Up from the Ashes (song)

"Up from the Ashes" is an upcoming song by American rapper Kanye West from his upcoming tenth studio album, "Donda". The song was initially intended for West's ninth studio album "Jesus Is King" (2019) and previewed during listening parties in September and October 2019. The original track name was "Glade". West's singing on the song has been compared to his fourth studio album "808s & Heartbreak" (2008). The song was leaked online in February 2020 alongside an alternate version featuring production done by Dr. Dre.
Background and recording.
In June 2019, fellow Canadian rapper and song writer Sean Leon was recording and writing for Daniel Caesar's album "Case Study 01" in Los Angeles and went to Sunday Service with him. While there, he ended up linking with West. After a studio session, Daniel Caesar suggested Leon should have played West "The Glade". A week later, Leon went to Sunday Service again and played the record for West. The song ended up on an early track listing of "Jesus is King" as "Glade", later being renamed to "Up from the Ashes". Sean Leon would also write for the songs "Selah", "Use This Gospel" and "Jesus Is Lord" on "Jesus is King".
In August 2019, American recording artist Kanye West's wife, American media personality Kim Kardashian, announced that her husband's ninth studio would be titled "Jesus Is King". On September 27, 2019, West held a listening party for the album at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan. Kardashian shared a track list via Twitter that included "Up from the Ashes" as the album's introduction. During a listening party in New York City on September 29, 2019, the track was renamed "Beauty from Ashes". The same day, a phone recording of one of the "Jesus Is King" listening sessions was uploaded online, which included "Up from the Ashes". The final track list revealed in October 2019 didn't include "Up from the Ashes". "Every Hour", a triumphant song performed by the Sunday Service Choir, served as the album's introduction instead. "Jesus Is King" was released on October 25, 2019.
On November 18, 2019, West announced on Twitter that he was working with American recording artist Dr. Dre on a sequel collaborative project "Jesus Is King Part II". On January 16, 2020, a snippet of "Up from the Ashes" featuring production from Dr. Dre was leaked online. This track would later be leaked in full on February 28, 2020. Another "Jesus Is King Part II" track, "LA Monster", would later leak in March 2020.
Composition and lyrics.
The song's title refers to the phrase "rise from the ashes", which invokes the legend of the phoenix resurrecting from destruction. Remy Gelenidza of "Southpawer" wrote that the song also invokes the resurrection of Jesus, connecting to the overall Christian theme present on "Jesus Is King". Michael Saponara of "Billboard" wrote that West "seems to shed his ego" by highlighting the lyrics "I come to you empty, free of my pride." West uses heavy auto-tune similar to the style used on his fourth studio album "808s & Heartbreak" (2008). Danilo Castro of Heavy.com also compared West's singing to his melodies on "808s & Heartbreak", along with certain moments from his seventh studio album "The Life of Pablo" (2016). The "Jesus Is King" version of the song featured minimal production.
Critical reception.
After attending the September 2019 listening party for "Jesus Is King" in New York, Michael Saponara of "Billboard" called the track a "fulfilling album opener". Gary Graff, also writing for "Billboard", described the song as a "brassy opener". Kiana Fitzgerald of "Vibe" stated the song seemed like a track that Chance the Rapper would have included on his third mixtape "Coloring Book" (2016). Sam Murphy of "Cool Accidents" wrote that the song was gentle and flowering, thus it wasn't "an indication of the rest of the album ["Jesus Is King"] which reaches for something larger."