Topline
Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, announced Thursday he plans to release a new album next month, a follow up to Donda, his most-recent work and a tribute to his late mother.
Ye attends the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2022 in … [+]
Key Facts
The new album is called Donda 2 and will be released on February 22, the rapper and fashion designer announced on Instagram.
Donda 2 is executive produced by rapper Future, who has collaborated with West in the past.
This is the shortest time West has had between album releases: Donda was released in August, and he usually takes about two years to create an album.
Big Number
10. That’s how many studio albums West has released. Donda 2 will be his 11th. In 2018 West also released an album Kids See Ghost with Kid Cudi, and in 2019 his gospel choir Sunday Service put out an album Jesus Is Born.
Tangent
Just because West announced a released date doesn’t mean the album is coming that day. West’s ninth album, Jesus is King, was originally supposed to be released in 2018 under the name Yandhi, and was delayed several times before ultimately being released in October 2019. Donda was in the works for almost two years and had three different release dates announced before it was released this summer. West, a notorious perfectionist, is known for meticulously working on his music hours before planned releases, and has even changed albums after they’ve come out, like he did on 2016’s Life Of Pablo.
Key Background
The art for Donda 2 shows West’s childhood home on fire, an image he used in listening parties to promote Donda. The work was dedicated to his late mother Donda, who died in 2007 and whose death had a profound impact on West. West garnered headlines after the release of the album for featuring controversial figures Da Baby and Marilyn Manson on it and giving them a platform during his listening parties. Donda was nominated for three Grammys, including album of the year. Manson, who is being investigated for claims of sexual abuse, had his nomination as a writer on the song “Jail” removed for an unknown reason. Donda 2 was first teased by Steven Victor, one of West’s associates and the former chief operating officer of West’s label G.O.O.D. Music, earlier this month when he told Complex it’s “coming sooner than you think.”
Further Reading
Marilyn Manson—Amid Sexual Abuse Investigation—Loses Grammy Nomination For Unknown Reason (Forbes)
Kanye West Officially Changes His Name To ‘Ye’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/01/27/kanye-west-says-hes-releasing-his-11th-studio-album-donda-2-next-month/