On August 29, 2021, artist Kanye West released his highly anticipated album “Donda” after many setbacks delayed the release date. Kanye quite literally set himself on fire, rebuilt his childhood home, and even levitated before he released this album. In this article, I will be ranking the top five songs on the album along with discussing its best featured artists.

“Donda” is a tribute to Kanye’s mother, Donda West, and contains 27 tracks. The album may seem lengthy, and it contains some filler tracks such as the first track on the album, “Donda Chant”. The entirety of the song is a woman’s voice repeating the name “Donda” in the same rhythm of Donda West’s last heartbeats before she had passed away.  

Here are the top five best songs on the album in my personal opinion. If you don’t want to sit through every single track, then I definitely recommend you listen to at least the songs listed below.

5. Junya

The song “Junya” features Playboi Carti, a feature we’ve never seen before on a Kanye West album. The song is named after Japanese fashion designer Junya Watanabe. Kanye often repeats the words “Junya Watanabe on my wrist” implying he is wearing a designer watch on his wrist. Kanye also shouts out Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks for winning the 2021 NBA championship. Near the end of the song, Kanye states, “Move out the way of my release,” possibly referring to Drake teasing “Certified Lover Boy” around the same time “Donda” was released. Overall, the song gives off good vibes due to its melodic beat and catchy chorus.

4. Praise God

The song “Praise God” features Baby Keem and Travis Scott, Travis being an artist heavily influenced by Kanye West. The song starts off with an address given by Donda West, then moves on to talk about how all three artists praise God and are thankful for a new life along with all that they have. Travis Scott’s use of his famous adlibs really adds to the mellow flow throughout the song. Baby Keem’s verse is also one of the best verses on the album.

3. Jail

The song “Jail” features Jay-Z. Jay-Z and Kanye are one of the best rap duos ever in my opinion. The duo has been on bad terms for a while, but they made amends and put out one of the best songs on the album. “Jail” is the second song on the album, and is about Kanye’s marriage and image crumbling once again. Although Kanye is heard to be in a crisis throughout the track, the track still manages to carry a very upbeat rhythm as Jay-Z proves why he is one of the greatest rappers of all time. Jay-Z also states, “This might be the return of The Throne,” referencing their collaboration album “Watch The Throne” released in 2011. If this holds to be true, then it is surely great news for Jay-Z and Kanye fans.

2. Hurricane

The song “Hurricane” features The Weeknd and Lil Baby, who are both artists that have had a very successful year. Throughout the song, the artists discuss their personal struggles and recent pressures that they have faced. The combination of The Weeknd’s uplifting chorus and bridge along with Lil Baby and Kanye’s self-reflective verses show that all three put their utmost best effort into crafting this song.

1. Off The Grid

The song “Off The Grid” features Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign, probably the most unexpected collaboration on this album. Despite the features being a surprise, everyone delivered their part exceptionally. Kanye West makes sure Fivio is comfortable with the beat he is rapping on, giving Fivio his own drill movement in the song. Fivio did not take this opportunity for granted and spit one of his best verses ever on this track. Regarding Kanye, the song is about his minimal use of social media over the past few years and even includes a Messi shoutout for all of his soccer/football fans. I found this song to be the greatest on the album, there is nothing more to say about it.

After reviewing these five songs and the other 22 of which I did not fully expand upon, I have decided to give this album an 8.5/10 due to its expansive features and diverse beats. Kanye reassured us that the wait was worth it for this album, as “Donda” lies in his top 5 albums of all time.

(P.S. Donda > Certified Lover Boy)