Kanye West outdid himself yet again.
The third listening session for the yet-to-be-released Donda was held in Chicago at Soldier Field. West built a replica of his childhood home on the South-side of Chicago in the middle of the field. The home was surrounded by candles and a cross was mounted on the roof. The anticipation was electric. Smoke filled the stadium as the crowd cheered waiting for its hero.
Kanye entered his home through a tunnel with his children and the screens lit up with pictures of his mother and a woman chanting: “Donda.” Then Kanye appeared on the mound of dirt surrounding his home, greeting his Chicago family.
Overall, this listening event was a culmination of Kanye’s journey from the death of his mother to the announcement of his pending divorce from Kim Kardashian-West. Kanye delivered a performance art piece with his life experience at the center. His transformation is on display for all to see. Throughout this process over the past month, Kanye has been mute and has kept his face covered. This is in stark contrast to his frequent over-the-top persona.
At specific moments during the show Kanye and whomever he was on his front porch with came across the screen labeled as “Breaking News,” complete with scripture passages at the bottom of the screen. It was a unique opportunity to decode his journey.
Possibly the most impactful moment of the night was when the home and Kanye were set aflame. Kanye was extinguished and appeared on the floor of the stadium, as Kim Kardashian approached him in a white gown. When they met he removed the mask he had been wearing and smiled for the world.
The project has yet to be released and it is unclear if any more listening events have been planned. What is clear, is Kanye has taken the world on a journey while delivering his creativity in the form of a love letter to his late mother, Donda.
Rolling out asked Chicago artist Airik Crawford, who was in attendance, what he thought of the listening event.
“I thought Kanye brought the most thought-provoking listening experience to Chicago. The various theatrical elements that he brought to Solider Field gave us a captivating personal experience and insight into his feelings around his mom Donda, and his life as of now. I like that he’s constantly changing the structure of the album and bringing on new features that adds suspense and puts [us] on the edge of our seats. I just hope he drops already.” said Crawford
After three highly entertaining and impactful listening sessions, it’s certain millions share Crawford’s sentiment about the actual release of the project.
Time will only tell when the mercurial rapper-producer decides to bless his public with the actual product.
