This past Thursday, February 11, Kanye West finally released his new album "The Life of Pablo." After various name changes and false release dates, it is definite that West is an absolute perfectionist. He outdid himself once again with an incredibly high-end unveiling of his Yeezus Season 3 fashion line paired with the album.
Tickets to the presentation were almost as inaccessible as his private life and sneaker design. Fortunately, there were many different ways to view screenings at theatres or watching online, catering to a reported 20 million views. Although West did not provide the audience with much information or details about what the presentation entailed, fans were still willing to pay for tickets. Like most concerts at Madison Square Garden in NYC, the cheapest ticket was still three figures.
West opened at the Garden with a simple “Hey” as the crowd quieted down. He announced he would play his new album, and the audience was welcome to sing and dance along if they felt the urge. By the end of the first track, a giant tarp was removed to reveal an immense crowd of models contained within a rough set. The set mirrored an encampment that nodded either to poverty or a post-apocalyptic community. West’s infamous monotone collection of beige, brown and olive colors consumed the models’ tops, outerwear and shoes. The mix of modern, minimalistic and neutral style of clothing added a timeless feel.
The lights stayed up and songs were projected manually from a laptop and West interacted with the crowd through the loud speaker. MSG felt smaller and more compact, despite the large audience. West proudly débuted "The Life of Pablo" to his fans, whether there in person, watching from a theatre in another country or snuggled up in bed with their computer. West stood behind a rig on the floor of the arena and watched his Yeezy-clad models act out their performance, choreographed by Vanessa Beecroft.
West’s models stood painfully still for the entire performance, one of which included a fur-black-clad Naomi Campbell. After a list of West’s rules for his models was released via Snapchat and Twitter mere hours before the show, we know speaking was forbidden--as were looking at the camera, making eye contact and moving. Most importantly, his list reads “concentrate” and “focus.” “Do not be casual,” West warns. “You are a picture.”
Despite the critics that refer to the performance as haphazard and West’s comments similar to a “rant,” the content of the album was enriching and incredibly powerful. His gospel-like singing paired with strong dance beats and Yeezus spookiness.
Kim Kardashian and her sisters emerged in the audience, complete with Kendall Jenner carrying North West tucked under her arm. They sported a custom collection of Balmain for Yeezy, which consisted of the classic Kardashian look: very monotone colors, exaggerated outerwear, slim fits and long sleeves. West was appreciative of his family’s support.
With a breath of fresh air, the album was finally played for the first time after he released a series of series of singles throughout 2014 and 2015, including “All Day,” “FourFiveSeconds,” and “Only One.” After releasing “Real Friends” and only a small snippet of the track “No More Parties in L.A.” on January 8, West made it clear the album (known as "SWISH" at the time) would be released on February 11. Within that short month, West changed the title to "Waves," then settled on "The Life of Picasso," booked a date on "Saturday Night Live," picked a fight with Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose via Twitter and threw possibly the world’s largest listening party.
The album is now streaming exclusively through Tidal and only selling through West’s website for a full week before enjoying a wider release. We shouldn’t be surprised we couldn’t just enjoy the album without one last obstacle: the first hour the album was available, we dealt with technical problems and crazy delays, causing annoyance from fans.
His speech might have been shorter than usual, but he hit his common topics about bringing more beauty into the world and surpassing limitations. He mentions his mother and possible plans for a future video game, but let’s face it--he delivered and he delivered well.
