Yeezus

Yeezus is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West began recording it in 2012 and produced it alongside Mike Dean, Daft Punk, Noah Goldstein, Arca, Hudson Mohawke, and Travis Scott. West recruited Rick Rubin as an executive producer 15 days before its release to help strip down the sound for a minimalist approach. Guest appearances include Justin Vernon, Chief Keef, Kid Cudi, Assassin, King L, Charlie Wilson, and Frank Ocean.

In contrast to West's previous albums, Yeezus is characterized by an abrasive, electronic soundscape with distorted drum machines and synthesizers. It draws from genres including industrial, acid house, electro, punk, Chicago drill, and horrorcore, while continuing West's use of unconventional samples. Music critics considered Yeezus the most experimental work by West, who described it as "a protest to music" and excluded tracks deemed too melodic or similar to his prior work. Lyrical themes include drug use, racial politics, sex, and relationships.

Yeezus was initially promoted with an unorthodox, minimalist marketing campaign that included worldwide video projections and live television performances. No singles preceded the release; "Black Skinhead" was released as the lead single in July 2013, followed by "Bound 2" in August. West embarked on the Yeezus Tour to support it between October 2013 and September 2014. Yeezus received acclaim from critics, who considered it among West's best work and commended its brash direction, though its departure from West's prior soundscape divided general audiences. It was the most acclaimed album of 2013, according to Metacritic, and topped numerous end-of-year list rankings.

Yeezus was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 327,000 copies in the first week of release, while also topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Russia, and the United Kingdom. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Several publications named it one of the best albums of the 2010s, including Rolling Stone, which also included it on its 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.