The Best Reactions to Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King'

Kanye West’s Jesus Is King dropped on Friday and the reaction was mixed. Some Kanye fans loved the album, overt Christian messaging and all, while it compelled others to reconsider their Kanye fandom. But the loudest voices were the ones that simply hated the record. And there’s lots to hate about Jesus Is King. The album shows flashes of the Kanye of old but the ideas are too scattered to be cohesive, Kenny G sax solo notwithstanding.

West, always an idiosyncratic public figure, polarized his fans and the general public by embracing Trump. So, predictably, Jesus Is King sent the internet into a frenzy.

In addition to jokes, social media had legitimate criticism of West and the album. Jesus Is King is not the first mix of gospel and hip-hop, let alone on a West record (see: “Jesus Walks”). JIK could wind up being the most influential gospel hip-hop album ever, though it’s far from the best fusion of the two genres.

The album also prompts questions about West’s mental health, as he addressed questions about mental health on his last release, Ye. Unlike Ye, there’s no discussion of bipolar on Jesus Is King. But West’s public appearances and statements continue to raise eyebrows. And while his full-blown embrace of right wing talking points is hardly new or surprising,  it seems to deepen by the day.

TAGS Jesus is King Kanye bad Kanye West new Kanye album

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