giving thanks to his mother and God the two people who have helped get to hisThe album is generally good, but some fluff could be trimmed. Kanye fleshes out his ideas from Jesus is King and combines them with a more hip hop flare. The use of church organs give it that ethereal heavenly feel that leaves a lasting impact on the listener. Kanye seems to be more introspective on this album giving thanks to his mother and God the two people who have helped get to his superstar status. That’s why reviews that give this album poor scores because he’s “braggadocious” or a terrible person confuse me as they’re clearly written from someone who hasn’t listened to the album or from a Taylor swift fan with blind loyalty. Though this album is not without faults. The album is somewhat bloated. Five songs out of the 27 feel like they could have been cut with nothing lost. The second part to existing songs could have been cut or combined with the original versions. Tell the vision should have been cut because it adds nothing to the themes of this album, but I understand Kanye wanted to pay tribute to the late Pop Smoke. Secondly Kanye sometimes takes a back seat to his features, but those features are so good because Kanye pushes them to be good. Overall a strong album with great replay value… Expand
  53. notblonded
    Aug 30, 2021
    9
    Kanye is a genius, no doubt. The production kinda lack of something idk. But overall a 9/10 album.
  54. aldolar
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    Donda its a complex journey of songs that are different from each other and i think this point it's as the same time the most criticized by some people (omitting the controversial actions of the artist to criticize the album by some media)
    So I think that with the passage of time this album could be better valued as it happened in the case of Yeezus.
    9/10
  55. 2PLAYZ
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    a very great album from ye even though it gets stale at certain parts the other songs make up for it. 9/10
  56. Bmoe
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The album was a masterpiece. A great message came out of the album and a great way to mourn Kanye’s late mother Donda. Some of my favorite tracks: Moon, Off The Grid, Junya pt 2, Jail, Jonah, and Hurricane.… Expand
  57. luke000
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    No living hip hop artist can bring out so much raw emotion on tracks like Kanye can.

    His best work since yeezus, maybe even since MBDTF.
  58. Jimmsjeusis
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great in all aspects of the production but at the end of the day, lyrics kinda cringe at times… Expand
  59. bachga9000
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    first of all this album genre's is Christian hip hop and experience hip hop. This artist here is dying in his soul and you guy have to put yourself in it to feel the emotion, the energy, the message that Kanye work on this album. if you are a first time listener to Kanye, this is might be a good chance to understand his feeling when he had struggles events in his life. this man will tellfirst of all this album genre's is Christian hip hop and experience hip hop. This artist here is dying in his soul and you guy have to put yourself in it to feel the emotion, the energy, the message that Kanye work on this album. if you are a first time listener to Kanye, this is might be a good chance to understand his feeling when he had struggles events in his life. this man will tell all about his story through the songs so enjoy what he tributed… Expand
  60. ERoberts
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    I have listened to Donda several times over trying to figure out if this is a good album or a waste of time. And I’ve got to say this album grows on you. Some songs are long and drawn out, sure. But a lot of the songs bring an energy to them that draws you into the message and emotions they emit. The grand choruses make me wish I could listen to this in a concert house to feel each note.I have listened to Donda several times over trying to figure out if this is a good album or a waste of time. And I’ve got to say this album grows on you. Some songs are long and drawn out, sure. But a lot of the songs bring an energy to them that draws you into the message and emotions they emit. The grand choruses make me wish I could listen to this in a concert house to feel each note. It is also great to hear so many features from other great artists in some songs, refreshing even. Overall, this is a great listen that happens to be a little on the long end. Great, but not perfect.… Expand
  61. Iverby
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    If there is a heaven then this is the type of music that they would play. Yes it is long, but never boring. After my third listen I almost wish it would have been longer. Kanye has always managed to change up his sound for every album while it is still easily recognizable as Kanye. Great experience, would recommend.
  62. NikolasHolm
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    I like this album. Kanye West once again pushes the boundaries for what and album can be. He treats subjects like religion, motherhood, mental health, his own story etc. with a very broad and varied sound laying under. All the way from organs to grand electronic compositions. The fact that the album is almost 2 hours long and contains no obvious radio hits proves that Kanye doesn’t careI like this album. Kanye West once again pushes the boundaries for what and album can be. He treats subjects like religion, motherhood, mental health, his own story etc. with a very broad and varied sound laying under. All the way from organs to grand electronic compositions. The fact that the album is almost 2 hours long and contains no obvious radio hits proves that Kanye doesn’t care about musical traditions and commercial interests. He just wants embrace creativity and eccentricity and I really respect him for that.… Expand
  63. COTR
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    Kanye, from a musical standpoint, rarely ever misses. It’s pretty telling when his worst records are still a lot better than most artists’ best bodies of work, and Donda is far from his worst. Kanye’s music in the post-TLOP era, at least before Donda, arguably falls short of his more focused and polished bodies of work. 2018’s Ye churned out some memorable tracks, but some just lack theKanye, from a musical standpoint, rarely ever misses. It’s pretty telling when his worst records are still a lot better than most artists’ best bodies of work, and Donda is far from his worst. Kanye’s music in the post-TLOP era, at least before Donda, arguably falls short of his more focused and polished bodies of work. 2018’s Ye churned out some memorable tracks, but some just lack the replayability of tracks from MBDTF and even boundary-pushing Yeezus. Also 7 tracks for an album was a bit too short for my liking. KSG was a great project with both Cudi and Kanye bringing the best out of each other. Again a bit too short for my liking. JIK, in my opinion was his weakest project, but that’s not to say it’s terrible at all. I just felt like he was pushing his religious agenda too much. In some ways it felt a bit forced, but it’s still enjoyable to listen to every now and then.

    Donda sees a return to form for Kanye. In what I consider is his best musical project since 2016 (possibly even since 2013 after giving it a few more listens), we’re treated to 27 songs of Kanye at his best. Curating a colossal list of collaborators and bringing out the best in them is just not something anyone can do. I can’t think of a single feature that missed, except Globglagabgalab if you’d want to count that as one, but even that’s growing on me with the way it’s used on the released version. Kanye’s rapping was never his strongest suit, but when was the last time you heard him rap like he does on Off the Grid or Jesus Lord just to name a few standouts. His production and vision on this project are really immaculate. On some tracks, you get droney, atmospheric and ambient sounds, on some, they’re piano/organ-laden, overall just beautifully crafted. Thematically, it’s an emotional body of work where he touches on his relationship with his mother, Kim K., and his family. Of course, he also throws some bars at Drake (presumably). At 27 songs, and almost 2 hours of run time, the album packs a lot, some might say too much, into it. Even if you don’t count the bonus pt.2 tracks at the end, it’s still very long. But when he’s focused and making great music, I don’t mind at all. To describe the sound put forth in the project, it would be as if Kanye took the best parts of his past projects like Yeezus, KSG, JIK, and TLOP and spliced them into one breathtaking, amazing record in Donda. All antics aside, I can’t wait to hear what else Kanye has in store.

    8.5-9/10    … Expand
  64. Alexjair17
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. No hay ninguna rola favorita pues todas sobresalen, pero fuera perfecto solo por algunos pequeños detalles… Expand
  65. gd221
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    Kanye’s return to music is on a high note, boasting one of his best albums in recent memory.
  66. MarkMorrison
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    Best since MBDTF. 12 songs that go hard and 4 beautiful ones. Haven’t liked this many songs in a 2 hour album in my life
  67. walterpog
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    The hype is really hurting this albums perception, giving that it had to be rushed in the end, and that mainstream listeners expected far more from this. It is bloated for sure, but still keeps a consistent level of quality, which is hard for an album of this lenght. Allthough most of the songs are well produced, and the features are great, but it still feels lacking at points, partlyThe hype is really hurting this albums perception, giving that it had to be rushed in the end, and that mainstream listeners expected far more from this. It is bloated for sure, but still keeps a consistent level of quality, which is hard for an album of this lenght. Allthough most of the songs are well produced, and the features are great, but it still feels lacking at points, partly because of the chaotic tracklist.

    But summarized, I enjoyed most of the songs and would heavly recommend listening to it.

    My favorite tracks are Off The Grid, Believe What I Say, Moon, Jail and Pure Souls.

    8-9/10    … Expand
  68. Shani_was_taken
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    An incredible image to his late mother with ups and downs in quality but overall as an experience it’s incredible how this was released at the wrong time and still manages to hold a pretty consistent level of quality ( tell the vision should be burned)
  69. Darealg
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    Donda is the climax of ye journey that started the day he dropped from college. This journey is paved from his multiple ups and downs through sorrows, depression and lost to the joy of being a father, an artist and a human over all. This is not the ending of this journey but it sure seems like Kanye has reached the ultimate “I don’t give a **** philosophy, one he utilizes faith to achieve.Donda is the climax of ye journey that started the day he dropped from college. This journey is paved from his multiple ups and downs through sorrows, depression and lost to the joy of being a father, an artist and a human over all. This is not the ending of this journey but it sure seems like Kanye has reached the ultimate “I don’t give a **** philosophy, one he utilizes faith to achieve. I just cannot address the album alone, without the context of Kanye’s personality, previous albums and the unprecedented hype. This is without a doubt a masterpiece and a master class to every artist out there how to find yourself, get lost and find it again. I can only sum it up in that if you’re a fan of the genre and not the album, then my guy, you’re just not there yet. You can’t be at ease with the album because you’re not at ease with yourself.… Expand
  70. adrian133
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    The best we’ve seen from Kanye in a long time. Just when people started ruling him out, he came back with a piece of art that has everyone talking. We saw glimpses of what Kanye could still do through albums like Ye and KSG but this album brought it home. It was an amazing experience to be a part of through the various listening parties and will go down as one of the best Ye eras. Happy weThe best we’ve seen from Kanye in a long time. Just when people started ruling him out, he came back with a piece of art that has everyone talking. We saw glimpses of what Kanye could still do through albums like Ye and KSG but this album brought it home. It was an amazing experience to be a part of through the various listening parties and will go down as one of the best Ye eras. Happy we have a finished product where we can all tell Kanye focused on the project… Expand
  71. Sxhil
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    It’s more of an art piece than an album. Excellent production and soundscapes.
  72. yuzername
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    Like all kanye albums. It needs a few listens before you can fully appreciate the depth. Good album.
  73. Lundy
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    Deep track list & strong features. Tell the vision is the only true weak point.
  74. jrdeegs
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    A not-so-cohesive collection of 27 amazingly wonderful songs. Melodic. Angelic.
  75. Booljamin
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    Not perfect but damn near close. Very few skips on the album. Personally a bigger fan of the more emotional/slower back half to the album but can easily listen all the way through.
  76. spatule_exe
    Sep 2, 2021
    9
    The album feels like it’s a version of The Life Of Pablo with a touch of gospel, the album is really great and well produced, what people are pointing out as an issue is the messy feeling of the album, but that’s the whole charm of it, this album will grow on people like other Kanye west projects did in the past, it is to me a future Classic
  77. GoBlinn
    Sep 2, 2021
    9
    one of the best kanye's album. sounds really good and it has multiple different styles that be changing through the listening with your feelings, also has some really great features.
  78. Canchogo
    Sep 2, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Donda is in my opinion a great album it’s messy but that’s what I like about it. Donda isn’t for everyone though the features shine bright but Kanye is more like filler and he should have taken a back seat for some of these songs.… Expand
  79. xfatalismx
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    Such an incredible album that made me appreciate the life of my loved ones. Singing has got better, and the song choice is a love letter to Kanye through the ages. IKGBOT - Yeezus, Believe What I Say - Graduation. Only thing that takes away from this work of art is his choice of inclusion of Marilyn Manson - an absolute blunder of a stunt that should be condemned. But reviewing the albumSuch an incredible album that made me appreciate the life of my loved ones. Singing has got better, and the song choice is a love letter to Kanye through the ages. IKGBOT - Yeezus, Believe What I Say - Graduation. Only thing that takes away from this work of art is his choice of inclusion of Marilyn Manson - an absolute blunder of a stunt that should be condemned. But reviewing the album apart from this? An instant classic. Drake said this 44 year old man was washed up? Judging from my listens of CLB, it seems he got mixed up with himself.… Expand
  80. Jwh2333
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    Not just music it is an experience. It's what Jesus is King should have been.
  81. Jayz23
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    West continues to innovate music.
    The ablums and absolute roller coaster and i still dont get how he managed to input the religious perspective of it.
  82. MojixKnowsMusic
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    High quality is the first thing that comes to mind after listening to this album. It may seem lengthy on paper but the production and deep verses keeps the duration out of mind. Even as a non religious person this album still touched me. 9/10
  83. jhosias_2601
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like it. What you want me to tell you. Also I tough this would never come out… Expand
  84. kikeblingbling
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Loved it.. i just think it some songs were too long, other than that production was awesome.. features awesome. Better than Jesus is King… Expand
  85. ontheinternets
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    This is my album of the year. I’ve been playing this nonstop since the drop. To me it’s one of his best albums in years. It’s clear he put his soul in this album for his mother. I despise Kanye’s red hat run and hate seeing him off his meds. But he clearly a genius who finds his most creative art while in a manic state. I’m pretty sure the past couple years craziness is because heThis is my album of the year. I’ve been playing this nonstop since the drop. To me it’s one of his best albums in years. It’s clear he put his soul in this album for his mother. I despise Kanye’s red hat run and hate seeing him off his meds. But he clearly a genius who finds his most creative art while in a manic state. I’m pretty sure the past couple years craziness is because he was off meds to have creative energy flowing for this album. And if that’s the case, I can let him have a pass. Listen to what the man says.… Expand
  86. Chaseme6331
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    Fantastic! Each song is unique and good! No skips besides intro. Album of the year?
  87. Yousefas23
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    I really like this album. Another example of Kanye not being afraid to take risks and bringing the best out of the artist he features. He blends different genres yet still makes the album sound cohesive. Songs like jail, come to life, off the grid are unlike anything I’ve heard from him before and I love all of them. Definitely his strongest album for me since Pablo.
  88. Reatile
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    Incredible feature list , most of the songs are sonically pleasing overall good album , AOTY imo
  89. robertpattinson
    Sep 3, 2021
    9
    not that much of fan, but i liked the album allot actually, i think its spectacular & something that you can jam to.
  90. Wania33
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    it is great example of a album who gets better every listen, after hype a lot of people didn't liked this album but every next listen, its getting better you can even see after user score getting progressively better. It have hell beautiful songs (almost cried to Come to Life) which is very good because a lot of people don't understand this album despite the name that already tells this isit is great example of a album who gets better every listen, after hype a lot of people didn't liked this album but every next listen, its getting better you can even see after user score getting progressively better. It have hell beautiful songs (almost cried to Come to Life) which is very good because a lot of people don't understand this album despite the name that already tells this is dedicated to his dead mother Donda West and not another album about his life who have couple of bangers and that's it, people stopped thinking that hip hop or rap album can have deep and sad meaning, that's why I like the whole idea of this record, I know that there's bad mixing but I believe there is gonna be the same redux version of this album like with tlop and I don't think I will need to change my review here… Expand
  91. Stroh96
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    Fantastic and beautiful album. Best Kanye has made in years. Only Kanye can make a clean, gospel album and it be such a success
  92. Chicagosfinest
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    I thought this album was great and showed the growth and maturity of a multi-generational artist. I thought the marketing was excellent and the music production was amazing. The album maybe a little too long for my taste but I enjoyed every minute of it. I appreciate that Kanye took a risk in changing his sound that is worthy for album of the year.
  93. mrdarkness666
    Sep 4, 2021
    9
    A lot of beautiful moments on this project. Some songs could be trimmed down or cut, but overall a great Kanye album.
  94. Altitude23
    Sep 5, 2021
    9
    DONDA is a therapeutic album that offers something for everyone. The closure and understanding for Kanye's religious journey makes the project worth several listens. The sequencing felt off in some places, similar to TLOP but thats what makes it most impressive: you still understand the direction even with the countless potential updates. Kanye still delivers with top of the world sonicDONDA is a therapeutic album that offers something for everyone. The closure and understanding for Kanye's religious journey makes the project worth several listens. The sequencing felt off in some places, similar to TLOP but thats what makes it most impressive: you still understand the direction even with the countless potential updates. Kanye still delivers with top of the world sonic production (Come to Life and No Child Left Behind), feel good music (Jonah, Pure Souls) and lyricism (Jesus Lord, Lord I Need You). Kanye serves up club bangers in Jesus mode (Hurricane, Off the Grid, Praise God) , while still giving a sermon every now and again (24). This album is a cinematic experience and a guilty pleasure all while Jesus is watching. A very ambitious project that delivers.… Expand
  95. cgroleau29
    Sep 5, 2021
    9
    Such a great mixed bag that I have come to love more and more with each day passing by, waiting a whole week to put my thoughts on paper
  96. gianmel
    Sep 7, 2021
    9
    There some really good bangers and it mantains a concept in the album although at times feels like a mixtape, the more you hear it the more I like it. The feats are just great (Throne is back) and it has one of Kanyes best raps in off the grid, overall I like it. I understand some people dont like Kanye but 0? come on thats the exact message... the cancel culture just will not like or evenThere some really good bangers and it mantains a concept in the album although at times feels like a mixtape, the more you hear it the more I like it. The feats are just great (Throne is back) and it has one of Kanyes best raps in off the grid, overall I like it. I understand some people dont like Kanye but 0? come on thats the exact message... the cancel culture just will not like or even take the time to listen to you. Really a 0 its hearing white noise.… Expand
  97. Gg781914
    Sep 7, 2021
    9
    It’s way better than expected, ima go ahead and say that the album will be appreciated more in the near future than at the moment.
  98. Yeetgiver
    Sep 8, 2021
    9
    I think its a great project. We see some of kanyes best singing. Some of his best producing. I think there are the classic couple silly cringy kanye bars so its not a 10. But this is an amazing album
  99. lucasegydio
    Sep 9, 2021
    9
    O Album da vida do Kanye. Passa por todos as fases de sua vida não reafirmando apenas o artista influente e relevante que ele continua sendo mas também mostrando o lado humano, lidando com suas derrotas e reascendendo ao encontrar uma nova vida cristã. Cada musica desse album poderia estar em um album diferente de sua carreira. Donda nos mostra como Kanye aprendeu da pior forma possível aO Album da vida do Kanye. Passa por todos as fases de sua vida não reafirmando apenas o artista influente e relevante que ele continua sendo mas também mostrando o lado humano, lidando com suas derrotas e reascendendo ao encontrar uma nova vida cristã. Cada musica desse album poderia estar em um album diferente de sua carreira. Donda nos mostra como Kanye aprendeu da pior forma possível a valorizar o que realmente importa e seguir em frente. Agora com sua mente no lugar, Ye nos coloca na posição de espectador das suas dores. Produção incrível e controversa trazendo sua capa completamente preta que me trouxe a sensação de como ele estava se sentindo ao compor o album. O maior artista vivo em minha opinião apenas peca em trazer as colaborações de DaBaby, Marilyn Manson e Chris Brown por isso a nota 9. Projeto coeso e completo.… Expand
  100. matthewn00
    Sep 11, 2021
    9
    Donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda donda
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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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