No one can do fashionably late like Kanye West. Though the performer was 15 minutes behind schedule for his Governors Ball Music Festival performance (June 9) , he gave the crowd what they were waiting for. Bursting on stage in a silver-studded leather jacket, gray tee, jeans and red kicks, Kanye made a statement not only with his music performance but also with statements about his upcoming album.
Toward the end of performing 2012 hit “Clique”, Kanye warned of the imminent emotional rant that normally takes place midway between his live performances. “This is the part of the show where I start talking s***,” boasted Yeezy before going into an emotional rave (not rant) about the current state of his album and his feelings about radio and today’s music.
“We ain’t even got no cover. We just made some real music. Couple years ago, we’d go away and create an album in like 5 months, come back and wait for just the right time to drop it for the optimal album sales.” —Christina Brown
Photo Credits: LoveBrownSugar
“When I listen to s*** that airs on the radio now, I realize that’s not where I wanna be no more,” explained ‘Ye as rounds of applause washed over the entire field facing the stage.
“I could give a f*** about selling a million records! I don’t give a f*** about outside opinions. Only opinions I care about is those of my clique!”
Rants and raves aside, Kanye gave a full and crowd-pleasing show. He bumped favorites like “Good Life”, which he cued the DJ to end early because he didn’t remember the last verse of the song. Yes. That happened. He breezed through tracks like “Cold”, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, and “Heartless”. His performance was breathtaking, complimented by black and white contrasting video aesthetics on the stage megatrons. Somehow it felt like a direct reflection of Kanye’s world—pretty, fascinating, but hard to understand.
Towards the end of his performance of “Power”, he serenades the crowd. “Now this would be a beautiful death. Just letting everything go. Just jumping out the window.” The crowd sang along with eyes shut and arms raised, soaking up the fleeting moments of the Governors Ball Music Festival with Kanye and fellow attendees. It was a performance to be remembered.
Christina Brown is a social media specialist and freelance writer. She is also the founder of LoveBrownSugar. Follow her on twitter @LoveBrownSugar