Jesus Is King

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Lore & Background

West began recording the album in August 2018, originally announcing it as Yandhi. The album missed two initial release dates in September and November 2018 under the original title, before being delayed indefinitely due to leaks. West had formed his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir in January 2019, performing gospel songs and covers of songs from West's discography. The song "Water" was performed live prior to release by the group. In August 2019, Yandhi was reannounced as Jesus Is King, but it missed two planned release dates for late September 2019 under the new title. The final release of Jesus Is King was simultaneous with that of a concert film of the same name, which included a number of the tracks as part of the soundtrack.

In Their Own Story

Throughout May and June 2018, five seven-track albums produced by West at his ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming were successively released as the Wyoming Sessions. In July 2018, Chicago music artist Chance the Rapper announced that West was coming to Chicago to produce for his seven-track debut studio album. West was seen in the city at the end of August 2018, and simultaneously confirmed to Fox News that the two of them were recording music together. West later stated that his recording sessions with Chance the Rapper had helped the former reconnect with his roots and faith in Jesus. On September 17, 2018, West announced his ninth studio album Yandhi, just three months after the release of his previous solo album Ye, revealing the cover art and initial release date of September 29, 2018. On September 27, 2018, West visited The Fader headquarters to preview new music from Yandhi and invited people to change up the lyrics. Songs previewed included vocals from American singer Ty Dolla Sign and American rappers 6ix9ine, and XXXTentacion; West was awaiting Barbadian singer Rihanna to send in vocals for a track. A working track list for the initial version of Yandhi included "I Love It" with Lil Pump, "We Got Love" with Teyana Taylor and American singer Lauryn Hill (originally intended for K.T.S.E.), and "New Body", which Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper Nicki Minaj recorded her verse in under an hour after Kardashian coordinated to get her featured on the song. Other tracks included "The Storm", "Bye Bye Baby", "Hurricane", "Alien / SpaceX", "Last Name", "Sky City", "Garden" and "Chakras."

Reader's Guide

The singles "Follow God" and "Closed on Sunday" were both released in November 2019, charting in the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. The album received mixed reviews from music critics, with a number of them drawing comparisons between it and West's previous solo album, Ye (2018). Some critics complimented the former's composition, while others expressed negative feelings towards the lyrics and the inconsistency of ideas. Jesus Is King won the Top Christian Album and Top Gospel Album awards at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021. It stood as West's record-tying ninth consecutive studio album to debut atop the US Billboard 200. In addition, West broke several Billboard charts' records. The album was a chart topper in nine other countries, including Australia and Canada, while attaining top five positions in the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It has been certified gold and silver in the United States and the United Kingdom by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively. A companion album, Jesus Is Born, was released in December 2019 by the Sunday Service Choir.

Did You Know?

• The album was originally announced as Yandhi on September 17, 2018, with a release date of September 29, 2018, but missed that date and a rescheduled November 23, 2018 date before being delayed indefinitely due to leaks.
• West formed the Sunday Service Choir in January 2019, and the song "Water" was performed live by the group prior to the album's release.
• Saxophonist Kenny G recorded his part for "Use This Gospel" the day after meeting West for the first time on February 14, 2019.
• The album won Top Christian Album and Top Gospel Album at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021.
• A companion album, Jesus Is Born, was released in December 2019 by the Sunday Service Choir.