Jesus Is King
by Kanye West
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1454 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 657 out of 1454
  2. Mixed: 241 out of 1454
  3. Negative: 556 out of 1454

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  1. 0kajetan
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    Are you people ok? This is a disaster, I simply can't believe what I just heard
  2. Leonardoisred
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    The albums feels unfinished and the lyrics are so unimaginative they feel like he put the most basic religious terminology in a bag and started doing madlibs. There seem to be no interesting ruminations on faith and it seems pretty shallow. Selah, is decent And has some epic production but so many other tracks fail to say anything profound that the album feels waaaay below his usualThe albums feels unfinished and the lyrics are so unimaginative they feel like he put the most basic religious terminology in a bag and started doing madlibs. There seem to be no interesting ruminations on faith and it seems pretty shallow. Selah, is decent And has some epic production but so many other tracks fail to say anything profound that the album feels waaaay below his usual standard. Feels weird to see the iconoclastic contrarian rebel that kanye is become so tame and mainstream. Disappointment all round.… Expand
  3. Pitbulllover
    Oct 25, 2019
    0
    The best thing I can say is that it's short. Pretentious, boring -- and Kanye singing, which is always horrendous. Kanye is the worst kind of born-again-type -- boorish and self-absorbed - and now he want's everyone to believe what he does, because, you know, he's the greatest.
    Rubbish
  4. Southpawer1
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    Awful album. Not Kanye standards. He could ave done a gospel masterpiece but failed badly!
  5. Shad123
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    The Kanye we love has left the building. This felt entire album felt like false sentiment, making religion seem like a fad.
  6. grxxvy
    Jan 23, 2020
    0
    Really bad album. It's not just the theme, it's bad executed..
    Wasted beats on that album. Kanye should just hang it up and focus on churches
  7. Marmanhollow
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    Trump? Jesus? Trump? Jesus? Ye? Jesus? Jesus! JESUS!! GOD! Trump? YE! HESUS! JEEEESUSSSS!!
  8. ghostkiller1212
    Oct 25, 2019
    0
    this album sounds like a really bad joke. The fact that this album is about god doesn't justify the lackluster lyrics and production. I loved every kanye album but this one is a hot mess.
  9. NimNams
    Oct 25, 2019
    3
    Sonically dull, lyrically uninspired, and completely un-Kanye-like. Eleven songs and not a catchy hook in the bunch.
  10. Mikey10
    Oct 25, 2019
    2
    I gave Ye a pass because the production was amazing, but this album is just bad through and through. I'm not sure how anyone is into this and the only redeeming quality is the Clipse feature.
  11. TalulaGrey
    Oct 25, 2019
    0
    This is so bad and I mean bad as in terrible. Not sure if he's ordering a fast food meal with that, "You my Chick-fil-A / You’re my number one / With the lemonade." Lol! Or how about "Everybody wanted Yandhi / Then Jesus Christ did the laundry." I kid you not. Then there's this, "That’s why I charge the prices that I charge / I can’t be out here Dancing With the Stars." I listened to thisThis is so bad and I mean bad as in terrible. Not sure if he's ordering a fast food meal with that, "You my Chick-fil-A / You’re my number one / With the lemonade." Lol! Or how about "Everybody wanted Yandhi / Then Jesus Christ did the laundry." I kid you not. Then there's this, "That’s why I charge the prices that I charge / I can’t be out here Dancing With the Stars." I listened to this on you tube for free and I am so glad I did because I can't imagine anyone paying actual money for this self masturbatory crock of hoo ha. I didn't expect any better from someone that would name their child psalm. So there you go. Hard core religious fanatics and sycophants will no doubt give me the thumbs down but this honest review is worth it. I do not recommend this album.… Expand
  12. Ozayrica
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    So on the nose lyrics it's unbelievable. Some beats are OK but a handful of songs are unbelievably bad (closed on Sundays is mind numbing)
  13. Autechre1234
    Oct 26, 2019
    3
    Religion has always been an interesting part of Kanye's work, the devout moments of "Ultralight Beam" and "Jesus Walks" contrast with the extreme self-worship of "I am a God" (and much else in his discography). This tension between Kanye's beliefs and actions was the driving force behind his most important record - MBDTF. So a record that explores the lighter side of his beliefs hasReligion has always been an interesting part of Kanye's work, the devout moments of "Ultralight Beam" and "Jesus Walks" contrast with the extreme self-worship of "I am a God" (and much else in his discography). This tension between Kanye's beliefs and actions was the driving force behind his most important record - MBDTF. So a record that explores the lighter side of his beliefs has promise, for example in shedding light on how Kanye uses his faith to battle the demons that he showed on ""I Thought About Killing You".

    There are moments here where these themes are explored - Kanye fighting with his dad on "Follow God", feelings of hypocrisy on "Hands On". Unfortunately though, the bulk of the record is spent in full megachurch preaching mode, which quickly feels repetitive and empty. I imagine this style of unbalanced worship quickly frustrates intelligent believers too, who carry their faith with full understanding of the doubt and difficulty that it comes with. Really this is a form of christianity suited for uncritical capitalists, amusingly confirmed when Kanye bemoans his tax bill and claims that the sky-high prices of his clothing lines are to stop his family from "starving".

    Even the most preachy form of Christianity could have been carried with an original hip-hop infused take on gospel instrumentals though, and Kanye has form in this area. There are somewhat successful moments - Follow God uses a gospel sample effectively, but seriously, compare this to the detail and dynamism on "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1", and it pales in comparison. This feeling is consistent throughout the record, most of the beats are very simplistic, with one or two elements that have no exciting interplay. This explains why the tracks are so short, there simply aren't many musical ideas here. Sometimes the instrumentation is able to carry the track for its runtime, but this is often not true. At its worst, we have the execrable "Water" which is based on a meandering bass tone that feels like a preset from a cheap synthesiser.

    Overall, the album fails both lyrically and musically. Evangelical christians can probably find something to like, but secular listeners praising this are surely grading on an "it's kanye" curve. Seriously even go back to the uneven Life of Pablo and you'll immediately hear the difference.    … Expand
  14. KanyeWestGod
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    O pior álbum da carreira dele. Espera bem mais mas pelo jeito ele morreu depois da briga com a Taylor Swift...
  15. mangouris
    Oct 25, 2019
    3
    This is so boring ....Nothing special. Music for churches. Where are the MBDTF days?
  16. ariolastan
    Oct 27, 2019
    0
    horrivel, nem a anitta com meningite teria a capacidade de produzir tanto lixo sonoro
  17. Wellszsz
    Oct 25, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Horrível, Jesus não gosta disso, e nunca gostara, tire jesus das suas bocas, jesus não apoia quem apóia a escravidão, o machismo e o racismo.… Expand
  18. Matheus44
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    Totally bad album, lack of cohesion and lack of articulation left the album Totally "poor".
  19. rodrigoeec
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    Honestly, I was expecting more from Kanye. It's bland, doesn't contain any new elements, and his over confidence ruins it all. "I never trust a narcissist, but they love me".
  20. johnnyd93
    Oct 25, 2019
    0
    Most confusing album ever......
    Wonder who’s still into him at this time...
  21. Seanna
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    Hard to stomach someone so full of himself spouting a Christian message. Gratitude. Humility. Justice. Care for others. These are hallmarks of Christianity. They are also values Kanye doesn’t live and I would guess knows nothing about.
  22. getawaycarol
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    This album is the second worst thing to happen to jesus, I can't even believe in this ****
  23. Funde001
    Oct 25, 2019
    1
    A new low-point for Ye. Hyper-religiosity is a common attribute of mental illness, and I cannot fault him for his sincere beliefs. However, the rhymes are weak and childlike.
  24. repluv
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    Kanye is trying too hard to sound original in "Jesus Is King", but the truth is: the album is completely boring, the tracks feels unfinished, his singing voice it's just ridiculous, i think he should keep selling his ugly shoes, he's not good at making music anymore, nothing impressive, nothing new, nothing special.
  25. dark-phoenix
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    Kanye West hasn't delivered a good album in years. He has become the musical equivalent of these art galleries that put up toilets for exposition and if you criticize it, they'll say you didn't understand the genius behind such art as that toilet.
  26. Gingervixen
    Oct 26, 2019
    0
    I don't know what disturbs me more, the fact that Kanye West is turning to religion to earn money, or the fact that the horrible lyrics, the autotune and boring beats are merged together in this album to create barely-2-minute songs that sound like a teenager talking about religion for the first time.
  27. Mattyice
    Oct 25, 2019
    1
    Maybe Kanye should go back on his Bipolar medication because this feels like an entirely different and far worse Kanye speaking throughout this album, even far worse than the disappointing Ye. The lyricism is poorer than prior albums, the beats and vocals are paltry and weak with Kanye’s vocals sounding truly terrible at points. Even when looking at this album from a gospel perspective,Maybe Kanye should go back on his Bipolar medication because this feels like an entirely different and far worse Kanye speaking throughout this album, even far worse than the disappointing Ye. The lyricism is poorer than prior albums, the beats and vocals are paltry and weak with Kanye’s vocals sounding truly terrible at points. Even when looking at this album from a gospel perspective, it’s pretty meh. But as a rap album and a Kanye album, this is bar-none his worst content yet.… Expand
  28. chocstraw
    Oct 27, 2019
    3
    This album is insulting to Jesus and I'm not even religious. While the album is poor in its own right, it's especially poor when taken in the context of the leaks leading up to this album, all of which were better than just about any song on the final product.
  29. VenturiAndre
    Oct 28, 2019
    0
    The album Jesus is king is so annoying, repetitive and boring. As músicas são clichês e previsíveis
  30. JonatasMaia
    Nov 21, 2019
    0
    Usando o nome de Jesus pra esconder a face mal caráter que o próprio tem, não foi dessa vez que o marido da Kim conseguiu atrair a crítica positiva.. O álbum é chato, repetitivo, impessoal e de alguma maneira, demorado demais em 27 minutos...
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Most Discussed Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 25
  3. Negative: 4 out of 25
  1. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Dec 30, 2019
    0
    His reunion with frequent collaborators belies a rich history of discovering and championing new voices. This ostensible distance from which Kanye preaches reveals King’s true tension: Kanye, like Kendrick on DAMN., is asking for our prayers, while also distancing himself from our hands and our mouths. And it doesn’t work. ... He has artistically lost track of his audience and himself in its midst.
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  2. The Wire
    Nov 20, 2019
    50
    He’s hung up on Jesus rather than pneumatic women. It’s hard to tell if that’s an improvement, but it doesn’t seem like a regression either. ... An album with zero fat, dense in at least three senses, two of them positive. [Dec 2019, p.60]
  3. RapReviews.com
    Nov 12, 2019
    50
    As with every Kanye album, there’s some magnificent production on a majority of “Jesus Is King” courtesy of Pi’erre Bourne, Timbaland and Boogz, among others. ... Kanye just seems like he’s in his own world; disregarding what’s going on around him. Other times, Ye’s writing delves into eyerolling contradictions and ego-driven intentions.
    Read full review
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