Our very own Yeezus actually decided to follow through this Christmas. And turns out, Kanye West’s Jesus Is Born lyrics and meaning don’t disappoint. That’s the first time we’re saying that in a while! The 42-year-old rapper-turned-choir-leader delivered critically panned projects in recent years—with 2018’s ye and this fall’s hastily released Jesus Is King garnering lukewarm responses at best. But after fully entrenching himself in the gospel, it looks like Kanye’s follow up in the Jesus series is actually…good.
That may have to do with the fact that Kanye takes a backseat on this project. Which makes sense when you find yourself struggling to find the album on his Artist Page on Spotify or Apple Music. Jesus Is Born is actually listed under the Sunday Service Choir page—a.k.a the gospel choir that Kanye’s been touring around the United States with lately. While the choir lent their rapturous performances to Ye’s Jesus Is King on standout tracks like “Selah” and “Water,” their latest endeavors on Jesus Is Born results in an album that is practically all theirs. That is, it’s theirs inasmuch as they’re the vessel that elevates Kanye’s vision.
We’re still going to give credit where its due, of course. Ye is at the helm of this group’s reinvention of what gospel can sound like today. And musically, it really is a triumph—whether you’re religious or not. Read on below for our picks off the album.
Stream Jesus Is Born below.
Track No. 4: “Rain”
Source: Instagram
Sometimes it’s soft as a misting rain
That gently touches our souls
It cools the fire that burns in us
And we simply lose control
This track is all kinds of sumptuous. Listening to the verse, you could imagine Kanye using these lyrics for a punchy metaphor atop his typical 808 beats. But they’ve found a deserved, and in all likelihood, better placed home on Jesus Is Born.
Track No. 6: “Father Stretch”
Source: Instagram
Beautiful mornin’, you’re the sun in my mornin’, babe
Nothin’ unwanted
Who can I turn to?
Beautiful mornin’, you’re the sun in my mornin’
You’re the help I know
Kanye plays on The Life of Pablo’s “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” with this spiritual revamp. Yeah, Metro Boomin’s bass drop on the original was fire. But here, Ye swaps out the subject of his “sun in my mornin,” from the worldly stuff of adultery into the only otherworldly love of God that matters to him now.
Track No. 8: “Ultralight Beam”
Source: Instagram
We’re on an ultralight beam
This is a God dream, this is a God dream
This is everything, that’s it, that’s it, this is everything
C’mon let’s go up higher, we’re on a—
We’re on an ultralight beam
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
Kanye’s magnificent “Ultralight Beam” makes an appearance again on Jesus Is Born. And while there truly wasn’t anything wrong with the original, we all know we didn’t exactly need Chance the Rapper’s verse. This time around, Ye opts for an acoustic rendering, swapping out Chance’s feature for a spotlight on the chorus. And you thought this song couldn’t get any better.
Track No. 14: “Back to Life”
Source: Instagram
Cold fresh air
Feel the melody passing the air
Oh yeah
So high we can see the ground
How sweet the sound
We live at, living at the top of the sky
There’s no more room for anything more
What else is there left to ask for when you’re as famous as Kanye? Well, redemption. It’s why he’s invested himself in the gospel, and why tracks like “Back to Life” serve a double meaning. Not only are Christmas and the title of Ye’s latest album celebrating the same thing (the birth of Jesus, should you need a reminder); they’re also opportunities for Kanye to remake his identity as an artist—i.e, to bring himself back to life. “Back to Life” is full of spirit, both of the religious kind and the excitable sort. It’s the music you’d find yourself schlepping out of bed for, bopping to while you make yourself some coffee, and humming as you get ready to face a new day.
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