Kanye West’s New Album ‘Donda’ Is Rumored To Be Dropping This Week — All The Clues Why
Get ready for album #10.
Getty Images Kanye West’s new album could be coming sooner than fans think as anonymous sources hint the rapper is dropping a surprise release.
The rumors appeared on celebrity watchdog Deux Moi, who shared anonymous tip-offs claiming a certain billionaire rapper would be dropping an album and a short film. And while the rapper was not named, all signs are pointing West.
Is Kanye West releasing his new album 'Donda' this week?
Here’s a breakdown of all the clues that suggest West is dropping an album and what we can expect from the release.
Sources say West’s album is coming on July 16.
A source claiming to have written on the rumored album claimed that a “mysterious man who is a direction” would be dropping an album featuring Drake. The source said the album would be released on Thursday or Friday while a follow-up post claimed it was slated for a midnight release.
Source: DeuxMoi
The “direction” hint seems like a dead giveaway though, considering West’s feud with Drake and rumors that the Canadian rapper had an affair with Kim Kardashian, this collab seems out of left field.
That said, Drake is known to settle his beefs with fellow musicians as he previously collaborated with Chris Brown after a long-standing feud over their shared ex Rihanna.
Source: DeuxMoi
Another clue is that Deux Moi says the release would be coming from a “billionaire rapper.”
West reached billionaire status in 2020 thanks to his impressive music catalog and Yeezy fashion brand, among other investments.
This hint rules out all rappers but Jay Z, who is also a billionaire, but considering West has been hinting at a new album for over a year, we can probably rule a new Jay Z album out for now.
West is expected to release a short film with the album.
The Deux Moi tip-offs also included a reference to a short film which is expected to be live-streamed on the day of the album release.
West previously live-streamed the release of his 2016 “The Life Of Pablo” album and his “Ye” album in 2018.
Equally, it was revealed earlier this year that West’s team was working on a Netflix documentary about the rapper’s life. Is it possible that this documentary will be the promotional film for a new album?
West’s 10th album is highly anticipated.
Rumors that West’s 10th album is on the way have been circulating since March 2020 when Pusha T said he was working with the rapper on a new project.
However, like many of us, West’s work was halted somewhat by the pandemic, according to Pusha T.
Several interviews with West also confirmed that the father of four was working on an album in Mexico.
West’s new album is expected to be called “DONDA.”
In the summer of 2020, West teased a tracklist for the album which he said would be called “DONDA,” named after his late mother. He also said the album would be released on July 24 2020 which didn’t transpire.
On the day after the album was supposed to be released, West even tweeted a glimpse at the cover art without addressing the fact that the album was still unavailable. The next year was filled with hints that West was cooking something but, still, no release.
In June 2021, West’s manager Abou “Bu” Thiam confirmed that a new album was coming soon in a now-deleted comment on Instagram that reportedly read, “WestDayEver. Album OTW.”
West had used the phrase “WestDayEver” a year prior to announces a series of musical and fashion releases.
It is unclear, however, if the album will retain the name “DONDA.” West’s albums are known to go through many iterations and name changes. In 2016, West was still making changes to “The Life of Pablo” even after it had already been released on streaming platforms.
So the final form of “DONDA” is difficult to predict at this time but, if the rumors are to be believed, we don’t have long to wait before we find out.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.