Yeezus
by Kanye West
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Jun 18, 2013
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2196 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,717 out of 2196
  2. Mixed: 196 out of 2196
  3. Negative: 283 out of 2196
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  1. realgamefan
    Jul 30, 2013
    10
    Expect the unexpected. Open your mind. Free your mind of any prejudices. Be open and listen to the lyrics closely. Kanye is here to speak his mind in a very raw way. It's industrial in sound and very punchy in it's delivery. This isn't for the laid back listen. But it can be once you are used to it. It's different from his previous albums but there are familiar elements mixed in. KanyeExpect the unexpected. Open your mind. Free your mind of any prejudices. Be open and listen to the lyrics closely. Kanye is here to speak his mind in a very raw way. It's industrial in sound and very punchy in it's delivery. This isn't for the laid back listen. But it can be once you are used to it. It's different from his previous albums but there are familiar elements mixed in. Kanye West is still in top form here. The good far outweighs the bad. It's hardcore Kanye.....but spoken through....well....YEEZUS.… Expand
  2. alpha
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Step up from from Watch The Throne
    If you loved WTT and felt like Graduation lacked substance then this is the album for you.
    While tackling social issues Kanye manages to continue his exploration of the sound of the future with the first 3 tracks produced by Daft Punk. You can see similarities with its predecessor Dark fantasy which also mixed Social issue rant sex lies drugs,...    Step up from from Watch The Throne
    If you loved WTT and felt like Graduation lacked substance then this is the album for you.
    While tackling social issues Kanye manages to continue his exploration of the sound of the future with the first 3 tracks produced by Daft Punk.
    You can see similarities with its predecessor Dark fantasy which also mixed Social issue rant sex lies drugs,... but in a way only West can.
    The songs are so creatively structured that you dont know what to expect (dancehall, soul rap, rock, scream,..) until the last bit.
    He managed to be minimalistic while still mixing genres that we never thought were mixable like Justin Vernon and Some dancehall.
    Anyways this is nowhere near Dark fantasy but it is a great answer to it and a step forward from the 2 albums I mentionned at first.
    Have a nice ride Its not an album its a musical actually.    … Expand
  3. andrew___
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Dark, cold, sometimes frightening. The generally polar opposite opinions this album is generating are not surprising. It's a masterpiece, and it's often not very accessible, which is what makes it a masterpiece to begin with. Some people don't like inaccessible, which is fine. It's a challenging record that will piss off a lot of people. Completely brilliant. What wouldDark, cold, sometimes frightening. The generally polar opposite opinions this album is generating are not surprising. It's a masterpiece, and it's often not very accessible, which is what makes it a masterpiece to begin with. Some people don't like inaccessible, which is fine. It's a challenging record that will piss off a lot of people. Completely brilliant. What would Jeromey-romey-romey-rome think?… Expand
  4. Alternativelove
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Coming off the maximalist splendor of MBDTF, which captured many, including my own, opinions for best album of 2010, Kanye has scaled back the grandiosity of the music he makes, but has not lost any of the emotional impact. These ten songs bite and snarl like the dogs he samples "Black Skinhead" bringing to mind comparisons to aggressive hip hop groups such as Death Grips or Public Enemy.Coming off the maximalist splendor of MBDTF, which captured many, including my own, opinions for best album of 2010, Kanye has scaled back the grandiosity of the music he makes, but has not lost any of the emotional impact. These ten songs bite and snarl like the dogs he samples "Black Skinhead" bringing to mind comparisons to aggressive hip hop groups such as Death Grips or Public Enemy. The sweeping varied orchestration of MBDTF and the profuse sampling of his earlier work is traded for hypnotic, pounding synths that evoke Suicide or Nine Inch Nails. The sounds are as aggressive as the lyrics that replace maudlin attempts at sincerity with blunt, violent sexual imagery and blatant egoism. Yet as disgusting and challenging this album can be, especially for those expecting MBDTF 2, it elicits a primal feeling in the listener and is much more rewarding on multiple listens then any of his previous works. It has just taken the place of my favorite album of the year so far, and itll be particularly hard to upset.… Expand
  5. ZacharyMatson
    Jun 19, 2013
    10
    "How much do I not give a f*ck?" Mr. West asks in On Sight, the first track of Yeezus. The answer is clear. The question is quickly followed with a familiar College Dropout sample sounding tune that goes on to say "He'll give us what we need It may not be what we want." Which, is the perfect way to describe what this album is. Not something we want(old Kanye), but something we need(New Kanye).
  6. Duces1
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Yeezus is captivating, exhilarating and mind blowing at the same time. Every song has it's own entity and it pushes new boundaries for hip hop and music as a whole. If Kanye would put out a single from the album, Blood on the leaves would be the perfect single coming from this diverse 10 track disc.
  7. DiorJETS
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    The epitome of the word "masterpiece". Kanye proves he doesn't have to make music targeted at mainstream society to produce a classic album! Don't expect Ye to ever sound the same again, he's entered a new plain of existence. One no other artist will venture any time soon.
  8. T1A7NAN
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Unbelieveable album. Top-notch album with amazing production, and as per usual, Ye's mixture of politics, religion and humour in his lyrics. Put it this way, he made Chief Keef sound good.. And we all know how bad he is!
  9. rydermusic
    Jul 22, 2013
    10
    After the Picasso-art of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West reinvents itself again, with an album much more Hip-Hop and Minimal than MBDTF thet reminiscent in some ways Watch The Throne and 808s & Heartbreak. Songs like On Sight, Black Skinhead and Blood on the Leaves are examples of good and innovative production, that's right, the production that perhaps on this album is theAfter the Picasso-art of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West reinvents itself again, with an album much more Hip-Hop and Minimal than MBDTF thet reminiscent in some ways Watch The Throne and 808s & Heartbreak. Songs like On Sight, Black Skinhead and Blood on the Leaves are examples of good and innovative production, that's right, the production that perhaps on this album is the most innovative of the year with Daft Punk, No.ID, 88 Keys and Kanye same in the height of the form. In conclusion, Yeezus of abstract-art is an album of pure genius that we have never heard. A classic to remember for many, many years.… Expand
  10. gsc
    Jun 19, 2013
    10
    This album with it's fearless egotistical lyrics, dark themes, and hard inventive beats is Kanye's best album yet. This is an album more complex and more complete than anything the artist has done before. All the songs flow into each other and all but one "bound 2" would feel out of place on any other Kanye album. This is an album that requires more than one listen to truly appreciate. TheThis album with it's fearless egotistical lyrics, dark themes, and hard inventive beats is Kanye's best album yet. This is an album more complex and more complete than anything the artist has done before. All the songs flow into each other and all but one "bound 2" would feel out of place on any other Kanye album. This is an album that requires more than one listen to truly appreciate. The first time you listen to it you're left dumbfounded and do not know what to make of the strangeness you have just heard. But upon a second listen you realize this is the birth of a new darker Kanye. The egotism of this album would be unforgivable if this album was not as good as it is, but it is. Yeezus is the dark twisted masterpiece of a mad genius.… Expand
  11. Chaitanya
    Jul 5, 2013
    10
    This is the first time, I am reviewing a brand new album. I usually take some time to get used to an album but some albums are such that they stick with you even when you listen to them just once. After listening to this album nearly seven times now, I think I am in a position to review it properly. Basically its great!!

    Yes, he is back with his 6th album. By this time as a fan I knew    This is the first time, I am reviewing a brand new album. I usually take some time to get used to an album but some albums are such that they stick with you even when you listen to them just once. After listening to this album nearly seven times now, I think I am in a position to review it properly. Basically its great!!

    Yes, he is back with his 6th album. By this time as a fan I knew that this album like all his other albums has to be different or break some trends and most likely set a few new trends. 3 years after creating arguably one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He is back again doing what he does best, defy the norms and he still refuses to make the rap albums that everybody else seems to make. Its only been 3 days since the album was released but I can say this with full conviction:

    I took notice of this genius when I heard his second album: Late Registration. Shortly, its my favourite rap album of all time.

    With this album, Kanye West de-constructs the rap/hip-hop conventions, chops them up and makes something that’s sonically akin to Massive Attack’s: “Mezzanine” than say, any of his other albums. He created his own genre twice before with “808s & Heartbreak” and “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and this one is inventive and different in the same vein as these two albums.    … Expand
  12. Calciferus
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    A terrific piece of record. A dark, abrasive, industrial hip hop album, Yeezus is a breakthrough. You can feel the anti-pop vibes it sets off. The production is strikingly magnificent, the samples couldn't be more befitting and contents of the lyrics is an unorthodox yet innovative representation of various themes including (but not exclusively) Christianity and anti racism.

    Bottomline,    A terrific piece of record. A dark, abrasive, industrial hip hop album, Yeezus is a breakthrough. You can feel the anti-pop vibes it sets off. The production is strikingly magnificent, the samples couldn't be more befitting and contents of the lyrics is an unorthodox yet innovative representation of various themes including (but not exclusively) Christianity and anti racism.

    Bottomline, it's not what you expect from Kanye, but still a masterpiece

    Essential tracks: Black Skinhead, New Slaves, Hold My Liquor, I am God    … Expand
  13. schyguy96
    Dec 10, 2013
    10
    Kanye West shows once again, through Yeezus, that he is transcendent of most musical norms. It seems anymore as if Kanye West could release an album of nothing but talking about philosophy and himself, with absolutely no music, and we would see it as the next great thing in music. But it is so, because with every album Kanye is pushing what we as a society thought were his limits, to theKanye West shows once again, through Yeezus, that he is transcendent of most musical norms. It seems anymore as if Kanye West could release an album of nothing but talking about philosophy and himself, with absolutely no music, and we would see it as the next great thing in music. But it is so, because with every album Kanye is pushing what we as a society thought were his limits, to the point where many think the man is limitless. The obvious sell for this album is its originality, but it is original because it blends old Kanye with newer Kanye, with a fusion of something we haven't seen from him before. While not his best work, it certainly ranks near the top, clumped in a group with The College Dropout and Late Registration, just not quite as good as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. As we take in Yeezus for what it is, we also are steadily preparing for Kanye's next album, which figures to be another step into musical history. Best album of 2013.… Expand
  14. Spangle
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    I'm a big Kanye fan and Kanye certainly delivered here. This is not a hip hop album, but rather a musical exercise where Kanye experiments with anything and everything at his disposal. Despite this mish mash of sounds, the album is extremely successful and in my mind, it's a modern day classic, much like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was. It will be interesting to see what kind ofI'm a big Kanye fan and Kanye certainly delivered here. This is not a hip hop album, but rather a musical exercise where Kanye experiments with anything and everything at his disposal. Despite this mish mash of sounds, the album is extremely successful and in my mind, it's a modern day classic, much like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was. It will be interesting to see what kind of influence this album has on future hip hop artists as it will undoubtedly impact the genre for a long time.… Expand
  15. Dvir971
    Oct 25, 2019
    10
    The most unique and groundbreaking album of all times. Words can not describe how awesome I think this album is. After Kanye showed us he is the best in the game with the ageless masterpiece "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" I though- what's next? For a lot of time there was nothing known (except Watch the Throne that came out, which is great but not completely a Yeezy album), and thenThe most unique and groundbreaking album of all times. Words can not describe how awesome I think this album is. After Kanye showed us he is the best in the game with the ageless masterpiece "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" I though- what's next? For a lot of time there was nothing known (except Watch the Throne that came out, which is great but not completely a Yeezy album), and then when Kanye preformed New Slaves and Black Skinhead on SNL I though "Wow, once Yeezus drops it's over for everybody".

    I really waited for the album, and when it came out- boy, it didn't disappoint. If I had to choose my top 5 albums of all times, Yeezus would be there. perhaps on the top 2. A lot of people underestimate this album because it's in the shadow of MBDTF, but while I agree that the first one is better, but this album is ultimately something else entirely- so unique, something I've never heard before. Kanye's new style from MBDTF became extreme here and it was a bit controversial but I absolutely loved it. I mean it's not really 'rap', it exceeds beyond that. In this album Kanye makes music like no one else I've heard, something really special.

    Top notch production by the master Kanye West with help of legends like Daft Punk and a lot of interesting collaborations. Six years later, I keep listening to this album non stop yet I still didn't get used to it, it still sounds so fresh and intriguing. It may be a short album, but Kanye nails it in every single song- everything is high quality with maybe 2-3 exceptionally brilliant tracks. This album will be remembered in history forever. One of the greatest works of art ever put on this earth.    … Expand
  16. TeamRHi
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Every song on this album is worth tons of listens. Imagine taking Kanye West's entire discography, weeding out all of the bad parts (excluding lyrics), then mashing them together in a rapid-fire listening experience. Teamed up with Daft Punk, the same people who made his megahit "Stronger" work, Kanye once again uses their abstract electronic production to great use on four-five tracks.Every song on this album is worth tons of listens. Imagine taking Kanye West's entire discography, weeding out all of the bad parts (excluding lyrics), then mashing them together in a rapid-fire listening experience. Teamed up with Daft Punk, the same people who made his megahit "Stronger" work, Kanye once again uses their abstract electronic production to great use on four-five tracks.

    On Sight is quite possibly the greatest opener for an album ever. The beat and flow just immediately catch your attention and drag you in. Not to mention there's a cool interpolation of "Stronger" at the end.
    Black Skinhead is the most obvious representation of angry Kanye. The instrumental is astounding and the lyrics are among Ye's best. Same thing with New Slaves.
    I Am a God is boastful and obnoxious (HURRY UP WITH MY DAMN CROISSANTS!) but at the same time mesmerizing.
    Only Kanye West can make a Chief Keef and Juston Vernon collaboration work. Hold My Liquor is that uber-catchy dark collaboration with three completely different hooks.
    I'm In It is twisted porn in music. The hook's singer is hysterical, and his verse is the fastest on the album but also hardest to understand with the accent. Kanye raps about eating Asian with sweet and sour sauce, too, so that's relatively funny.
    Blood on the Leaves is everything good about 808s and Heartbreak, with Guilt Trip as its little cousin of a song.
    Send it Up is loud. Not in the instrumental or the rapping, but Mr. Rick Rubin did quite a lot to the hook's volume. Why? Makes no sense if you listen to the song, but OK. Song is catchy but weak.
    Bound 2 is retro Kanye. He ends this album where he began but also provides a conclusion. The production samples a soul song just as Kanye did in his yesteryears. The amazing thing about this track, though, is that Kanye West's instrumental says that he's "bound to fall in love!" and his lyrics detail his struggle throughout the years relating to his relationship with Kim Kardashian. This track shows the journey Kanye has taken and where he has ended up over the years.

    Beyond the bragging, beyond the ego, beyond the award-show thief, you have Kanye West: a jazz/soul loving, heartbroken man who has finally found love.    … Expand
  17. saulb25
    Jun 19, 2013
    10
    I can see why people don't like this album...its very different. But Kanye is Kanye and he always does something different..I think this album will grow much more on the people who don't like it if they just take it for what it is. Great album imo.
  18. Bestpony
    Jul 21, 2013
    10
    Kanye does it again. Yeezus is a triumph of unparalleled musical imagination, created by the ultimate music nerd who thinks nothing of genres and styles and gleefuly mashes everything he wants like a mad alchemist, creating an unholy concoction that works even though it really shouldn't. Who else would even dare to have Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Chicago drill poster boy Chief Keef singKanye does it again. Yeezus is a triumph of unparalleled musical imagination, created by the ultimate music nerd who thinks nothing of genres and styles and gleefuly mashes everything he wants like a mad alchemist, creating an unholy concoction that works even though it really shouldn't. Who else would even dare to have Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Chicago drill poster boy Chief Keef sing on the same track? Who would imagine that you could mix TNGHT and Nina Simone? Who would slap a hefty chunk of a track by a 1970s Hungarian prog rock band at the end of his own composition and then sing all over it? Only Yeezus.… Expand
  19. MajesticUterus
    Jun 19, 2013
    10
    Another classic from Kanye West. It's natural that some people don't like it; he's pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. You'll thank him in 10 years. An excellent album.
  20. Malakili
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Greatest Kanye album of all time... OF ALL TIME. I mean no homo bruh bruh but I luh dis so much Imma play it at my wedding NO HOMO but for my ladies that's some real HEHE
  21. Nerusan
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    Yes, i'm a Kanye West fan but I had my doubts about this at first. I felt it was too derivative from Death Grips and Clipping.'s sound and that it was a bandwagoning attempt but I was half-wrong. Yes, he was attempting the sound but at the same time, he did something a bit difficult. He gave it a mainstream appeal! That's what I love about this album (or mixtape, since its short and isYes, i'm a Kanye West fan but I had my doubts about this at first. I felt it was too derivative from Death Grips and Clipping.'s sound and that it was a bandwagoning attempt but I was half-wrong. Yes, he was attempting the sound but at the same time, he did something a bit difficult. He gave it a mainstream appeal! That's what I love about this album (or mixtape, since its short and is structured like a mixtape). It's certainly no MBDTF or even Late Registration but this is up there with them… Expand
  22. Rosewood
    Jun 22, 2013
    10
    I've been listening to music from different generation 60's 70's 80's 90's and this generation no album made me this speechless this i by far the best album this year and one of my favorite albums of all time This album is not for everybody but you should give it a listen to see if it's for you
  23. ben_zo77
    Feb 3, 2014
    10
    Put simply if you don't like this album, you're a hater. The production is truly legendary, and anyone who says the album doesn't have meaning or is narcissistic didn't listen well. Yeezus is a true work of art and will go down as a revolutionary album in the increasingly electronic music world.
  24. KanyeIsGod
    Jul 5, 2013
    10
    "Yeezus" is one of the most innovative albums of all-time. It cannot even be classified as just "rap". Kanye West can now be considered as his own very genre. Songs like "Hold My Liquor" and "Blood On The Leaves" make you realize there's still hope for modern music yet. Not quite to the diversified level of his last solo album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", but an amazing album it's"Yeezus" is one of the most innovative albums of all-time. It cannot even be classified as just "rap". Kanye West can now be considered as his own very genre. Songs like "Hold My Liquor" and "Blood On The Leaves" make you realize there's still hope for modern music yet. Not quite to the diversified level of his last solo album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", but an amazing album it's own right.… Expand
  25. benmurph258
    Jul 18, 2013
    10
    This album is incredible. Kanye will never top it. He's one of the biggest artists in the world and has made an album that could have been made on some indie Chicago label. In saying that, the production quality on the album is phenomenal. Kanye has managed to make a record that is unmistakably his own despite being outnumbered hugely by collaborators. I honestly cannot think of anotherThis album is incredible. Kanye will never top it. He's one of the biggest artists in the world and has made an album that could have been made on some indie Chicago label. In saying that, the production quality on the album is phenomenal. Kanye has managed to make a record that is unmistakably his own despite being outnumbered hugely by collaborators. I honestly cannot think of another album I've devoted more time to, and that's its defining quality.

    It has to be noted that this is the record that most effectively parodies the #madrichalert culture that has produced so much appalling radio friendly hip-hop. He may or may not be slightly serious in thinking that he's a god, but he's got the greatest claim to be and he seems to be the only rapper around that doesn't care despite that. This has to be the perfect record to define everything that's good about music right now because of that.    … Expand
  26. maxxing
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    If there's one thing you can expect from Kanye West, it's that you never know what to expect from Kanye West. Yeezus is darker and more twisted than his last fantasy that had us all screaming masterpiece, and after a few listens through this album, you'll be thinking the same thing.
  27. solecookie18
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    This is truly a work of art that needs multiple listens to fully appreciate it for what it is. Yeezus is a huge creative chance and the only guy who could pull it off with such perfection is Kanye West. Yeezus isn't the Hip-Hop album out on June 18th, but it is the best album.
  28. TVLORMVRLOWE
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Incredible. Daft Punk, Rick Rubin, Mike Dean, Travis Scott and Bon Iver. Its revolutionary.

    BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  29. Duderinoo
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Yet another fantastic album from Yeezy. As always, he keeps it new and exciting and you never quite now what to expect from him. Yeezus, like MBDTF, pushes the boundaries of what a hip hop album can be, sonically and thematically. There's no other musician who can put Justin Vernon and Chief Keef together on a track about heartbreak and emptiness (Hold My Liquor) and make it work so amazingly.
  30. Calmdownyeezy
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    took time to get used too for sure I was disgusted by the album first listen. But now I can't get enough. I love every song except on sight. Definitely has to grow on you. And you have to get past that this is not a "soul sample" album even though it does use some samples extremely beautifully.
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Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best Album of 2013
3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 2013
3
#3 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 46 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 46
  3. Negative: 1 out of 46
  1. The Wire
    Dec 10, 2013
    50
    His concerns are serious--consumerism, race, fame, relationships--but he rarely addresses them with the craft or focus they deserve. [Sep 2013, p.66]
  2. Q Magazine
    Aug 20, 2013
    80
    Contradiction incarnate, Yeezus is Kanye's most Kanyeish LP yet. [Sep 2013, p.103]
  3. Mojo
    Aug 13, 2013
    80
    Nasty, brutish, short, and wholly compelling, Yeezus begs only one question: where next? [Sep 2013, p.89]
See all critic reviews »