*UPDATE: Chance is releasing his debut album, The Big Day, in July. There has been no word on the teased Good Ass Job album. Also, it was clearly NOT released around Thanksgiving 2018*

Kanye West and Chance the Rapper are working on a new album together. It’s almost guaranteed to be titled Good Ass Job. which was the tentative title for Kanye’s follow up to Graduation back in 2008. The Chicago natives are apparently working on the new album in Chicago; that means no Wyoming, Hawaii, or Mexico recording sessions this time around. During the album announcement, Kanye said that he’s physically moving back to his hometown, and he’s ‘never leaving again.’ The setting is going to be an energizing inspiration that fuels this album, and we expect the homecoming to manifest in positive, celebratory, and unifying messages throughout. Let’s get into it – read all of the predictions for the album below:

1. The album will be released right around Thanksgiving

Kanye announced that he’ll be releasing Yandhi on September 29th. It’s all but certain that this is what his Instagram post means. The album artwork mirrors Yeezus (so we can assume it’s his album),and his fans aren’t going to be shocked that he’s aiming to drop something bigger and better than ye as soon as possible. Kanye has a lot of pride in his art (to put it outrageously modestly), and he loves making as big a splash as possible. That’s why it’s unlikely Good Ass Job will be released in the couple weeks before or after Yandhi. Both want their time to shine. Given the homecoming theme surrounding this album, and the fact that these announcements are arriving at the onset of the holiday season, it seems Thanksgiving time would be the perfect centerpiece with which to decorate Chance’s gospel, Kanye’s soul, and their celebration of the Chicago community. (Plus, Chance is no stranger to holiday albums: Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama)

     2.  There will be a heavy gospel influence – expect Christian rap and soulful beats

Chance’s Coloring Book was classified as both a gospel rap and a Christian rap album. Features from the Chicago Children’s Choir and Kirk Franklin led a gospel charge that defined the sound of the album (sorry – it was technically a mixtape). And think about recent Kanye & Chance collaborations; Ultralight Beam from Life of Pablo was critically cited as song of the year in 2016. It’s easy to forget about the rest of that song due to the fact that it was one of the most powerful and undeniable verses of Chance’s career. But as a holistic experience, the song is a musical prayer. It’s all about faith. It explodes with spiritual fervor. And remember Kirk Franklin even has a mini sermon at the end for us all. It’s easy to overlook how overtly religious this song is because of all the vocal personalities and the intriguing avant garde warped production. But they really made something transcendental in this song. And not to mention All We Got set the tone for the entire Coloring Book and featured Kanye and the Choir. The point is, it would be disappointing if they didn’t further explore this direction for a whole album – or at least a chunk of it.

A lot of great Kanye production came from grandiose songs with gospel elements. College Dropout and Late Registration offered unforgettable songs like Never Let Me Down, Jesus Walks, We Don’t Care, We Major, and Roses. The resonance of church music and deep-rooted spirituality can be felt throughout both his first two albums. Working with Chance is the perfect opportunity to return to soul sampling, uptempo horns, and bursting choral hooks.

      3. There will be no shortage of features: especially from Chicago artists

Kanye has a knack for using his music as a platform to launch other Chicago artists’ careers. He remixed Chief Keef’s I Don’t Like, capturing the same irreverence and grit of the original, while transforming it into something more digestible and broadly appealing. From that point on, Chief Keef was a star, and has had ongoing commercial success. On ye, he prominently featured 070 Shake on the standout Ghost Town and the intimate Violent Crimes. Nobody outside of Chicago had heard of the young punk r&b/soul singer before the album, but after the album she became one of the most highly anticipated young artists in urban music. And 13 years ago he had a young Lupe Fiasco on Touch the Sky before Lupe dropped his first album Food & Liquor. So it goes.

Good Ass Job is a homecoming album, right? Hell then, the more Chicago artists the merrier. Chance’s Coloring Book featured the catalysts of Chicago’s new wave of jazz-influenced hip-hop: Noname, Saba, & BJ the Chicago Kid. Chance has worked with Noname, Saba, and Smino (who make sexy future soul together here) on a number of records in the past, and it would be surprising if at least one of the three Chicago artists didn’t pop up somewhere on Good Ass Job. It would be great to see a voracious Mick Jenkins get an opportunity to get lyrical alongside Chance. What about a Chief Keef comeback? Kirk Franklin and the Chicago Children’s Choir seem to fit the part as well. Without a doubt the album will boast a deep Chicago roster.

Chance and Kanye are both supportive of the new generation of hip hop, so chances are there will be someone from the Soundcloud rap generation featured. Chance featured Young Thug and Lil Yachty on Mixtape. Kanye sampled Desiigner’s Panda on Life of Pablo, turning it into a smash hit, and eventually signing him to his G.O.O.D. Music label. More recently, Kanye and Lil Pump released the viral I Love It video. If it’s none of these artists, it will be a total newcomer no one has ever heard of, but whose career is about to hit an undoubted inflection point.

4. The album will be longer than 7 songs

The 7-song mini albums put out by Kanye and co this summer missed the mark, with the exception of Pusha T’s Daytona, which possessed a rich and organic ambition. But there was never talk of a 7-track Chance album being part of that series. Given Chance and Kanye’s creative visions and appetites for grandeur, it’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t pull out all the stops for this one. It would be disappointing to get another mini album after we’ve already gotten short projects from each of them this year. Plus, we haven’t heard a Chance album in over 2 years, so he’s due for a full-length release.

5. Kanye will lead the production (and hopefully rap only one/two verses); The Social Experiment will contribute

Kanye’s been on a production tear all year, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to stop. There’s no scenario on this album where Kanye’s time is better spent rapping than behind the boards. Chance is at his peak right now on the microphone: lyrically, vocally, and charismatically. Every verse he comes out with puts a smile on your face, inviting you to vicariously enjoy the good time he’s having, because he knows he’s in a special groove artistically right now. (His 4 singles and his verse on What’s the Hook? are effortlessly fun). He’s catered to his strengths, improved his melodies, and has developed arguably the most sophisticatedly diverse sound in hip hop other than maybe Kendrick Lamar. Kanye’s a smart artist, and he’ll recognize that he should stick to producing and let Chance flourish on the vocals. This is the time for Kanye to be the assist man and let Chance score all the points. But Kanye always has something to say, so he’ll have at least one verse, as he’s had on all the mini albums this year.

6. Whether overt or subtle, it will be political

Assuming the lion’s share of vocals are handled by Chance, it’s safe to say there will be progressive undertones throughout the album. An activist in his own right, he’s been part of campaigns against gun violence, started school programs, donated to schools in Chicago, and has been involved in political campaigning. Check out Everybody’s Something and I Might Need Security to get an idea of some of his political attitudes and how it manifests in his music. But overall, we think this album is going to lean on spirituality, faith, and community, while largely staying away from musical activism. Sometimes avoiding the political arena can be the most effective way to support your political cause.

If Kanye raps more than expected, then the album’s political themes could be more unpredictable.

7. They’ll appease everyone with a dance anthem for the holidays

Who knows. But we hope we’re right.

*Check out the Freezepeach on Instagram page (@freeze_peach) and let us know what your predictions for the album are.