| Jesus Is King | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital and CD artwork; LP copies are packaged as depicted in the artwork | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 25, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | August 2018 – October 2019 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 27:04 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Kanye West chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Jesus Is King | ||||
| ||||
Jesus Is King is the ninth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West, released on October 25, 2019, and distributed through GOOD Music. The album follows a Christian theme, different from his usual work. West described it as "an expression of the gospel".[1] It features guest appearances from Clipse, Ty Dolla Sign, Kenny G, Fred Hammond, Ant Clemons, and the Sunday Service Choir. Production is included from West, Federico Vindver, Angel Lopez, BoogzDaBeast, and Timbaland, among others.
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. 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.