Rapper Kanye West will be hosting a third listening party this Thursday at Chicago’s Soldier Field in advance of the release of his new album Donda — although the actual release date is anyone’s guess. This album, his 10th official studio album, was initially supposed to be released following the first listening party in July and has since been pushed back twice.
The first and second listening events were held in-person in Atlanta, but West brought in a digital element by livestreaming them exclusively on Apple Music. Both livestreams broke Apple Music records — the first had a virtual audience of 3.3 million, and the second attracted an even more impressive 5.4 million viewers.
In keeping with the past two events, the next listening session will likely be livestreamed on Apple Music once again, and it remains to be seen whether even more people will tune in this time. Fans are becoming impatient about the album release, but in the meantime, the livestreams have allowed West to reach a huge number of fans around the world and give them a taste of what’s to come.
While artists held livestreams prior to 2020, the amount of online engagement that has resulted from the pandemic is unprecedented and will undoubtedly continue to be an important part of artists’ strategies moving forward.
The last two of West’s livestreams were only available to Apple Music subscribers, so as livestreaming music events like these continues to become more popular among artists, we can also expect to see more exclusive partnerships that benefit streaming platforms as well.
Thursday’s in-person component, which is almost completely sold out, will not require proof of vaccination or a negative test, unlike many other live events that have recently taken place. Covid protocols have become yet another thing that fans need to get into the habit of checking ahead of an event, like parking directions, and it will likely remain this way for the foreseeable future.