The in-stadium sound at each of these events has been overwhelming and bass-heavy, to the point that it’s often difficult to make out lyrics, but the visuals have always been stunning. Each listening session, Kanye has upped the ante, adding more dancers, pyrotechnics, and theatrics. The music sounded good, and the visuals were impressive. If not, I guess I can just mute them on my Stem Player.īy most metrics, the Donda 2 listening portion of the event was a success. The least enjoyable parts of the album for me were the uncomfortable references to family drama, but there’s always the hope that those will get cut from the final version-Kanye is always tinkering and listening to fan feedback. Kanye seems to be in a positive creative spirit right now, emphatically dancing throughout the performance, which came as a stark contrast to some of the early Donda listening events where he stood motionless for long stretches of time. Kanye sounds more inspired as a rapper than he did in the Ye and Jesus Is King eras, and, as always, the production sounds great. Not only that, he’s the richest Black man in America-a talented, legit genius who gave me four incredible kids.”Ī lot of the songs didn’t sound finished, similar to the first Donda event in Atlanta, and Kanye mumbled through several reference tracks. One song includes the menacing refrain, “I put your security at risk,” and Kanye raps, “Never take the family picture off the fridge/ Never stand between a man and his kids.” Elsewhere, he seems to troll Kim by sampling her old SNL monologue: “I married the best rapper of all time.
Whereas the first Donda album was predominantly influenced by religion and his late mother, Donda West, it’s clear that the fallout from Kanye’s breakup with Kim is weighing on him heavily, and it’s making its way into the music. Soon, the tone and lyrical direction of Donda 2 started to reveal itself. Midway through the show, the house even split in two, driving home that point in a very blunt way.Īt the beginning of the show, the house was set ablaze, and Kanye walked on water outside (the man has always loved grandiose symbolism). But in the context of his recent Instagram posts about Kim Kardashian and their children, it also symbolizes a house divided. A clear continuation of the Donda listening session in Chicago, the house represents Kanye’s origin story. With only a few days’ notice after impromptu fliers hit Instagram, Kanye fans book tickets, flights, and hotels, and make their way to the next Donda event.įor hours, everyone sat and watched a burned and tarnished version of Kanye’s childhood home in the middle of the stadium. It’s like the hypebeast version of Deadheads in the ’70s who followed the Grateful Dead on world tours, from one city to the next-except Kanye’s events aren’t planned out that far in advance. Kanye-obsessed diehards are making pilgrimages to each of the cities he sets up camp in-first Atlanta, then Chicago, and now Miami. If you’re searching for a true water cooler moment in 2022, look no further than these Donda listening events (whether you love them or hate them).Įach Donda event is livestreamed for millions of people at home, but if you don’t actually attend them in person, you’re missing out on the most fascinating and bizarre part of it all: a community is starting to take shape. In an era when we’re all listening to different songs on different playlists at different times, Kanye is creating must-see TV. Either way, everyone tunes in simultaneously and offers opinions, which is exactly the point. Some people watch in admiration others gawk in disgust. Without fail, the music world stops and pays attention each time. Sometimes Kanye West will share these announcements himself, and sometimes he’ll have someone else post them for him (thanks, Justin LaBoy). Every so often, without warning, a flier for a new “Donda experience” will surface on the internet.
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