During a rare and brief hiatus from his ongoing Avengers Civil War-style family feud with Pete Davidson, Kanye flocked to the fields of LoanDepot Park in Miami for an unmasked unveiling of Donda 2, the sequel to the 27 track tape released just six months ago. Despite widespread hope that Donda 2 would actually drop in full on Ye’s own platform, The Stem Player, we have come to know better than to expect a swift and painless album roll-out from the mile-a-minute maverick.
Although the scorched shadow of the original Donda house can still be seen silhouetted on the turf at Soldier Field, the king of longwinded metaphors has extended his residence in his childhood home as he once again reconstructed the suburban South Shore property at the centre of his Miami listening party. However, whilst its first incarnation stood solemnly on the tip of a hill isolated amongst a boundary of barbed wire, the Donda 2 house sank submerged on level ground below a swell of running water as Ye and his trusty disciples delivered a comfortingly Kanye performance.
The symbolistic significance of the property’s relocation is, as always, known only to Ye however it felt evident that previous themes of spiritual reclamation, forward progression and capturing one’s own narrative had been usurped by ideals of rushing back to reclaim what has been abandoned before it washes away. A darker and grittier motif that matches both the visual aesthetics and sonic textures of the entire evening.
Whilst the show came littered with charecteristically, somewhat intentionally, confusing and often contrasting commentary on social issues, his own family life and career, the actual music outshone any odd-ball oddities. Standout in-person apperances came from Jack Harlow, The Game, Fivo Foriegn, Migos and Playboi Carti whilst contentious apperances from both DaBaby & Marilyn Manson, who previoisy sat out a series of Donda show amind ongoing controversies, caused far-flung condemnation.
Besides a brief Mic throwing incident and a more than bizarre side-of-stage appearance from Elon Musk, the most impactful drama to rear its head came from the apparent side swipes once again aimed toward Pete Davison on two separate tracks and an unusual yet expected direct message to ex-wife Kim Kardashian. All-in-all, the evening was quintessentially Kanye in all senses, yet many questions remain as to the general spirit of the album having seemingly diverged from the soulful spiritual Ye of six months ago. What Kanye do you think we are getting on Donda 2?
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