Kanye West Releases Surprise Album On Christmas, An EP Called ‘Emmanuel’

Tom Tapp
·1 min read

As is his wont, Kanye West again dropped a surprise record on Christmas Day. Written and exec produced by West, the 5-track Emmanuel is “ancient and Latin inspired new music.” Performed by West’s Sunday Service Choir, Emmanuel certainly has a choral feel. As with last winter’s Jesus Is Born, the release is said to be a “celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Is Born debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart and also featured the Sunday Service Group. Its predecessor, Jesus Is King, debuted in October 2019.

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West’s Sunday Service events began in early 2019 when West began hosting semi-regular Sunday gatherings featuring music. The first public Sunday Service performance happened at Coachella on Easter Sunday, 2019.

Emmanuel means “God is with us.” It is a name which is conferred upon Jesus in Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel…”

The 12-minute EP is available on Spotify and Apple Music. Its 5 tracks are:

1. Requiem Aeternam

2. O Mira Nox

3. O Magnum Mysterium

4. Puer

5. Gloria

See below for video of Sunday Service from the official Coachella account.

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