Kanye West finally released the long-delayed album around noon Friday after fans were criticizing him on Twitter for once again stalling. The rapper, 42, told fans that his already-delayed album would drop at midnight, but once again stalled — this time only for 12 hours. Ye also appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday night just after hitting a premiere party for the album and companion film at the Forum in LA on Wednesday.
On the show, West said the album was slated to drop at midnight, then erroneously claimed it was “out now” — before launching into a sermon about how Kim Kardashian, his family and God changed his life.
“And now that God has called me, I now have given my life to Jesus Christ,” he said. “Now we have Christian innovation in our time. ”Yeezy also, of course, released official “Jesus Is King” merchandise, which includes tees priced at $60, hoodies for $170 and more.
West tweeted the tracklist for the album Thursday evening, just before some of the first screenings for the “Jesus Is King” documentary — a companion to the album of the same name — began playing in theaters.
The rapper also revealed in a Thursday interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s “Beats 1” that he has yet another project in the works called “Jesus Is Born,” set to release on Christmas. He also discussed that he’s a self-described “porn addict” and even issued a ban on premarital sex for anyone working on “Jesus Is King.”FILED UNDERALBUMS, KANYE WEST
“Sunday Service album, Jesus Is Born, on Christmas is coming,” West told Lowe. He did not elaborate further on the contents of the album, allowing to fans to speculate whether it will be a studio album of new material, a live album culled from his cross-country Sunday Service performances—or a figment of West’s imagination that he impulsively shared because he likes to hear himself talk.
The latter option seems increasingly likely, given West’s, err, unflattering track record for delivering on his promises. The rapper originally planned to release Jesus Is King on Sept. 27 after sharing a photo of a handwritten tracklist on his website. That night, West held a listening party in Detroit but did not release the album. West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, informed fans via Instagram that he was tweaking final mixes of a few tracks and would instead release the album on Sunday, Sept. 29. The Sabbath came and went—and still, Jesus Is King did not see the light of day.
The album’s release now seems imminent, or at least as imminent as any long-gestating West project can be. Physical versions of the album are for sale on his website, and it is available for pre-save on Spotify and Apple Music. If Jesus Is King does drop tomorrow, it will accompany West’s new IMAX film of the same name, which debuts in select theaters tonight.
Fans will breathe a sigh of relief if Jesus Is King does arrive on Friday, though they shouldn’t hold their breath for its alleged follow-up to arrive just two months later. Given West’s prior release history, Jesus Is Born is most likely a pipe dream that will languish alongside Watch the Throne 2, Yandhi, Cruel Winter, Turbo Grafx 16 and several other rumored, unreleased albums.
Elsewhere in his Beats 1 interview, West admitted to previously having a pornography addiction, said he is “working on” a 2024 presidential bid and declared himself the “greatest artist in human existence.”
