“Donda”, the latest provocation from Kanye West, all in excess – Télérama.fr

The megalomaniac singer’s 10th album was released by surprise this weekend. For this nearly two-hour record combining avant-garde rap, religious felicity and intimate life, the artist has not changed his mind. Attempt to summarize the project in five points.

All friends present

Ariana Grande, Jay Z, The Weeknd, Travis Scott… As is often the case on Kanye West’s albums, the list of weighty guests is dizzy, even if it means sometimes giving the impression that he leaves a part of the work to others. But their presence is above all the symptom of a confused and provocative spirit, which does not bother with any compromise. Donda welcomes the presence of Marilyn Manson (under charges of sexual assault, and even rape), Chris Brown (convicted of assault and battery on the singer Rihanna) or DaBaby, rapper at the origin of a controversy after inexcusable homophobic remarks during a concert this summer.

Faith still lives in her

Rapper and fashion fan, the 44-year-old ex-Chicago kid has never hidden his faith. The titles of his albums speak for themselves, such Yeezus (2013) or Jesus is king (2019), and he recently initiated proceedings in a California court to change his name to Ye (in the Bible, Ye means “you”). On this new opus named after his mother who died in 2007, there is no shortage of texts combining preaching and sweet madness (“I talk to God daily, he’s my big mate” Where “I was for sale but I couldn’t tell / God made it rain, the devil made hell”.). When he does not address his Lord, the singer multiplies the references to his divorce (in progress) with Kim Kardashian.

Ace of waiting, king of the com

Many times announced and then postponed for a year, the release of this 10th album has managed to surprise everyone, including the person himself. Supposedly, at least. A few hours after being posted on streaming platforms, the artist accuses on Instagram his record company, Universal Music Group, for releasing the album without his approval and for having cut off a title, Jail Pt. 2, which will eventually go live soon after. Kanye West had yet started the promo on July 13, 2020, on Twitter, by broadcasting an excerpt from Donda, the song (which has meanwhile become Donda Chant) who opens the album, where we hear the voice of his late mother.

Ego above all

Not content to spread about his break with Kim Kardashian, his love for God or fashion, Kanye, the other self-proclaimed “King of Pop”, had run for the last US presidential election after supporting Donald Trump in 2016. For this new album, Kanye West has sought to innovate again by organizing this summer three pre-listenings of Donda, in front of an audience, in stadiums. Of real shows marked with the seal of his narcissistic excessiveness (during the last, August 26, in Chicago, his city of heart, he had reproduced in the middle of the stadium a replica of the house of his childhood) and broadcast live by Apple Music, to which participated many distinguished guests, even the most sulphurous, present on the album.

Perpetual experimentation

Each listening offered a new version of the record where rap, soul and gospel of the third type intermingle, giving credence to the idea that his work is constantly evolving, never really accomplished. At the end of the Chicago event, Kanye West even had a temporary studio installed in the spans of the stadium, as if to complete the recording of Donda. Kanye West has become accustomed to this perpetual work in progress, already modifying songs after the release of his album The Life of Pablo, in 2016. Confusing opulence and excess more than ever, Donda, which runs over twenty-seven tracks and about two hours of music that fans haven’t finished exploring, is set to meet the same fate.