Written by: Tatiana Reyes
Before I officially start this review, I want to preface it by saying I am not an avid Kanye West listener. Prior to Donda’s release, the only Kanye West songs I had saved on my Spotify playlist were “Stronger” and “Gold Digger.” I heard about the Donda album through Instagram, and I had to see what the hype was about. After listening to the album in its entirety, I must say that it is pretty good. Throughout the album, I felt like I was going on a journey of self-reflection. Especially with tracks like “New Again” and “Lord I Need You.” These specific tracks reminded me that everyone has different beginnings in life. Everyone goes through different obstacles that end up shaping and molding them into the person they were destined to be. Not all tracks take people on a self-reflection journey. Other tracks such as “Believe What I Say” encourage people to not let life drag them down. The song encourages listeners to focus on the good parts of life by having Kanye recite, “don’t let the lifestyle drag you down” over a heavy percussive beat. This really brings the song’s message to the forefront. It also doesn’t hurt that “Believe What I Say” includes a killer sample of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” woven into the song. Overall, I highly recommend this album. It’s an album that takes the audience on a journey of
introspection and inspires them to live life on their terms. Also, Donda is a great listen for long time fans and a good introduction to first time album listeners, such as myself.
