The Weekly Updating Album Album Rollout
During the waiting process for Kanye West's 10th studio album ‘Donda,’ fans have experienced one of the grandest teases in music history. The Chicago legend has stretched the album’s release over multiple months initially slated to release at the end of July however, multiple live-streamed listening parties later, still no album. So far Kanye’s rollout has included an all-day stream of his Mercedes-Benz Stadium bedroom in Atlanta, allowing fans to witness the album develop with their own eyes. During the stream, we saw many different parts of the process including Kanye recording vocals, Mike Dean working on the mix, and Fivio Foreign watching Kanye West do push-ups.
During the heat of Kanye’s ‘Donda’ rollout, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter made an unanswered proposition to Kanye. What if he released the album in its first form and continued to update the songs over time, allowing fans to hear the album evolve too? And while we have been given two listening events that showcased the growth over his first week staying in the stadium, the thought of being an album to consume for a week only for it to be upgraded is very interesting.
As music consumers in this digital generation, we love the journey and ignore the aftermath once the moment finally comes. So when considering Jack’s suggestion of a weekly updating album we need to ask would this work for all artists or just someone like Kanye? Someone like Kanye will always attract attention simply because he’s one of the most polarizing artists of modern American music. Between his outspoken nature and his prolific success in all things pop culture, the public is always keyed in on Kanye West’s next move. However, this is unique to Kanye and perhaps a few other artists in the world. Whether it be due to a genuine lack of interest in the artist, or music consumers just being a product of the fast pace “on to the next” mentality about new music it might be unlikely to expect the same level of success from lesser artists.
There is certainly a risk for smaller artists to do something like this. While it may produce a better, more polished album, artists risk losing the fans’ attention before they release the final product. Either way, it’s no secret that albums are not cherished like in the past. With the music world constantly expanding, new music from big named artists is always being released and anticipated, not leaving much space for undeveloped artists. Getting the fans’ attention is hard enough but keeping it is harder, especially if it’s not with your final product. Small artists have to take advantage of every second in the spotlight, but bigger artists could potentially benefit heavily from updating their album, an idea that could replace the oversaturating “deluxe album.”
These days in music consumption it feels like excitement around albums exists only when the album isn’t released. However, Jack’s suggestion could potentially be an answer for artists to try to stretch the relevance of their album release. Sure, it would be perfect for a man like Kanye West who’s creative ability and God-like superstardom will always get the attention of the world, but it could be a great idea for artists across the board. The rollout has become a dying art that can exist as non-existent, a corporate circus, or the rare well-branded rollout. Kanye is already the most influential artist in the music world, but this latest moment could be the start of another shift in the access creatives give to their fans.
With all that being said, I think that we may actually be getting ‘Donda’ soon after his third live listening party scheduled to be streamed from Chicago on August 26th. If we get a third iteration of what we’ve already heard, it’s likely to be a final product. But, between Kanye’s predisposition to inspiration and Drake’s impending studio album release, Kanye’s is liable to push back this album to any date. One thing’s for sure, on the 26th we’ll get only another sliver of insight on Kanye’s latest creative project.
