The musician and fashion designer welcomed a sizable crowd back to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for another listening event for the much-delayed album—which fans were also able to watch online.
After moving into the stadium to complete work on the album following his July 22 listening party and livestream at the same venue, West unveiled an updated version of Donda.
And the star ensured the event was a visually dramatic affair, when he was circled in the the center of the stadium by a crowd of people as the spotlight shone on him.
Saving his big moment for last, the father-of-four was shown lying on his back as he was flown on a wire hundreds of feet in the air while his single, “No Child Left Behind,” played.
In videos of the incredible moment, members of the audience were heard reacting in disbelief as West was lifted out high above the crowd while the dramatic chords of the track rung out across the stadium.
West’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, was also in attendance at the event and shared footage of the moment from her vantage point, alongside the simple caption: “#DONDA.”
According to Pitchfork, the album, which was livestreamed on Apple Music, featured a number of songs previously unveiled at the July 22 listening event, with select updates and a revised track order.
Young Thug, Kid Cudi, Lil Yachty, Lil Durk, Jay Electronica, and The Weeknd were heard on the tracks played on the night, per Pitchfork.
At the previous listening event, Jay-Z was heard ribbing West over his support of former President Donald Trump.
West was a vocal supporter of Trump throughout his presidency—before running against him in a failed campaign during the 2020 elections.
And Jay-Z, whose friendship with West had cooled in recent years, roasted the star while making a surprise appearance on one of the album’s tracks.
“Stop all of that red cap, we going home,” Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter rapped, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times at the time.
As a public show of support for Trump, West was often seen sporting one of the real estate mogul’s red “Make America Great Again” caps.
However, it appears that there are no hard feelings between the musical pair, as West rapped early on the album that he and Jay-Z are “still brothers.”
Reiterating their closeness, Jay-Z rapped that “Hova and Yeezus like Moses and Jesus” on the album, named for West’s late mother, Donda West.
Donda was originally scheduled to be released on July 24, 2020. Fans had also expected the album to come out the day after the July 22 listening event. A new release date of August 6 was announced, though the album remains on pre-order.
