By JannahB
EIC, The Bold Opinion

Mr. West has been awakened!

Global recording artist Kanye West took to his birth town of Atlanta to debut his long-anticipated album titled after his late mother, Donda West. The artist’s tenth studio album was set to release to the public at midnight July 23rd, after the event. However, due to late submissions from featured artists, the album’s new release date is set for August 6, 2021.

Tickets to Kanye’s public listening party sold fast and was able to sell out the arena in a matter of days; a feat nearly unheard of. On top of that, the event shattered Apple Music’s live streaming record with over 3.3 million live viewers.

The Scene

The energy at the Mercedes Benz Stadium was very similar to concert atmosphere. Fans came dressed in edgy streetwear, Yeezy kicks, and/or full-headed masks, to emulate the artist himself. 

Theatrics were minimal. The stage was a simple, white canvas stretching corner to corner, designed specifically for projector art. Fog machines and a white screen on the stadium’s circular jumbotron kept the space feeling “cloud-like”. The mood was fresh and airy.

Once the first track started to play, nearly two hours after ticket time, fans instantly levitated out of their seats with open ears and cell phone cameras ready to absorb what was to come next. 

The crowed rocked in unison the entire time. They allowed Kanye to guide them on an emotional rollercoaster with inspirational messages, energetic lyrics, and even soundbites from his late mother. Hearing Donda West’s narration throughout the project and seeing Kanye’s body language, simultaneously, gave the audience a sense of pause in respect for the artist. 

Album Review

The initial release date of ‘Donda’ was July 23rd at 12:00am, but as of today, fans still have nothing to bop to. Apparently, tardy vocal submissions have aided in the pushback of the album. There are reports that Kanye has taken residency at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, equipped with living quarters, studio equipment, and a private chef to help him get the job done on location! That’s dedication. 

With that said, the album is incomplete and I don’t have much more to say other than give testimony to what was heard — and it sounds great so far!

In my opinion, the album in its entirety was the perfect blend of Kanye’s spirituality, self awareness, self assurance, wisdom, and turn up! He’s geniusly found a great balance of energy and I can appreciate the time it took to mold it over the years. Features from artists like Pusha T, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, JayZ, and Quavo gave the album quite a unique range. Mixing that with those intimate soundbites of his mother’s audio gives you a peek into the mind of a Gemini — all over the place, but if done right, EPIC.