At last: Kanye West has gifted the world with his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King.
The much-anticipated project was confirmed nearly two months ago, shortly after Kim Kardashian tweeted a photo of the album's name, release date, and what appeared to be a tracklist. The image supported the rumors that Ye's ninth solo effort would go down the spiritual route, as it displayed Christian-themed titles like "Selah," "God Is," "Baptized," "Through the Valley," and "Sweet Jesus."
Kim's post led many to believe Jesus Is King would arrive Sept. 27; however, the day came and went with no new album in sight, which of course drew mixed reactions among Ye stans who've spent the last year patiently awaiting the Ye follow-up. Kim reignited hope with a Twitter photo of what looked like an updated Jesus Is King tracklist, as well as a subsequent tweet that claimed the project would arrive Sept. 29.
But Kanye fans were left disappointed, once again. At the end of September, sources told TMZ that Ye was still tweaking Jesus Is King and did not have a release date in mind. There were several rumors about when the album was expected to drop, but there was no confirmation from Kanye—that is, until earlier this week, when the rapper returned to Twitter announcing the Oct. 25 release date.
On Thursday afternoon, Kanye revealed the album's final tracklist, and reassured fans it was slated to arrive at midnight. His followers were understandably stoked, as it was the first time Ye had confirmed the exact time and date of the release.
But that excitement was ultimately replaced with more disappointment once the clock hit midnight. Jesus Is King was delayed yet again.
More than an hour after its scheduled release, Kanye took to Twitter to explain the hold up: "We are specifically fixing mixes on 'Everything We Need,' 'Follow God' and 'Water,'" he wrote. "We not going to sleep until this album is out!"
Though it arrived a little later than expected, Kanye eventually came through. Jesus Is King hit all major streaming services on Oct. 25. Stream it below via Spotify or Apple Music:
The drop coincided with the wide release of the album's companion film of the same name. The project, directed by Nick Knight, is being screened at IMAX theaters across the country.
Below, see the editor's note that accompanied the new album:
