Kanye West received a standing ovation following the premiere of his long-awaited tenth studio album Donda at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday night.
The 44-year-old rapper’s album unveiling was broadcast via livestream on Apple Music and attended by the likes of his estranged wife Kim Kardashian and two of their four children.
After arriving fashionably late to the event, West emerged in an all-red getup from his highly-anticipated Yeezy x Gap collaboration and proceeded to pace around the arena beneath a spotlight as the album’s various tracks blared.
Donda, which is titled after the rapper’s late mother Donda West, gives devout Kanye listeners a glimpse into him and Kim’s crumbling marriage, and features collaborations with Jay-Z and Travis Scott.
Success: Kanye West received a standing ovation following the premiere of his long-awaited tenth studio album Donda at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday night
Support: The 44-year-old rapper’s album unveiling was broadcast via livestream on Apple Music and attended by the likes of his estranged wife Kim Kardashian and two of their four children; Kim pictured with daughter North (left)
The Mercedes-Benz Stadium boasts a 71,000 seat capacity, with West reportedly having ‘given away 5,000 tickets’ to students in the Atlanta area, while some fans ‘paid a couple hundred bucks for seats,’ as per Showbiz 411.
At one particularly moving moment, a song titled LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY, seemingly dedicated to his failed marriage to Kardashian, began to play, which prompted Kanye to crumple to the ground.
The moving track featured the rapper’s late mother Donda’s voice repeatedly saying, ‘No matter what you never abandon your family.’
A source told E! News on Thursday that Kanye gave Kim a ‘heads up’ about the deeply personal song, which evoked a powerful emotional response from the rapper.
‘He was respectful and gave her the heads up,’ the insider said, adding that Kanye ‘did not want to blindside’ the 40-year-old SKIMS founder.
Massive: The Mercedes-Benz Stadium boasts a 71,000 seat capacity, with West reportedly having ‘given away 5,000 tickets’ to students in the Atlanta area, while some fans ‘paid a couple hundred bucks for seats,’ as per Showbiz 411 .
Red: After arriving fashionably late to the event, West emerged in an all-red getup from his highly-anticipated Yeezy x Gap collaboration and proceeded to pace around the arena beneath a spotlight as the album’s various tracks blared
Overcome: At one particularly moving moment, a song titled LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY, seemingly dedicated to his failed marriage to Kim Kardashian, began to play, which prompted Kanye to fall to his knees
Kim filed for divorce from the Stronger hitmaker in February after seven years of marriage, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ on court docs.
Kardashian was pictured at the album premiere in Atlanta, Georgia donning red from head-to-toe as an apparent homage to West’s look for the evening.
The SKIMS CEO wore her raven hair down and kept her eyes concealed behind a pair of large black shades as she took in the experience with her children.
Matching: Kardashian was pictured at the album premiere in Atlanta, Georgia donning red from head-to-toe as an apparent homage to West’s look for the evening
All in the family: Residing in the same area as Kim was her younger sister Khloe Kardashian, 37
Taking it all in: The SKIMS CEO wore her raven hair down and kept her eyes concealed behind a pair of large black shades as she took in the experience with her children
Residing in the same area as Kim was her younger sister Khloe Kardashian, 37, who donned similar shades but an all-black ensemble.
Kanye and Kim’s eldest daughter North, eight, and their eldest son Saint, five, appeared thrilled to be at the event, often captured with huge smiles on their faces.
The former couple also share three-year-old daughter Chicago and two-year-old son Psalm.
Kim, Khloe, and the kids were seated front-row in a boxed off area, seemingly separated from the rest fo the listening party attendees.
Proud of dad: Kim Kardashian seated in the arena with eldest daughter North, eight
VIP: Kim, Khloe, and the kids were seated front-row in a boxed off area, seemingly separated from the rest fo the listening party attendees
Back in black: Khloe donned similar shades to her older sister’s and donned an all-black ensemble
During Thursday’s album premiere, Kanye willingly let his often stoic persona melt as he immersed himself in his own music.
The hitmaker had on a shiny red puffer coat with matching pants and a pair of bright orange slipper shoes, stemming from his soon-to-be released Yeez x Gap collaboration.
Kanye also concealed his face with a semi-sheer nude mask.
Finding their seats: Kim and Khloe were seen navigating around the arena trying to locate their designated seats
Loving every moment: Kanye and Kim’s eldest daughter North, eight, and their eldest son Saint, five, appeared thrilled to be at the event, often captured with huge smiles on their faces
Amazement: North gazed on in awe at the large-scale production
The stadium, packed to the brim with West’s friends and supporters, was often times left pitch black – aside from the lights shining from cellphones.
The house lights in the stadium were turned on at certain points of the livestream, giving viewers at home a full view of West and his captivated audience.
Donda’s second track, seemingly titled Glory, features extensive audio of the rapper’s late-mother Donda, who tragically passed away on November 10, 2007 after having liposuction and breast-reduction surgery.
Into his mind: Donda, which is titled after the rapper’s late mother Donda West, gives devout Kanye listeners a glimpse into him and Kim’s crumbling marriage, and features collaborations with Jay-Z and Travis Scott
Letting go: During Thursday’s album premiere, Kanye willingly let his often stoic persona melt as he immersed himself in his own music
‘And you know I am my son’s mother,’ proudly declared Donda at one point in the moving audio.
Donda features rap cameos from Travis Scott, Pusha-T, Lil Baby, Baby Keem, Jeremih, Lil Durk, Roddy Riich, and Pop Smoke.
Kneeling down and placing his hands onto the stadium ground, Kanye listened intently to his recently released song No Child Left Behind, which debuted in a Beats By Dre ad earlier this week.
Take a look: The house lights in the stadium were turned on at certain points of the livestream, giving viewers at home a full view of West and his captivated audience
Center stage:
Tonal shift: The tone of the evening quickly switched from melancholy to triumphant as a track boasting the lyrics ‘guess who’s going to jail tonight, y’all gonna post my bail tonight’ blared over the stadium speakers
‘He’s done miracles on me,’ sings West on the track, which prompted him to gesture to the sky with one hand.
The tone of the evening quickly switched from melancholy to triumphant as a track boasting the lyrics ‘guess who’s going to jail tonight, y’all gonna post my bail tonight’ blared over the stadium speakers.
As an added surprise, the song featured a rap verse by West’s longtime pal and collaborator Jay-Z, with the rapper referencing to their beloved 2011 album Watch The Throne.
It is their first appearance on a track together since appearing on Drake’s feature-ridden single Pop Style in 2016.
Donda, which is titled after the name of West’s late mother, was originally slated to premiere on July 24, 2020, but was unexpectedly postponed amid West’s failed run for presidency.
Dedication: The album’s name and title track make reference to the rapper’s late mother Donda West, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 58 due to complications caused by a cosmetic procedure
At the time, he released the album’s title track Donda on what would have been his mother’s 71st birthday, alongside a nostalgic visual filled with home video footage of Kanye and Donda.
And now, almost exactly a year later, Donda will be available to purchase and stream starting Friday, July 23.
West confirmed the album’s long-awaited release in the latest ad for Beats By Dre starring track star Sha’Carri Richardson, which premiered during Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday.
The minute-long spot, which was scored and edited by West, features a snippet of his newest track No Child Left Behind.
Donda is the follow-up album to 2019’s Jesus Is King, which saw Kanye enter into the realm of gospel music – inspiring the birth of his weekly Sunday Service sessions.
Delayed: Donda, which is titled after the name of West’s late mother, was originally slated to premiere on July 24, 2020, but was unexpectedly postponed amid West’s failed run for presidency
