Donda 2, Myth or Masterpiece?

Following the release of his tenth studio album “Donda” in August 2021, Kanye West has announced its sequel “Donda 2” releasing later this month.  This time, Grammy winning rapper and singer Future is producing the album.  Last summer, the drama surrounding Kanye and Donda captivated the music world nearly as much as the music itself.  Between pushing back the release date, beefing with Drake, and hosting several sold out listening events, the anticipation for Donda was electric.  But despite the hype, many aspects of the album didn’t meet the standards and level of quality Kanye has created in the past.  Carried mostly by its star-studded feature artists, the album was far too long, having 27 songs running at almost two hours long.

As we look forward to the upcoming album, I hope that this project takes a different approach to its release and content.  Unlike the Donda release, a more consistent and relaxed album drop would be appreciated, but when was the last time Ye was consistent in any aspect of his life?

Donda had a few hidden gems, but the majority of the songs were scattered and unpolished.  While that approach works for some artists, Kanye was unable to pull it off whether purposeful or not.  Monotonous and dry lyrics collide with repetitive beats, creating a winding maze of songs making it difficult to reach the best tracks.  The album’s brightest moments happen to be when Kanye is silent and the feature artists let loose. Instead of relying on artists such as Jay-Z , Playboi Carti, and others to carry their respective tracks, Kanye needs to create a more conceptual and cohesive project with himself at the center in order to achieve the creative equilibrium he’s reached in the past.

On Donda 2 I hope to see a “quality over quantity” approach to the music, creating thought out songs to form a cohesive project. We don’t know if Donda 2 will even be released on time, but the low drama surrounding the announcement paints a promising picture for the album; keeping the stakes low, but the ceiling for success high.  Kanye’s life has appeared to slow down a bit, the drama surrounding his divorce has disappeared and he seems to be living quietly with his new girlfriend, model and actress Julia Fox.  It makes sense that Kanye’s crazy personal life would transfer onto Donda, so hopefully Donda 2 will reflect this slightly more tranquil stage in Ye’s life.

Hopefully, Future steers Donda 2 in a more polished direction than its predecessor.  Donda was a very personal album with multiple songs reflecting on Kanye’s life and relationship with Kim Kardashian.  However, with the excess of personality came a lack of polish that extended across the album. Donda 2 has the makings of being a better project than its predecessor, but it’s up to West and Future to make it happen.  Donda 2 is set to be released on Tuesday February 22nd.