Everything You Need to Know About Kanye’s Next Album ‘Donda 2’

Image via Getty/Kena Betancur

After much speculation, Kanye announced that his next album, Donda 2, will be dropping on Feb. 22, 2022. Ye made the announcement on Instagram, sharing a photo of a replica of his childhood home in Chicago, set ablaze. 

According to a message that Kanye shared on his Instagram Story a few hours later, the release date will coincide with the United States’ first-ever Pluto Return. In astrology, a Pluto Return happens when “a heavenly body” passes all 12 signs and returns to the same sign it was in when it was born or created. It happens every 248 years or so, meaning the last Pluto Return in the United States happened when the country was founded in 1776. “Pluto returns are about the ends of empires, the changing of guards, and the transfer of power,” astrologer Dana DeFranco told Bustle. “America has Pluto in Capricorn in the second house of money, property, security, and values. Capricorn is the sign of infrastructure, hard work, and earning your keep. These concepts relate to traditional American values and the American dream.” 

As we all know, Kanye isn’t the best when it comes to sticking to deadlines, so it might be better to think of the Feb. 22 date as a loose suggestion at this point, rather than a firm release date. We’ll soon find out.

Kanye also announced that Future will be executive producing Donda 2. He didn’t explain what exactly that entails (or how Future will influence the finished product) but fans are already speculating it means that Donda 2 will include some of Kanye’s most toxic records yet. Future is known for making emotive and sleazy records about his past relationships, so it’s very possible that will carry over to Kanye. We could be in for songs targeted at his ex Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson. (As a reminder, executive producers don’t actually produce all of the songs on an album. Their job is to guide the overall tone and direction of the project.)

After Kanye released the first Donda album in August 2021, it was rumored he wasted no time getting back in the studio. On Jan. 3, 2022, veteran music executive Steven Victor revealed to Complex that Ye “has started working” on Donda 2. As we’ve seen in the past, it’s likely he’ll keep working on the album until minutes before it is released.

It’s been rumored that Donda 2 could be accompanied by a movie. In early January, Kanye and his new girlfriend, actress Julia Fox, were spotted doing a photoshoot in a dimly lit Los Angeles street. Well, according to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail, they were filming something for a Donda 2 film that could be released in tandem with the album. Of course, this is all speculation at this point, and neither Kanye nor Fox have confirmed such a film. And even if they are currently working on it, Kanye has a history of announcing film project that never ultimately see the light of day.

The original Donda was met with fairly positive reviews, debuted at No. on the Billboard 200 in its first week, and earned a nomination for Album of the Year at the 2022 Grammys. And according to people in Kanye’s inner circle, Donda 2 is on track for more critical praise. In an interview with Complex, Steven Victor said Donda 2 is a “masterpiece,” later revealing it will come “sooner than you think.” Unfortunately, he didn’t explain what he meant by that or offer further details, but the comment certainly raised hype levels for the album.