Review Summary: Misunderstood.
Grief is a frightening, yet immensely overwhelming and vibrant emotion. Imagine losing everything you bound your identity to - the love of your parents tragically gone, the stability of a happy marriage ruined by an affair, the support of the entire world crumbling with every mistake you make. Your bipolar disorder is on full display to the internet and you have zero sense of privacy. You don't even know if you'll be able to see your kids anymore. The one thing you still have in your life that drives you forward is at risk of being shuttered away. If Kanye West's Donda was escaping his burning and melted childhood home, Donda 2 is him running back into the oven; in a hail mary attempt to grab the photobooks he left behind.
The easiest slam dunk in the world would be to take a hot, steamy shit on this pathetic cry for help. It's no secret why many are frustrated with Kanye's latest album. Many of the tracks are abstract, hard to understand, and seem unfinished. A lot of people's own opinions of the music will be forever tainted by Kanye's instagram rants and political views, which will prevent them from fully grasping the actual ideas Kanye tried to present in Donda 2. However, a refined critic would understand that this struggle is actually not only a strength but an overall theme of the album. Those who are familiar with Kanye's discography will note that a lot of the sounds and beats here are actually inspired by older work. "True Love" is a continuation of "Runaway", "We Did it Kid" follows "All of the Lights" in theme and structure quite well. "Love Me" is a clear throwback to 808's and Heartbreak and "Security" draws heavily on the sounds of Yeezus. These songs are Kanye's attempt to desperately go back to the past, go back to the glory days. Similar to how Donda 2 is his first sequel album, these sequel tracks provide for a fresh blend of nostalgia with a modern pop trap sound and a new slate of captivating features. This is the ground work for a gripping and immersive album.
Kanye's wordplay is versatile yet brash here. On "Broken Road", Kanye discusses his bipolar disorder, with an interesting comparison to Tyler Durden. Ye is unable to accept that he is capable of harming others when in a manic state. Also in this song, he declares that he's free, but like a homeless person. This lyric has a bit of a double meaning here as he is homeless in the sense that he is a stranger in his own family, having lost his mother and his marriage. For the first time in years Kanye has no one he can truly trust and rely on, so being free is a negative for Ye despite his enthusiastic proclamation. "Happy" describes his struggle interacting with those in his life using him for fame and clout. Casual fans will say that Kanye's wordplay is childlike and idiotic, citing bars like the Morgan Freeman / Semen verse for an example. Let's be real though. Most fans who cry and bitch about the lyrics on Donda 2 are the same fans who think Yeezus and Twisted Fantasy are genius 5 star albums, although both those albums had a plethora of idiotic, low effort bars.
The features, similar to Donda 1, are a strong point here. Jack Harlow drops easily his best verse of all time on "Louie Bags", detailing his struggles dealing with fame and his fear of being unable to blend his old life with his new life. The Migos deliver their best effort on a track since 2017 with a charismatic and upbeat feature on "We Did it Kid". Co-producer Future is a welcome voice on this album, giving Donda 2 an extra dimension sound wise. "City of Gods" features two incredible vocal efforts by Alicia Keys and Fivio Foreign. Alicia sounds just as amazing as she did when she recorded "Empire State of Mind" a decade ago. Kanye's wizard-like ability to get the most out of his features really shines here.
Donda 2 is a fiery and unstable car crash of an experience. This album is a tragic representation of a man who is struggling to accept the glory days are behind him. West is in denial that his life has fallen apart , akin to a shattered glass vase that he is trying to duct tape together. This is Kanye at his most vulnerable and something I can highly relate to. When I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease last year it was incredibly hard for me to give up my old ways. I couldn't drink like I used to , I couldn't go out with my friends like I used to, I had to deal with severe muscular atrophy and found it much harder to make progress in the gym, and that was on days that I wasn't completely bedridden. Yet for a while I was in complete denial and desperately tried to reclaim my past. If my friends or coworkers went out for a drink, I'd join them so I wouldn't feel left out. If my roomates brought home pizza, I'd have a few slices. On days I felt good, it was agonizingly difficult for me to take the steroids that were completely fucking up my sense of reality. In my learning to cope and accept this dramatic shift in my life, Kanye is learning to come to terms with the recent events that have massively impacted his world as well. Personally I hope we get a sequel to this album, where Kanye learns to accept that loss and change is a natural part of life and the only way to overcome it is to embrace it. Donda 2 is a vivid description in one of life's most difficult challenges. This is based and a fact.
