Jonah (Kanye West song)
"Jonah" | |
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Song by Kanye West | |
from the album Donda | |
Released | August 29, 2021 |
Length | 3:15 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
"Jonah" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album Donda (2021). The song features Houston singer Vory and Chicago rapper Lil Durk, marking their first collaborations with Kanye, along with additional background vocals from frequent West collaborator Ty Dolla $ign.
Background
The song began as a solo Vory track dedicated to Jonah Ware, a rapper from Louisville who was fatally shot and killed on August 8, 2020. Vory posted a snippet of the song on his Instagram on August 17, 2020. The song was first played at the Donda Mercedes-Benz Stadium listening party on July 23, 2021 with no vocals from West. The subsequent second listening party on August 5, 2021 at the same stadium premiered West's verse on the track.
Summary
"Jonah", the seventh track off of Donda, the album that saw the reunification of Jay-Z and Kanye, begins with Lil Durk celebrating that moment, but then lamenting "I lost my brother when we was millionaires / I wasn't scared to die, but him, that was my biggest fear." Durk's verse is dedicated to his brother, DThang, who was murdered in 2021. The Guardian said in a review of the song that Lil Durk powerfully references a nephew and a niece now without a father, and goes on to say that "West clearly inspires frank admissions from all of the featured artists on Donda, who treat him like a priest they’ve visited for a group therapy session."
The song paints a portrait of isolation and being in need with lyrics such as "Who's there when I need a shoulder to lean on?", and, "I hope you're here when I need the demons to be gone."
Reception
Donda was one of the most discussed albums of 2021, and likewise many there have been many reviews of "Jonah". The theme of the song, loneliness and isolation, has been noted as being particularly well portrayed, making the song easily relatable. Charlie Recchia of The Maneater called the song "an emotionally devastating track that discusses fighting inner demons and how lonely that process can be, even if you are a star" and said that "the ghostly hook on this song always gives me chills."
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Spotify.
Charts
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) | 19 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 28 |
Denmark (Tracklisten) | 28 |
France (SNEP) | 99 |
Global 200 (Billboard) | 24 |
Iceland (Plötutíðindi) | 19 |
Lithuania (AGATA) | 46 |
Portugal (AFP) | 56 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) | 68 |
South Africa (RISA) | 82 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 62 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 27 |
US Christian Songs (Billboard) | 9 |
US Gospel Songs (Billboard) | 9 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 14 |