Kanye West’s string of listening parties has not only been great for garnering the interest of fans and the music industry as a whole, but also for his pockets.
According to reports, Yeezy sold upwards of $7 million worth of ‘DONDA’ merch via in-person sales during the second event alone, breaking a Mercedes-Benz Stadium record and matching the revenue grossed during the first-day release of his Yeezy x Gap puffer coat collaboration.
The second listening party for ‘DONDA,’ Kanye’s forthcoming 10th solo studio album, is now the most-watched livestream in Apple Music history, tallying more than 5.4 million streams on Aug 5., over 2 million more views than the first listening event, which was also held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, on July 23. The first listening event broke the previous Apple Music Global Livestream record of 1.8 million views, which was set by Jeezy and Gucci Mane’s Verzuz battle.
While Kanye and his team have yet to confirm an updated release date for DONDA, all indications seem to point toward Aug. 13. However, with the various false starts and delays, along with Kanye’s penchant for the dramatic, there’s no telling when the album will actually drop.
Initially slated to be unveiled on July 23, DONDA was reportedly pushed back by Kanye in order to further tinker with the album. Expected to run 24 songs in length, the record is rumored to include guest appearances from Jay-Z, The Weeknd, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Jay Electronica, and more.