Sign In Don't have an account? Want fewer ads? Sign In MenuExploreMoreHistory Advertisement Skip to content in: Songs, 2021, Donda, and 3 more
Opening tracks
Syleena Johnson
Interludes
Donda Chant Sign in to edit
History
Purge
Talk (0)
"Donda Chant"Song by Kanye West
General information
Featured artist(s)
Syleena Johnson (uncredited)
Released
August 29, 2021
Recorded
2021
Genre
Spoken word
Length
0:52
Album
Donda
Label(s)
GOOD Music, Def Jam Recordings
Writer(s)
Malik Yusef, Syleena Johnson, Kanye West, Donda West
Producer(s)
Syleena Johnson
Track list
Next
"Jail"
Deluxe track list
Next
"Hurricane"
"Donda Chant" is the opening track from Kanye West's tenth studio album, Donda (2021). It only contains uncredited vocals from Syleena Johnson, who repeats the name "Donda" sixty times in a range of melodies.[1][2] The unusual nature of the track attracted media attention after release.
Background[]
Johnson was previously featured on "All Falls Down", one of Kanye's earliest hits. She flew out to San Francisco on July 15, 2021, to record for the song.[3] In an interview, Johnson said that the decision to make a melody out of Donda's name came from the request to have the album have some sort of "healing component." Though she did record a track of her saying the name in the range of cadences and rhythms that saw release, she said she had no idea that it would just be released like that.[4] She also said that she recorded another song that did not make the album.[4]
The repetition of the name Donda has been seen as a representation of a resting heartbeat, alluding to Donda West's death in November 2007.[5][6]
