Kanye West drops new album Jesus Is Born on Christmas Day… following year in which he fully embraced his spiritual side
- West released the record through the independent New Jersey label Vydia
- West in October put out his first offering in the gospel genre with Jesus Is King
- Record marks the first release West has made with his Sunday Service troupe
Kanye West and his Sunday Service released a new, 19-track gospel album titled Jesus Is Born on Christmas Day, Wednesday.
The record marks the first release the 42-year-old musical artist has made with his Sunday Service troupe of singers and musicians he has toured the country with over the past year, delivering unique religious performances and sermons in locales including Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago.
The Grammy-winner released the record through the independent New Jersey label Vydia.
The latest: Kanye West, 42, and his Sunday Service released a new, 19-track gospel album on Christmas Day Wednesday titled Jesus Is Born
Among the tracks on the record include: Count Your Blessings, Excellent, Balm in Gilead, Ultralight Beam, Weak and That’s How the Good Lord Works.
West in October put out his first offering in the gospel genre with the album Jesus Is King, in addition to an accompanying IMAX film.
Jesus Is King has been a commercial success, garnering the top spot on the Billboard 200, giving the innovator his ninth album in a row to hit number one on the chart, a record he shares with Eminem.
West on Thanksgiving released a video for one of the songs off Jesus Is King, Closed on Sunday.
Tandem: West took his Sunday Service last month to Houston, where he collaborated with Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church and spoke about his move toward faith
Account: West told parishioners in Texas, ‘I know that God has been calling me for a long time’
West took his Sunday Service last month to Houston, where he collaborated with Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church and spoke about his move toward faith.
‘I know that God has been calling me for a long time,’ West said, ‘and the devil has been distracting me for a long time.’
God ‘was there with me, sending me visions and inspiring me,’ West said, amid a mental breakdown that left him hospitalized in Los Angeles three years ago.
He opened up about his creative awakening, saying, ‘Even after that I made the Life of Pablo album and said this is a gospel album … I didn’t know how to totally make a gospel album and the Christians that were around were too beaten into submission by society to not speak up and profess the gospel to me because I was a superstar – but the only superstar is Jesus.’
West added that ‘all of that arrogance, and confidence and cockiness that y’all seen me use before God is now using for Him.’
Focused: Kanye last month was seen with mother-in-law Kris Jenner and her beau Corey Gamble in NYC