Donda 2

The event, plagued by numerous technical failures, found audiences paying regard to the album's drastically unfinished state as it were to release the following day.

Due to its exclusive Stem Player release, the album was heavily pirated through emulators of the device shared online, leading its circulation on numerous file hosting services.

"[10] On January 27, 2022, West captioned an Instagram photo of his childhood home in flames with a date of February 22 along with the title Donda 2, also mentioning fellow rapper Future will serve the role of executive producer.

[16] Producer Digital Nas revealed that for Donda 2, West instructed him to make the songs sound "more monk-like" and to "simplify the tracks", and if they are "not able to be played at a funeral, childbirth, graduation, a wedding", then inclusion on the album is not appropriate.

[26] A production style that incorporates "see-sawing synth patterns" was observed by The Guardian journalist Alexis Petridis in his review of the album, who also commented that there is a lack of focus, seeing certain songs as resembling demos.

[27] According to HipHopDX writer Matthew Ritchie, large stretches of the production demonstrate West's "attention to detail" that creates a background for songs.

[27][29][32] The album's opening track, "True Love", contains a drum break shared with West's 2010 single "Runaway" that samples "The Basement" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

[27][29] West also references XXXTentacion's son Gekyume during the second chorus, as he reminds both his and the late rapper's children of their respective fathers' love for them.

[28][32] "Get Lost" sees West singing a cappella with Auto-Tune heavily applied to his voice, recalling varying memories of his marriage to Kardashian.

[27][29][33] The rapper references his then-budding relationship with actress Julia Fox on "Flowers" and alludes to both his birthday gift for her and his Valentine's Day present for his ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

[27][29][28] "We Did It Kid" includes guest vocals from Baby Keem and the Migos and features lyrics about friendship over a brass trap beat.

[30][37] "Pablo" is an energetic track with a fast-moving beat and a hook from fellow rapper Travis Scott, while Future also contributes a verse.

"[29][30][33] "Sci Fi" features lush orchestral production and begins with a monologue from Kardashian's 2021 appearance on Saturday Night Live, in which she applauds West's achievements.

[54][55] Donda 2 is not eligible to enter any Billboard charts per the rules on releases sold with merchandise, as it is exclusive to the Stem Player service.

[56] During his performance at Rolling Loud music festival in July 2022, Digital Nas suggested that a finished version of the album would be released later that year.

At the same time, Kano announced a new variant of the Stem Player developed in collaboration with Ghostface Killah that would not include Donda 2 or any other content from West.

[58] On February 7, 2022, a private listening party was held for Donda 2 at Nobu Malibu, where Travis Scott and fellow rappers Offset, French Montana, Yung Lean, and Drake, as well as model Kendall Jenner, were in attendance.

ET, though started nearly 3 hours late at 10:45 p.m. West was joined by numerous guests, such as Marilyn Manson and DaBaby–both of whom appeared at the third listening event for Donda–as well as Fivio Foreign, Keys, and Jack Harlow.

[66] The "V2.22.22 Miami"[6] version of Donda 2 was met with mixed reviews with critics,[67] most of whom described the album as unfinished and lazy compared to West's previous releases.

Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone called the album a "confounding" project that is brought down by West's fixation on "controlling one's narrative", deriding the lyrical content, guest appearances, and the lack of a clear concept, despite praising certain vocals.

[25] Slate's Jack Hamilton wrote off its "aimless" song structures and "fake-deep" lyricism, also feeling let down by the "half-hearted" production that has its best-inspired moments "drowned in a sea of repetitive, spaced-out bloat".

[31] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, writing in the Financial Times, found Donda 2 "repetitious and lacklustre", disclosing "serious deficiencies" in West's creativity, but picked "Security" as a highlight.

[32] Reviewing the album for The Guardian, Alexis Petridis disapproved of its lack of thematic focus, unfinished production and the lyrical content for its "tedious barbs at his estranged wife", but admitted some portions briefly showed "the authentically brilliant producer" West is capable of being.

[30] Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre defined Donda 2 as a "crudely unfinished dump of songs" camouflaged by the Stem Player's technological spectacle.

Alexandra Pauly of Highsnobiety wrote lukewarm comments, describing the album as a divorce record that "boasts all the hallmarks" of an artist experiencing "post-nuptial proceedings".

Pauly was dissatisfied with how Donda 2 lacks the sincerity exuded by other divorce albums, saying it "reeks of [the] ego" that appeals to West's fan base.

[35] Ritchie of HipHopDX opined that West's hyper-focus on his current drama has resulted in Donda 2, "a double-edged sword"—musically cohesive but with underdeveloped ideas.