Kanye West: 5 Songs That Might Reference Kim Kardashian on ‘Donda’
Kanye West’s Donda dropped yesterday (August 29), and it seems there are quite a few songs on the album that seem to be inspired by his split from estranged wife Kim Kardashian.
Before he released the highly anticipated album, Kanye held three listening events over the past two months, with Kim showing up to all of them with their kids to show her support, even participating in a performance for the final one.
At his last listening event in Chicago, Kanye lit himself on fire inside of a recreation of his childhood home before Kim came out in a full wedding dress gown for the song “No Child Left Behind,” the final song of the night.
Kim’s attendance and support made headlines. While the pair have not actually reconciled, a source recently told Entertainment Tonight that “Kanye wants to get back with Kim and he has been trying to win her over again and reprove himself.”
A source told the outlet, “She is open to seeing where things go with Kanye and to see if they can work through their issues as a couple. Regardless of what happens, Kim and Kanye plan to co-parent in a healthy way and will always maintain a supportive relationship.”
His 27-song album paints a picture of a man who has a lot of emotions and pain tied up in his recent marital turmoil. Below is a lyrical breakdown of songs seemingly about his wife of six years.
2. “Jail”
Lyrics: “Better that I change my number so you can’t explain.” (According to reports, Kanye changed his number in March after Kim filed for divorce and would only communicate through his representatives.)
Lyrics: “Guess who’s getting ‘exed? / You made a choice that’s your bad, single life ain’t so bad.”
4. “Off the Grid”
Lyrics: “Had to move away from people that’s miserable.” (Kanye spent millions on a ranch estate in Wyoming, and began spending the majority of his time there since 2018. He also had a major falling out with Kim’s family, which he broadcast in a string of since-deleted tweets, calling out Kris Jenner for stirring up drama.)
Lyrics: “I pray that my family they never resent me/ And she fell in love with me as soon she met me.”
5. “Hurricane”
Lyrics: “Heated by the rumors, read into it too much / Fiendin’ for some true love, ask Kim, ‘What do you love?’ / Hard to find what the truth is, but the truth was that the truth suck / Always seem to do stuff, but this time it was too much.”
Song: “Hurricane”
Lyrics: “Architectural Digest, but I needed home improvement / Sixty-million-dollar home, never went home to it.” (Kanye and Kim purchased a home in California in 2014, and renovated it with a completely white interior. The home was later featured in Architectural Digest in 2020.)
Song: “Hurricane”
Lyrics: “Here I go actin’ too rich, here I go with a new chick.” (Seemingly a reference to Kanye being romantically linked to Irina Shyak earlier this year. As we recently reported, the pair had called it quits, but they were apparently never in a relationship to begin with.)
18. “New Again”
Lyrics: “‘Cause you know you’d never live up to my ex though.” (The song appears to be about Kanye talking to a new romantic partner, implying no one could compare to Kim in his eyes.)
20. “Lord I Need You”
Lyrics: “When you said give me a ring, you really meant a ring, huh? / Turned out to be more than just a fling, huh? / Three hours to get back from Palm Springs, huh? / Who you know spend an hour in Walgreens, huh? / You know you’ll always be my favorite prom queen.”
Lyrics: “You had a Benz at sixteen, I could barely afford an Audi.” (It seems Kanye is referring to Kim’s wealthy family and upbringing, which saw her father gift her a BMW as a teenager.)
Lyrics: “Cussin’ at your baby mama/Guess that’s why they call it custody.”
Lyrics: “But you came here to show that you still in love with me” (Kim’s listening event attendance, this could be a direct reference to his ex showing her support for his music.)
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