After several missed deadlines and two name changes, Kanye West has finally released his much anticipated album. Jesus Is King is West’s ninth studio album and his first, and hopefully last, gospel album.

West describes the album as an “expression of the gospel” and it features songs that had been performed at his exclusive Sunday Service.  Regarding its success in the music industry, this album seemed to prove lucrative, opening at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 days after its release.

However, despite the apparent triumph of the album, the featured songs lack ingenuity or sincerity and it is arguably West’s worst performance.

A USA Today review describes the entirety of the recently debuted album as being exhausting and obnoxious.

“Lyrically, the music sounds as if West picked up a Bible yesterday, took everything at face value and decided to make an album about it,” the review said.

Over the last few years, the music that Kanye has created has been in a decline. This most recent failure of an album takes him one step closer to his ultimate curtain close in the hip-hop industry. 

While fans of West may sympathize with the decline of his talent, I take solace in the prospect that sometime in the near future the rapper’s brand and likeness will fade into oblivion.

Ultimately, West is as problematic as they come and the majority of his followers glorify him for no specific reason other than his notorious past. What may have started as a visionary with a compelling voice has become a sellout that keeps his name alive with his outrageous political and personal views.

One positive thing that can be said about Kanye West is that he (or his creative team) is incredibly successful when it comes to publicity and PR stunts. His ingenuity in making himself a tabloid headline right before releasing an album has never faltered, but it has made his credibility questionable at best.

Before his previous album came out during the summer of 2018, Kanye’s name had been plastered on various media sources for his absurd views on slavery and how he views it as having been a choice.

The seven-track album features this indiscretion in one of the songs as well as alluding to another hot topic issue, #MeToo, in regard to Russel Simmons’ allegations.

Kanye’s fan base chalks this trademarked vulgarity and lack of empathy up to him being an artist. However, I’m not buying it.

West’s irrational behavior and arrogant personality seem to have risen to a new level with Jesus Is King, with the rapper bequeathing himself a god-like status.

If the loosely Christian-based album is an attempt from the rapper to revamp his less than angelic persona, it’s not a good one.

It would take nothing short of a miracle to shatter the image of Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. And let’s not forget the time that he said he had to dress his wife every day so she doesn’t embarrass him. Ah, the refreshing misogyny.

Kanye’s publicized sinner-turned-saint act is clearly a façade and this album is a testament to this conception.

Maybe the weak performance of Jesus is King is because of the gospel factor of the album or maybe it’s Kanye’s lack of overall talent. Whatever the reasoning, West’s voice, both musical and political, is one that has lost all respect from me.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.