New York Magazine - USA (2019-11-11)

106 newyork| november11–24, 2019

algreenwasa bornpastor,anArkansaschurchkidraisedina familyso
devoutthey threwhimoutat 16,afterhisfatherfounda JackieWilsonrecord
theyoungsingerhadsmuggledintothehome.Thiswarbetweensecularandliturgical
musicragedinGreenthroughouthisearly-’70shotstreak,untilthescalestippedin 197 4,
whenhissometimegirlfriend,MaryWoodson,dousedhiminboilinggritsinthebath
andshotherself.By1976,Greenhadrenouncedsecularmusicandbecomepastorofa
MemphisBaptist church.BobDylanhada silvercrossthrownhisway bya fanat a San
Diegogiglateinhis 1978 worldtour. Instinctively,hepickedit up.IllinArizonathenext
day, heputthecrossaroundhisneck.His nextthreealbums—1979’s
SlowTrainComing, 1980’sSaved, and1981’sShotofLove—explored
spiritualthemesandChristianeschatology,towhat criticsconsidered
tobediminishingre turns.
There comesa time,whenmusiciansdevotethemselvestobigques-
tions,wherethebiggestquestionofthemallrearsitshead.Some-
times,mercurialoneswhoseworkviewstheworldfroma bird’s-eye

pop / movies / art & architecture

perspectiveseepurposeandintentbehind

the rhythmandbalanceofhumanlife.

Sometake tocallingthat intent“God.”In-

quisitiveonesmightgolong,poringover

readingsasonemightsponge upcultureon

a triptoanothercountry, asDylandidinan

intensivethree-monthBible-studycourse

in thelate’70sandasKanyeWesthasthis

year, meetingwithpastorAdamTysonto

fleshoutquestionsoffaiththat havein-

formedhisartsince“JesusWalks.”West’s

new album,JesusIs King,turnssharply

away fromthedruggy,horny moodsofThe

Life ofPabloandYe, butcanmusic’sbiggest

ego betamed?

King’s “FollowGod,”builtona sampleof

WholeTruth’s 1974 Christian-soulnugget

“Can YouLosebyFollowingGod,”suggests

that Kanyewillalwaysbeprovocativeand

difficult,nestlinga casualboast—“Iwas

lookingattheGram,andI don’t evenlike

likes”—inthemiddleofa verseaboutthe

hardworkthat goesintobeinglesshard-

headed.Thenew albumsplitsthedifference

betweenrousingchoirexercises,Christian

“Sunday Service

Experience” at the Forum

on November 3.

PHOTOGRAPH: LMH/YOUTUBE

The CULTURE PAGES

CRITICS

Craig Jenkins on Jesus Is King ... David Edelstein on Ford v Ferrari ...

Jerry Saltz and Justin Davidson on the new MoMA.

JESUSISKING

KANYEWEST,

DEFJAM

RECORDINGS.

POP / CRAIG JENKINS

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Kanye.

Jesus Is King swerves between

consecration and commodification.