Donda
by Kanye West
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3155 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,070 out of 3155
  2. Mixed: 161 out of 3155
  3. Negative: 924 out of 3155
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  1. Goose69
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Album has a lot of ups and downs that bring you into ye’S life after his mother’s passing. There’s songs like “come to life” that brings this amazing melodies and a piercing ye, creating these ideas that can come to life to save ye from himself. ultimately he can’t have those ideas save him… for example yeezy. He’s saying he wanted it to be an escape but he couldn’t. It’s a negative. BUT the song title is a positive he’s saying he’s finally coming to life and being reborn without these ideas… Expand
  2. CDOGG15
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    A masterpiece in music and live performance that will only get better in time, if this is Kanye West’s final album it is the perfect way to end the musical career of the greatest artist of our time
  3. tudorcelstan
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    I would rate this album an 8. But the amount of reviews lowering their score because of the Marilyn Manson and DaBaby controversy astonishes me, so here’s an extra 2 points to compensate for their nonsense. Moments like the entirety of Remote Control, the beat of God Breathed, Tell the Vision and all the part twos make this album truly imperfect, but most negative critiques saying eitherI would rate this album an 8. But the amount of reviews lowering their score because of the Marilyn Manson and DaBaby controversy astonishes me, so here’s an extra 2 points to compensate for their nonsense. Moments like the entirety of Remote Control, the beat of God Breathed, Tell the Vision and all the part twos make this album truly imperfect, but most negative critiques saying either that it’s messy or that it isn’t diverse enough which are complete opposites proves me that some of you are just searching for reasons to hate on Kanye, and he’s not the one to avoid giving you these reasons. But you have to see past your opinion of the man in order to witness the epic, faith-discovering nature of this album, the integration of techniques that he explored and perfected throughout his career, the unitary creepy atmosphere, the mourning gloomy aesthetics that dominate the album, the theme of trust in God in the middle of a sea of personal and mental turbulence. Doesn’t matter if you’re a christian or not. The message of this album is powerfull and Kanye is pretty transparent on this one. Donda is well balanced stylistically as opposed to many of his previous works which were all over the place. I love this one, even though I do not consider it necessarily better than The Life of Pablo.… Expand
  4. essaplayer
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Dobry album kocham go essa essa kanye król jebać leszcza drake. Kanye jest
  5. Digital5lav3
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Even at the age of 44 kanye continues to release tracks full of youth and vigor. This album is full on experimental and chaotic at times but thats what makes it a kanye album.
  6. rwalkington
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and IAmazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the album Amazing very creative and I loved every second of the albumrhejdjdje… Expand
  7. florianfjelle
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    wonderful album all the way trough, with off the grid being my new favorite kanye track
  8. Axelrodriguez23
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Niceee álbum ye, un gran álbum y con gran potencial en el, lanzado inesperadamente, ojalá tuviera un mejor racking pero es grandioso las 27 canciones
  9. KandiceP
    Sep 4, 2021
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not my cup of tea. It sounds like the same song over and over again. Plus it’s full of gospel.… Expand
  10. arc55
    Sep 4, 2021
    6
    I see too many people saying this album is either AOTY or complete garbage, let's be honest it is neither, I think the album is way too long and on the second listen a lot of songs got pretty boring once the excitement wore off. Still, it has an interesting and slightly unfinished production with a few bangers like Hurricane, and Jail.
  11. Willtat
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Very good very I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I I I. I I I. I I I I I I I I. I the the they the the the the the the three r the the the meadow was so nice I got the green one for utopia so I got the one that was in my room so it looks good but it’s still not good for utopia lol oh well my sister is king of earth earth king king earth earth moon moon and moon earth moon andVery good very I I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I. I I I I I I I I I. I I I. I I I I I I I I. I the the they the the the the the the three r the the the meadow was so nice I got the green one for utopia so I got the one that was in my room so it looks good but it’s still not good for utopia lol oh well my sister is king of earth earth king king earth earth moon moon and moon earth moon and earth earth king moon earth moon and earth earth moon and max earth moon and earth earth king moon moon and earth earth king earth… Expand
  12. byjusthis
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Just the best album I've ever heard in my life. Definitely one of the best albums of all Kanye West's carreer.
  13. Musiclove90
    Sep 4, 2021
    0
    This has to be the worst album ye has released. It’s all over the place and a whole mess. He has definitely gone downhill. Overhyped album that was a huge letdown.
  14. stormzafrir
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    this album hits! its exactly what jik shouldve been. the amazing lyrics and features make every song on this album an experience to listen to. my only issue with the album is that its a bit too long. with a runtime of almost 2 hours, its the longest kanye album by far. Otherwise, i love this album and it is one of kanyes best!
  15. UnbiasedMusic
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    I would give this record an 8 just for how catchy almost all the songs are, and how great the subtle linear storytelling is of a man who still feels the loss of his mother, but is desperate to move on and feel some closure all while balancing a well thought out tribute to her in the process. Kanye is not afraid to take risks and in my opinion, they absolutely pay off with a classicI would give this record an 8 just for how catchy almost all the songs are, and how great the subtle linear storytelling is of a man who still feels the loss of his mother, but is desperate to move on and feel some closure all while balancing a well thought out tribute to her in the process. Kanye is not afraid to take risks and in my opinion, they absolutely pay off with a classic sounding record that will only age better with time. I give it a 10 because of all the Drake fan's reviews bombing it, if you want a unique listening experience give this record a go with an open mind.… Expand
  16. Aces18
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    Album of a life time.
    Very good features. And some of ye's best rapping since mbdtf.
    reminds me of his last 7 albums combined
  17. AIN16
    Sep 4, 2021
    10
    The way the mc made the project that so emotional and magnificently sad , he talked about his momma and other artists were just spiritually talking to the late Donda , like what Jay did ( Donda i’m with your baby ) etc , donda would've been proud if she was here today to wetness her boy and see how much he grown Donda is just different as we all know Kanye always led the music industry heThe way the mc made the project that so emotional and magnificently sad , he talked about his momma and other artists were just spiritually talking to the late Donda , like what Jay did ( Donda i’m with your baby ) etc , donda would've been proud if she was here today to wetness her boy and see how much he grown Donda is just different as we all know Kanye always led the music industry he did it with 808,And heartbreak he also did yeezus so he always been a leader… Expand
  18. dondaisgood
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    stop overhating on this album it's good and it has some good production on it
  19. AR1995
    Sep 5, 2021
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A painfully sharp contrast to the classic albums released a decade ago that made Kanye who he is today.… Expand
  20. MarloParlo
    Sep 5, 2021
    1
    Only 4/27 songs were good honestly. Couldn’t get through majority of the album. He has not evolved at all.
  21. Jregisgonzalez
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    I thought this album was a masterpiece. Flawed but it's ok because a masterpiece can be flawed, nothing in this world is flawless. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster with from beginning to end. How the album starts off strong with guitar beats and dark synths and eventually gets lighter as we close the album, with beautiful pianos playing in the background of songs like come to life. TheI thought this album was a masterpiece. Flawed but it's ok because a masterpiece can be flawed, nothing in this world is flawless. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster with from beginning to end. How the album starts off strong with guitar beats and dark synths and eventually gets lighter as we close the album, with beautiful pianos playing in the background of songs like come to life. The features on this album were amazing to listen to, the subject matter they rapped about matched the theme of the album. It felt like an album about someone's spiritual journey and recent divorce. I also especially loved how kanyes flows were so different in each song. The production and quality of each track was grand and felt like a movie. This album is a beautiful and I can see people appreciated it more in the years to come.… Expand
  22. rapstan
    Sep 5, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Did not enjoy this album. Kanye was carried by the features. This album does not touch his earlier work in terms of quality. It was an extensive album in terms of length but I didn’t hear anything that makes me want to listen for the full duration. Unfortunately, Kanye has well and truly fell off.… Expand
  23. emmettd
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Masterpiece. Kanye continues to prove why he is the greatest. Not a single miss, ignoring Tell The Vision… Expand
  24. Alexander808s
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    Great tribute to his late mother, Kanye really knows how to get the best of the artists featured in the album, he's really the greatest to ever do it.
  25. zappos5344
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    The album slaps. Another bonafide masterpiece!

    This is all that really needs to be said but there is a minimum character limit so...
  26. Therildill
    Sep 6, 2021
    8
    Best Kanye album we have received since Pablo. Production was amazing only set backs are a few uninteresting tracks and a whole lot of good ones
  27. marsonearth
    Sep 6, 2021
    10
    Kanye's power has always lied in not only his production, but his ability to get a talented group of people together, bring out the best of them, and create a memorable body of work. Donda does just that. You will hear less of Kanye's voice in this album than Pablo or his Graduation trilogy and it can seem like his features carry the album, but I don't think that diminishes the potency ofKanye's power has always lied in not only his production, but his ability to get a talented group of people together, bring out the best of them, and create a memorable body of work. Donda does just that. You will hear less of Kanye's voice in this album than Pablo or his Graduation trilogy and it can seem like his features carry the album, but I don't think that diminishes the potency of this album at all. Kanye's voice does come to the surface in moments like in Jesus Lord and Come to Life. The songs are just really good and the verses from his features are great. For the most part, none of the songs sound the same. It's truly one long ride. My favorite feature was from Jay Electronica.

    My favorite songs were: Off the Grid, Jail, Praise God, Moon, Jesus Lord, Come to Life(should've been the outro)    … Expand
  28. Yeetgiver
    Sep 8, 2021
    9
    I think its a great project. We see some of kanyes best singing. Some of his best producing. I think there are the classic couple silly cringy kanye bars so its not a 10. But this is an amazing album
  29. ManuelBing
    Sep 17, 2021
    0
    ShiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIt in my opinion
  30. braiz02
    Oct 10, 2021
    0
    DONDA Kanye West has a reputation of releasing the most well produced albums in the music industry, he is labeled a ‘perfectionist’ as he spends around 300-500 hours producing each song. Kanye has stated that he has superpowers, how he uses these superpowers by expressing himself in a unique and diverse way, denting the world through his art. Kanye is a one of a kind artist as he dedicatesDONDA Kanye West has a reputation of releasing the most well produced albums in the music industry, he is labeled a ‘perfectionist’ as he spends around 300-500 hours producing each song. Kanye has stated that he has superpowers, how he uses these superpowers by expressing himself in a unique and diverse way, denting the world through his art. Kanye is a one of a kind artist as he dedicates his life to expressing himself and creating art that is ahead of his time influencing generations. His 10th studio album “DONDA” is the defining factor of how the use of his superpowers separates him from any other artist. Most artists by the time they release their 10th album (that is if they get there) they lose touch of the sound they have created, and are not as successful as their original sound. Yet Kanye through the decades he has been producing music he continues to surprise the world, as he is a pokemon who just continues to evolve. His idiosyncratic sound of unique lyrics, — that really make you feel what he is feeling— layers of beats that give a dramatic feel to his songs, are all tied into how his superpowers inspire his art and give us candy for our ears. His mother was his best friend as he grew up fatherless, honoring her he dedicated this album for her, with deep meaningful lyrics, soulful sounds, and expressing genuine emotions through his superpowers, Kanye shocks the world with yet another illustrious album.
    The album “DONDA” starts off just how you expect it, with something you have never heard of before. Kanye recorded his mothers final heart beats and made it a song named “Donda Chant '' where a female voice states his mothers name at the pace of her last heartbeats “Donda '' 58 times in honor of the age she passed away (His mother passed away during a plastic surgery procedure, where Kanye felt blamed for because she got the surgery due to the pressure of his sons limelight). Giving a deeper meaning to the album, with many religious references/preaches, as 8 of the 27 songs have religious titles. The song “Jesus Lord” helps explain what he is trying to do with the religious references as he states “ If I talk to Christ, can I bring my mother back to life?”, demonstrating how he uses these religious energy in hopes to bring him and his mother closer together. Kanye has been using a choir since his second studio album “Late Registration” which was his mothers favorite album, emphasizing in their synchronized melodic vocals that add a soulful effect to the many layers he has within his songs. In this album he brings the choir back in honor of his mother, with songs like “Heaven and Hell” where the soulful choir chants deepens the feeling of the song making it feel like you are on top of the world, just how Kanye portrays to feel at times. He also honors his mom once again by producing a song that samples his mothers favorite artist, Lauryn Hill. The song “Believe What I Say” is sampled from Lauryn Hills song “Doo Wop (That Thing)” , a very upbeat song that puts a smile on your face regardless of where you are. Kanye is able to express his superpowers by creating songs that will unite him and his mom in a very talentedly unique way.
    There are times in this album where Kanye is not only praising god but where he compares himself to god—but I think that is just his superpowers talking— almost because he knows that his mother is with god, and by comparing himself to God it will bring him closer to his mother. The song “Off The Grid” is one of those songs where you get the godlike comparisons as the song has many layers varying from a deep bass, featured vocals, and lyrics such as “I got this God power, that’s my leverages” referring how his superpowers that help him express himself in a incomparable artistic level, tying him closer to his mother. Jail is the second song of the album and has a feature from Jay-Z who has not worked with Kanye since 2016. Kanye West is known for bringing the most out of any artist he works with through the use of his superpowers, but in his songs he usually outshines them with his lyrical flows, for the song Jail that wasn’t the case. Jay-Z’s verse introduced the deep, heavy, meaningfulness of the album with lyrics like “Made in the Imagine of God, that’s a selfie” where even Jay-Z is expressing his superpowers and is setting the godlike tone that was projected throughout the album. Or lyrics like “Hova and Yeezus, like Moses and Jesus” where Jay-Z is referring to him and Kanye to biblical characters, illustrating the image of god-like figures whose talents together are powerful. '    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 19
  3. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. musicOMH.com
    Sep 3, 2021
    60
    Though this isn’t a complete comeback, frustrated Kanye fans certainly have more grounds for optimism after this record than they did before it.
    Read full review
  2. AllMusic
    Sep 2, 2021
    60
    Donda isn't without its highlights, but taken as a whole, it's both confused and confusing.
    Read full review
  3. HipHopDX
    Sep 2, 2021
    62
    There are times where Kanye recaptures the magic of his golden years. ... But there just isn’t enough good here to look past the flaws. The final result is a collection of songs with little binding energy other than a vague Gospel through line, which runs across the tracklist — chaotic like The Life Of Pablo but devoid of the magic.
    Read full review
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