Kanye’s Donda broke records with 5.4 million listeners on Apple Livestream.
It is reported that at least 5.4 million listeners tuned into Kanye’s Donda Livestream on August 5, breaking Apple’s Streaming record. Inarguably, 5.4 million is an impressive number. As Micah Singleton, Billboard contributor, notes, the live stream “Approaches the 2020 Primetime Emmys, which pulled in an audience of 6.1million people across the U.S. last September.” But not only did Donda break streaming records, but it also broke a Twitter record. According to Chance Miller, 9TO5Mac contributor, “Sources say the Donda listening party generated over 1.1 million tweets at its peak, outpacing Twitter activity for the 2020 MTV VMAs.” The numbers speak for themselves, proving that Kanye West is a beast.
No Release Yet
The streaming event was unique. According to Newsweek, it was not the average listening party. But rather, the Livestream was a live capture of Kanye West at work. Miller notes that “Throughout the stream, which had no sound, viewers got to watch Kanye record vocal tracks for the album, work out, eat Chick-Fil-A, and much more.” Honestly, who else could command an audience during the creation process and break records simultaneously?
Donda is a Behemoth
West’s Donda is a massive project. West is a veteran at making albums, as this work will stand as the number 10 album in his portfolio. But not only is this project a Kanye exclusive, but it is also highly inclusive. According to Billboard, the album includes features from a highly talented roster. Some of the artists the album is rumored to feature are Jay-Z, Roddy Ricch, Kid Cudi, and Jay Electronica. But as Kanye West is putting the final polish on the project, he is making alterations in the process, according to a source. So, what we have seen so far will not ultimately be what we get. And that’s okay because that’s signature Kayne. However, it is believed that the album will be released in the upcoming weeks ahead.
And as record-breaking as the process of making Donda has been, one can only imagine the finished work.
For a little bit more on Kanye West, check out our retrospective articles.
Renae Richardson
