“God Breathed” by Kanye West (ft. Vory)
The act of ‘God breathing’ is one we find in the Bible, perhaps most notably early on in the Book of Genesis, as you probably already know. But what the concept more generally points to, as used in this song, is whatever it is God breathes upon being blessed, i.e. the titular expression being synonymous with divine favor.
And it can be put forth that based on the first verse and familiarity with Kanye’s artistry, he considers himself to be the recipient of such a blessing. So as displayed in the verse, when he says “I know God breathed on this”, Yeezus is actually alluding to the idea of his own life and career being blessed. But more specifically, he is also putting forth a notion like this particular song or the effort behind it also being heavenly favored.
Meanwhile, the second verse is more akin to straight-up preaching, at least during the first half of the passage. But later on, Kanye uses the opportunity to put forth that he’s not concerned about lawsuits and things of the such. And that’s because no matter what trial may come his way, he’s convinced that God has his back.
And for the third verse, it can be said that Vory’s focus is more on the concept of sin and repentance. He also feels favored, i.e. ‘an angel watching over him’. But he acknowledges the devil in the midst, wanting to take him back to his old, sinful ways. And conclusively, it appears what Rory is saying is that even though at times he may have backslidden, in the grand scheme of things him doing so is not the end of the world.
Primary Artist(s): Kanye West
Featured Artist(s): Vory
Album/EP: “Donda”
Did Kanye West release “God Breathed” as a single?
No. On August 29th, 2021, Kanye released his highly anticipated 10th album, “Donda“. “God Breathed” was the third track on this album – a project that yielded the following singles:
Credits
In composing “God Breathed”, West collaborated with a bunch of other writers, including his official feature, Vory. Other names that appear on the official list of credited writers include:
- Fya Man
- Brian Miller
- Aaron Butts
- Raul Cubina
- Mark Williams
What musical genre is “God Breathed”?
To begin with, this is a solid rap/hip-hop track. Additionally, it can also comfortably fit into the Gospel and R&B genres.
