October 29th, 2019 4:17pm
This Is A Mission, Not A Show
Kanye West “God Is”
If you’re a middle-aged career artist in the wilderness phase of your career, the “Bob Dylan Christian phase” move isn’t the worst direction you could go on, particularly if you’re Kanye West and lyrics about Jesus and recontexualized soul/gospel chords have always been one of your strong suits. Jesus Is King is a “return to form” album that’s also a radical break album – the textures of classic Kanye but in the service of a manic rebranding as a Christian crusader out to convert his fanbase. “God Is” is lovely but also vaguely unnerving in its fervor and obvious extreme sincerity. West sings most of the song with a raspy voice, delivering a message of how he’s been saved by Jesus with a raw, ragged intensity. It’d be convincing if we didn’t know enough to get the sense that we’re listening to someone who seems more than a little delusional, but in fairness, knowing a lot about the low points of anyone who’s grasping for redemption like this is bound to make you question their motives, especially when on the same record he’s still saying very dubious things. But he sounds committed and joyful in this moment, and I hope he’s genuinely happy and it sticks for him.
Buy it from Amazon.
11/1/19 3:58 pm
“a middle-aged career artist” using the classic “Christian phase”, like others before, to attempt to divert attention from the “wilderness phase of your career”.
Not radical then. And, just maybe, the very convincing delusional phase is fooling everyone.
Appears to have enough remaining facility to remember to use auto-tune, we have to be grateful for that!
Endlessly interesting blog.