(CNN) After a series of controversial Twitter rants, Kanye West has released his much-anticipated album, Ye
The rapper unveiled the album Thursday night at a listening party in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The event was livestreamed online, and featured a select group of celebrities such as Chris Rock, along with journalists from the industry, who detailed the party on social media. His wife, Kim Kardashian West, also attended a day after her meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss prison reform.
"Kanye shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the album listening party," she tweeted.
Views from Kanye West listening party in Wyoming (ft 2 Chainz, Chris Rock, Kid Crudo, Nas, and Kim K) pic.twitter.com/UZXpW9s61k — TheLitRoom (@LitRoomBlog) June 1, 2018
In recent weeks, the rapper has made headlines after suggesting that the enslavement of African-Americans in the US was a "choice," sparking major backlash.
Read More
The suspense surrounding Kanye West’s new album continues. According to West’s Twitter, fans can watch a livestream of the album listening party he is hosting at his Wyoming ranch.
West wrote on Twitter that fans can download the WAV Media app to watch the livestream, which is taking place in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and goes live at 7 p.m. PST.
The rapper invited a delegation of media representatives to experience the listening party in person ahead of the release of his latest album, whose title hasn’t even been officially announced. West had the idea last Friday to fly a planeload of media, radio, DJs, and other influencers to Wyoming to hear his new album — yes, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. Check out live updates from the listening party here.
Fans can also listen to the album and participate in an “exclusive communal discussion” on the Stationhead app beginning at midnight on June 1.
The media corps landed in Jackson Hole and were en route to the ranch as of 5:30 p.m. PT, where they’ll hear the album. According to our reporter, “It’s absolutely breathtaking — mountains and trees as far as the eye can see. As we left our luxurious and unexpected private jet, one fellow traveler said, ‘After all this, we’re gonna HAVE to say Kanye’s album is fire…'”
Kanye West is releasing his new album 1 on June, as promised, following a public listening session that took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a live-stream of the event being shared with the rest of the world via the WAV app.
Ye has yet to surface on streaming platforms but there's already plenty to be gleaned from the listening party. For instance, West's wife Kim Kardashian tweeted a claim that he shot the cover art on his iPhone... on the way there.
Here's what else we know about the album:
It won't be a Tidal exclusive - or any exclusive
There's an image being shared on Twitter claiming an exclusive listen on the Stationhead app, the company has confirmed that West's new album will be released on other streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.
Guest features include...
Kid Cudi, Ty Dolla Sign, Jeremih, Young Thug, Charlie Wilson, Nicki Minaj, 070 Shake...
One of the guest features didn't know he'd be on the album
Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker is officially a guest on West's record, but it seems he had no idea until hearing it for the first time. Parker was listening to a livestream of the event when he heard his work on it, to which he reportedly exclaimed: "Holy s**t!"
"I had this weird premonition of this exact scenario," he told Australian radio station triple J. West had reportedly asked him to send along any beats he was working on, so he passed over a production that sampled 1960s band Vanilla Fudge and their track "You Keep Me Hangin' On".
When West failed to respond, Parker assumed his offering hadn't been accepted. In fact, the samples can be heard on the second to last track, which features Kid Cudi rapping over a guitar line and apparently uses "bits" of Parker's original effort.
There are quips about Stormy Daniels, the allegations against Russell Simmons, the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal, and his "slavery was a choice" comment
West makes several regressive #MeToo comments on the record, including one where he addresses the allegations of rape and sexual misconduct against Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons, who recently penned an open letter attempting to persuade him to re-think his controversial political comments.
"Russell Simmons wanna pray for me too/I'ma pray for him 'cause he got #MeToo'd" West raps.
He reverts to the old "father of daughters" trope as a means of explaining his newfound respect for women. And then there's this: "I say 'slavery is a choice'/They say 'How, Ye?'/Just imagine if they caught me on a wild day." So basically... he could have said worse?
Ye is out on 1 June 2018
Kanye West has made good of his promise to release his new album on 1 June, holding a listening session near where the LP was recorded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Thursday night. It was live-streamed to the public worldwide through the WAV app.
The record, titled YE, has yet to hit Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music etc in high quality (we'll update this post when it does), but the listening party stream can be viewed below (YE starts around 2:36:52).
According to Kim Kardashian-West, her husband shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the party, which was held outdoors around a bonfire. Kanye held a similar listening event surrounded by friends and collaborators for his last album, The Life of Pablo, though it took place in the more grandiose location of Madison Square Garden.
UPDATE: The album has dropped on streaming services - listen below.
The new album opens with the spoken lines:
"Most beautiful thoughts are always beside the darkest / Today I seriously thought about killing you / I contemplated it / Pre-meditated murder / And I think about killing myself and I love myself way more than I love you, so.."
Sonically, YE doesn't appear to be a huge departure, the beats having a similar feel to those on the previous album, TLOP, while some tracks have an almost 808s and Heartbreak-esque pop feel. It is light on features, though Kid Cudi helps out on the sixth track.
It is his first release since his breakdown ("breakthrough", as he likes to call it), and sees him discuss his mental health and experience with coming on and off medications.
The lyrics are as provocative as one would expect from Kanye, and include "Russell Simmons wanna pray for me too / Wanna pray for him ’cause he got MeToo’d”, with Stormy Daniels also being name-checked.
If the version played in Wyoming is final, YE will be just shy of 30 minutes. Earlier in the week, Pusha T's Kanye-produced album Daytona was released, which clocked in at just 21 minutes.
According to Pitchfork, the “digital album will be delivered via e-mail upon global release on 1 June.”
