Kanye West drops ‘Jesus Is Born’ album on Christmas

Dec 26, 2019

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Kanye West and his Sunday Service Choir dropped a new album on Christmas Day entitled Jesus Is Born.

Two months after West released the studio album Jesus Is King, he has kept true to his promise that a new gospel-rap work would be released before the end of the year, according to CNN. The new album features 19 songs that are a mix of original covers and traditional gospel songs, from West’s “Ultralight Beam” to “Balm in Gilead.” Jesus Is Born also features the band’s version of Soul II Soul’s hit “Back To Life.”

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1209932934351904773

During an interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1 in October, West said a new album was forthcoming before the end of the year. Jesus Is Born is credited to the Sunday Service Choir, not Kanye’s Def Jam label, reported Hip Hop Wired.

Jesus Is Born continues the gospel music path that West has been on since early this year. The rapper told media outlets that he will no longer perform secular music. He also reportedly encouraged singers and other musicians who collaborated on his “Jesus Is King” album to refrain from premarital sex while they put together the album.

Recently, according to Hip Hop Wired, West and his Sunday Service Choir has been performing operas, even at Lincoln Center in New York City. The group is also reportedly in talks with Joel Osteen about accompanying him on a national tour.

West’s Sunday Service Choir performs each week during the rapper’s pop up Sunday Service shows.

Since January, when West started Sunday Service, the group has traveled across the country to stage gospel performances that are typically held on Sunday but also have occurred other nights. The choir, along with guest artists, performs an array of gospel songs to throngs of supporters.

When “Jesus Is King” dropped in October, it landed at number 1 on Billboard’s 200 Chart becoming West’s ninth consecutive album to do so, Hypebeast reported.