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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Lears
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    Thera are only some good songs on this album. the ress is sort of like filler songs to me. to me its kinda too long and unfinished. kinda overated. but maybe ill change my opinion after i have listen to this album a few more times
  2. jefferypereira3
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    Amazing, simply simply amazing. Lots of beautiful sounds! The rollout was also impresdive
  3. LilLooneyB3ar
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    After listening to the album two times it's evident this album has been overworked. This album has a track for every Kanye fan but lacks content overall, the album seems to suffer from too much filler. It's clear to see that Kanye was struggling to get the album to where he wanted it. From start to finish on this whole album, I would go as far as saying that the worst musician on the albumAfter listening to the album two times it's evident this album has been overworked. This album has a track for every Kanye fan but lacks content overall, the album seems to suffer from too much filler. It's clear to see that Kanye was struggling to get the album to where he wanted it. From start to finish on this whole album, I would go as far as saying that the worst musician on the album was Kanye himself, the audio mixing was ok at best but had room for significant improvement. This is far from his heights of MBTDF. The album feels erratic like whatever he thought of at the time was thrown into the album such as audio from the Globglogabgalab (from Strawinsky and the Mysterious House).
    This album's Closest comparison is an extremely overseasoned soup.    … Expand
  4. keysonkeys
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This album is the first time I had properly listened to a Kanye record since TLOP. In my opinion, including TLOP, Kanye's recent work has been underwhelming, with maybe the exception of the odd single. And, unfortunately, 'Donda' continues this trend.

    The main problem with this album is the **** tracklist. Kanye has compiled 27 songs, 70% of which are average/below average, which have no direction towards a greater theme whatsoever. Considering the title of the album, I had the impression Kanye would take a more conceptual point of view when writing these tracks. But again, we get a very similar sort of theme to 'Jesus is King'. How can a man with probably the biggest production and PR team in the game, have this much trouble making the tracklist sound tight and consistent? The worst thing about the tracks though is that the highs throughout the album are unforgettable, which makes the lows even more jarring to listen to as there is no consistency and the album is constantly up and down. Don't get me wrong, there are moments on this album where the beats are gorgeous and Kanye fits over them so well, but the majority either sounds boring or nothing more than noise. 'Junya' is definitely a contender for the worst track I've heard all year and the Pop Smoke interlude thing is nothing short of offensive. Some decisions Kanye has made on this album make absolutely no sense and it is clear that he needs direction in his music for it to work.

    Kanye's attitude on this album seems more at peace compare to his last few records. Even though the Jesus Freak vibes are still present, he sounds way more sure of where he is and how he feels. Some bars are stupidly cringe, like the one where he compares him and Kim to a Taco Bell and KFC collab (who said romance was dead), but at the same time, the fashion Kanye uses them in, gives them a more acceptable tone. The album is very much an egocentric record, but it is more celebratory than arrogant and over-confident, something we are all very used to hearing from Kanye. Here Kanye sounds top of his game, maybe not lyrically but certainly in terms of his head space and attitude.

    The beats and features are one of the highlights of the albums. There are several unforgettable beats which save the tracklist from being terrible, but for some reason Kanye has become even more minimalistic since 'Ye'. Overall the production is luscious and unusual (in the best way possible). DaBaby, is probably one of the best features on the album, despite his subject matter being bare wet, along with Cudi, which is expected. The Griselda feature is unforgettable as well and both Westside and Conway do bits in their respected verses. Lil Yachty and Marilyn Manson are the most boring features and Baby Keem's performance is actually unlistenable. Like for real who let this guy on a song with Ye and Travis; honestly the talent gap is so obvious it's ridiculous. The mixing and mastering on almost every song is **** **** How the **** is a mainstream artist's mix on his 10TH STUDIO ALBUM this bad. There are crackles on vocals, buzzes coming from almost every organ chord (and trust me there are organs on almost every cut) and a lot of samples sound tinny. Kanye strikes me, production wise, as a very polished producer. This kind of mix doesn't work for his beats and vocals. It just doesn't and hopefully with his next project we'll get a mix that is 100x better.

    Overall, 'Donda' isn't a bad album, but it is certainly disappointing. If I'm honest I'm slowly becoming less and less invested in what Kanye does, not because I think he's lost talent, but genuinely because he hasn't got the same visionary mindset he used too have. He lacks focus and direction, and for some reason I feel as though now his music has no redeeming qualities, because let's face it, Kanye has no morals. In my opinion this is a lacklustre and uninspiring project. 5/10 - Average    … Expand
  5. FreeWilly1995
    Aug 29, 2021
    5
    I am very disappointed Kanye West :(

    Donda? More like Donda es el good music
  6. Mshad23
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    The album was very difficult to get through on first listen. Over time there are a few highlights that have emerged, a few sparks of polished creativity, in a seemingly dark jungle of creative, but ultimately chaotic and unfinished darkness.
  7. LoverOfPies
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    I don't know how I feel about this album. While it has some great songs like Hurricane and Moon, most of the album feels different... Doesn't feel like your usual Kanye album. Stuff like Yeezus was different, but that still felt like a Kanye album. I don't know how to explain it, but there's definitely aspects of this LP that could be changed, and those changes would make the album better.
  8. Toeknee99
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    Subpar offering from a legend of hip-hop. Kanye can't help himself and includes every single idea that he has on the album, not mattering if it sounds good. So many half-baked songs and honestly filler. Only a handful of songs OUT OF 23 are worth listening to a second time.
  9. Mwmyrin
    Aug 30, 2021
    5
    "Ye" has yet again not only reinvented himself, but has pushed the world's perspective of modern music yet again. With his immaculate rollout of his 10th studio album he revisits many ideas, feelings and sounds of his past, present, and eventual future. I personally recommend going into this album understanding that the basis of Christianity is popular because it easily encapsulates the"Ye" has yet again not only reinvented himself, but has pushed the world's perspective of modern music yet again. With his immaculate rollout of his 10th studio album he revisits many ideas, feelings and sounds of his past, present, and eventual future. I personally recommend going into this album understanding that the basis of Christianity is popular because it easily encapsulates the human condition itself. The idea of the devil and god can be related to ones inner conscienceness. Kanye has perfectly captured the feelings of shame, passion, hope and glory in his lyrics and his beats. Wether or not you believe in the same God that Kanye does, you can take the music at your own face value… Expand
  10. Felice123
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    All the hype and buildup - for this?
    The album is one of the weaker Kanye Projects. It lacks cohesiveness and feels bloated. There is no need for 27 tracks on there, let alone the 3 remixes / oG versions of the songs which should’ve stayed on the B-Side / Deluxe. Some songs are so terrible that i don’t even comprehend how somebody listened to this and said - alright this sounds fire -    All the hype and buildup - for this?
    The album is one of the weaker Kanye Projects. It lacks cohesiveness and feels bloated. There is no need for 27 tracks on there, let alone the 3 remixes / oG versions of the songs which should’ve stayed on the B-Side / Deluxe. Some songs are so terrible that i don’t even comprehend how somebody listened to this and said - alright this sounds fire - let’s put it on the album. Junya for example, is, in my humble opinion, a strong candidate for the worst song of the year. I also don’t really think Kanye put any thought into when to place which song on the album. The production is wel behind Kanye’s potential, the grim 808s are abused so much that you get tired of them once you’re halfway through the album.
    Comically, half the rap-industry is featured on the album - which sometimes do deliver and sometimes not so much. Some features even feel abused for clout (like there was any reason for Pop smoke to be on this album…)
    Also I didn’t really get the message of the album other than Kanye really loved his mother.
    Overall you can really find some rare gems on the album, but to find them you will have to dig through a whole lot of mid songs.    … Expand
  11. j_mc
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    While there are undeniable highs on the album, a lost focus, uninspiring lyrical content, lacklustre mixing & mastering at parts and songs left with unrealized potential, the record falls short of lofty expectations. As a dedication to Donda the album fails to be either a tribute or a celebration, feeling instead like a ragtag mashup of half-baked sounds from various eras of Kanye'sWhile there are undeniable highs on the album, a lost focus, uninspiring lyrical content, lacklustre mixing & mastering at parts and songs left with unrealized potential, the record falls short of lofty expectations. As a dedication to Donda the album fails to be either a tribute or a celebration, feeling instead like a ragtag mashup of half-baked sounds from various eras of Kanye's star-studded career.

    The lyrics are nothing new for Kanye - it's not like he hasn't been incredibly vulnerable before on albums like Ye or 808s and much of the religious language is a vague rehash of what we heard on JIK, though the packaging around the lyrics has improved markedly. Much of this falls on my deaf ears given his enthusiasm with which he defends and supports abusers.

    The concept of the album leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He announced an album with the name DONDA, clearing intending it to be a project dedicated to his mum given what we heard at LP1 and since then it has undergone changes that leave it undeniably about Kanye, which is a completely Kanye thing to do.

    As a huge fan of his discography of the whole, I've only managed to get through the whole thing in a single sitting once but that's not to say I haven't been slogging through it; for me it's the first Kanye album that I felt legitimately bored listening to and while I don't think it's as bad as JIK, it also wasn't interesting enough to grip me.

    My score is a 5/10    … Expand
  12. fuccboi_slim
    Aug 31, 2021
    5
    I’m all for incorporating cultural/historical/political context into a review and considering the artist as part of the work but I’ve yet to read a single review of this album that focuses on assessing the music more than it serves as a vehicle for the writer’s personal opinion of kanye west. The only way I can explain some of these numbers is by assuming that half the critics straight upI’m all for incorporating cultural/historical/political context into a review and considering the artist as part of the work but I’ve yet to read a single review of this album that focuses on assessing the music more than it serves as a vehicle for the writer’s personal opinion of kanye west. The only way I can explain some of these numbers is by assuming that half the critics straight up did not listen to the album. Jail is excruciatingly beautiful. I teared up the first time I listened to it and it doesn’t really slow down from there. It’s a bit meandering in structure and I wanted more recordings of his mother because her voice is so powerful and the few selections he did include started to give a sense of what she meant to him & what her memory means to means to him at this point in his adult life with his divorce and very public psychological spiral, but he kind of abandoned that thread.

    overall this album **** rules. I’m not even gonna say anything about the Marilyn Manson/ da baby fiasco because i don’t think it’s worth defending and I’m not gonna jump on that bandwagon just to check a box but if you rly expected kanye to *not* intentionally piss everyone off... you’re being willfully ignorant. In 5 years or so when people are less absorbed in the current events aspect of its release and Manson (hopefully) faces some semblance of justice people will likely see this album for what it is: a glorious return to form and a sprawling albeit desperate masterpiece    … Expand
  13. Frisse99
    Sep 5, 2021
    5
    To me, this album is like throwing some excellent ingredients for a delicious soup in a pot but then taking it off the stove before it's cooked to completion.
  14. AShinyG1ratina
    Jun 21, 2022
    5
    :trollface:
    In all honesty this album’s pretty good for what it is, albeit like 50 minutes too long.
  15. SideOrderoLemon
    Dec 5, 2022
    5
    Despite the hype leading up to the release of Kanye West's new album, Donda fails to deliver fully, but may surprise with decent beats. The emotional detail falls flat however when compared to Kanye's other albums and leads to a lack luster performance. Off The Grid may be the only song that is consistent throughout the album, but even so just highlights his fall from grace. From the veryDespite the hype leading up to the release of Kanye West's new album, Donda fails to deliver fully, but may surprise with decent beats. The emotional detail falls flat however when compared to Kanye's other albums and leads to a lack luster performance. Off The Grid may be the only song that is consistent throughout the album, but even so just highlights his fall from grace. From the very start, the irritating and repetitive "Donda Donda Donda" may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Though somewhat listenable, Donda does not do justice to Kanye's slowly fading vision.… Expand
  16. thunderboltway
    Sep 1, 2021
    4
    A few songs are decent but they’re still hard to finish. I haven’t listened to Kanye since TLOP - but his last few records must’ve been pretty bad for fans to praise this bs highly - the dated synth sounds all over this thing need a lot of work
  17. rusikpupsik
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    After all the hype that Kanye West did, I was expecting a **** job showing how to make music. On the one hand, the songs sound cool. Also pleases a large number of other performers. On the other hand, Kanye is still singing religious songs, which, firstly, got sick, because I listened to his albums not because of praising Jesus, and secondly, it does not give an opportunity to swear,After all the hype that Kanye West did, I was expecting a **** job showing how to make music. On the one hand, the songs sound cool. Also pleases a large number of other performers. On the other hand, Kanye is still singing religious songs, which, firstly, got sick, because I listened to his albums not because of praising Jesus, and secondly, it does not give an opportunity to swear, which is why some of the songs are censored. Further, the cool sound is present only from 2 to 5 songs, as well as 10 and 18, after which there are songs consisting of 2 to 4 instruments, and at the end you already start to feel sick from the organ, kick from 808 and claps. Besides, I don't understand the jokes, like the end of "Remote Control" and the whole song "Tell The Vision", which I consider to be the worst song on the album and in Kanye's entire discography. Well, the cherry on top is supposedly the second parts of the songs at the end of the album, which are actually remixes with other artists. There was no problem if the songs were originally labeled as remixes, but we are presented with this as a continuation of these songs, which means new songs, not the same ones. Ultimately, Donda is the same JESUS ​​IS KING, only under a different sauce that you don't understand at first, then you like it, and in the end you realize that it's the same thing. The main problem with this album is the excitement that has developed around it. After all, when you put on whole performances of your album, which you haven't even finished, and show the audience how you run into other artists, then the expectations from your work are higher than ever, and you had to justify them. Top 3 songs: 1. Off The Grid 2. Jail 3. Believe What I say… Expand
  18. lopezalex
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    This is his second attempt at trying to redeem himself after his past album “Jesus is King”. He does this by blending In elements of “Ye” and trying to call back to his first albums, but fails to deliver. The album consists of repeated themes, and features meant to excite the audience but not provide substance.
  19. rodsmarquet
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    uma merda sonora com direito a feat com homofobico q debocha de aids e um estuprador acusado de abuso sexual
  20. dodosuke
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    I've been following Ye since the college dropout and I can easily say that this album lacks confidence and character. He is at a stage in his life where he is too sensitive to be criticized and meme'd and therefore it affects his mind and cannot put together a brave work that sounds like a statement.

    I waited this album for too long without listening to any kind of snippets and felt    I've been following Ye since the college dropout and I can easily say that this album lacks confidence and character. He is at a stage in his life where he is too sensitive to be criticized and meme'd and therefore it affects his mind and cannot put together a brave work that sounds like a statement.

    I waited this album for too long without listening to any kind of snippets and felt kinda let down. Unfortunately it is too long and all over the place, therefore I cannot even consider it in the same category as TLOP, MBDTF, Yeezus and 808's & HB, which to me are S rank albums. I can only list it after Ye, Graduation, Late Reg, College Dropout which are A rank to me. So it would be a B rank album in Kanye's discography.

    This album made me want Kendrick to release his album as soon as possible, so we can all remember how greatness feels like.    … Expand
  21. Eli_YamGod
    Aug 29, 2021
    4
    I feel like this could have been so much better but the amount of fillers is way too high and lyrics are not consistently good. Instrumentals are great. Expected more Kanye but the album is mostly features, so it's basically a DJ Khaled album on steroids. Also it is clearly unfinished so I don't know why Universal decided to release the album without his authorisation.
  22. Godisgangsta
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    The album didn’t live up to the hype. Certainly you could sense that there was something special about the album but apart from 4 tracks, the whole album was weird and not enjoyable. Yeah, being weird is awesome and weird context is my taste, but DONDA was weird in a bad way. I’ve listened to dozens of albums lately and they all top DONDA. I’ve been going through comments and seen biasedThe album didn’t live up to the hype. Certainly you could sense that there was something special about the album but apart from 4 tracks, the whole album was weird and not enjoyable. Yeah, being weird is awesome and weird context is my taste, but DONDA was weird in a bad way. I’ve listened to dozens of albums lately and they all top DONDA. I’ve been going through comments and seen biased fans saying DONDA is AOTY; but the truth is that the album is overrated. I doubt if i ever recommend it to be honest. Don’t act biased. You acting biased is why Kanye thinks the album was fire :))))… Expand
  23. alicej243
    Aug 30, 2021
    4
    Too long and overrated. Most songs are just fillers and honestly Kanye hyped up his albums way too much and makes fans wait and wait. By the time the album finally drops it is unfortunately underwhelming.
  24. James46907
    Aug 31, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Just very average and many skips. Not Kanye’s best work. Many songs sounds very similar and drag out for too long… Expand
  25. gabylovestaytay
    Nov 13, 2021
    4
    Kinda like going to church but do it an album... okayyy. god bless america,
  26. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    4
    meh .
  27. Comrade_Critic
    Sep 3, 2021
    3
    A bloated mess like the man himself. There was a time where Kanye couldn't miss, but you're lucky if you find 20 good minutes in this 108 minute slog of a release. Sometimes less is more, and these days we could stand to have less Kanye.
  28. franemilio
    Sep 4, 2021
    3
    This album shows exactly what Kanye West is about: innovation, master production and controversial lyrics subjects. Each track has its unique sense of originality and this ilustrates well why West is always one step ahead of the industry. Donda may sound strang at a first listening, maybe even boring, but the project gets better as you give it more listenings. It is just like a good wine:This album shows exactly what Kanye West is about: innovation, master production and controversial lyrics subjects. Each track has its unique sense of originality and this ilustrates well why West is always one step ahead of the industry. Donda may sound strang at a first listening, maybe even boring, but the project gets better as you give it more listenings. It is just like a good wine: open it, let it breath for a while and only then you can enjoy it… Expand
  29. joe_m6
    Nov 11, 2021
    3
    I wouldn't call myself a fan but I **** with Life of Pablo so I gave Donda a chance. Listening to it wasn't a bad experience, I just felt like moving on from it about halfway in. Jail pt. 2 was the only post-Moon song that didn't feel repetitive or churchy. I felt like he was compensating for all the features by adding in all the outtakes from his previous LP. don't get me wrong, theI wouldn't call myself a fan but I **** with Life of Pablo so I gave Donda a chance. Listening to it wasn't a bad experience, I just felt like moving on from it about halfway in. Jail pt. 2 was the only post-Moon song that didn't feel repetitive or churchy. I felt like he was compensating for all the features by adding in all the outtakes from his previous LP. don't get me wrong, the features were all good (none of them like Monster-level iconic but still memorable), but it was weird to not see any credits for such a feature-heavy album… Expand
  30. nicktambunan
    Sep 17, 2021
    3
    The music is always similar to the old music. Nothing interesting and makes us want to hear it again and again. It's just avarage!
Page:

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
See all critic reviews »