Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Kanye West

He made us wait for the coronation a little longer than promised, but Kanye West’s Jesus Is King finally dropped on Friday and has dominated cultural conversation ever since.

Yeezy is not allowing himself - or anyone else for that matter - to catch a breath. The first live performance came on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 27) at the Los Angeles Forum. Fans, friends and families gathered for a 1 p.m. start (a mere hour later than expected) to hear a number of Jesus Is King songs performed live for the first time. Backed with his huge Sunday Service choir (led by Jason White), assisted by his daughter North and staged at the center of the arena with plants and trees arranged all around, it was an afternoon that underlined how serious the Chicago artist is about his mission to spread the gospel, and how serious he is about making sure that gospel sounds as uplifting as possible.

Skepticism about Kanye’s new material and his new motivations are, of course, abound. Kanye is no different to anyone else pursuing piety; it’s a road beset with inconsistencies, contradictions and criticisms -- both valid and vicious. But on the way, there are supernatural moments of joy and serenity that make it all worthwhile, and Sunday Service is where Kanye summons most of them. Here are five standout moments from the show.

Kanye Doubles Up on 'Follow God'

Undoubtedly one of Jesus Is King's biggest grooves, “Follow God” was fleshed-out and given a new lease of life early in the set. Kanye’s words and rhymes rushed by in such a thrilling blur that he performed his verses of spiritual devotion twice, with either side of the Sunday Service choir singing the gospel loud enough for heaven to hear.

Kenny G Brings It

It was when Kenny G was called to the stage that L.A. knew God was truly in the house. Just the mention of his name was enough to send the Forum into a frenzy, and the Seattle sax machine was front and center during a sensational extended version of Jesus Is King standout “Use This Gospel.” Kanye watched adoringly as Kenny blew several solos, while No Malice and Pusha T dropped their verses, making the Clipse reunion real (“reunited in Jesus’ name,” noted Kanye). The entire crowd also got into the spirit, rapturously adding their voices to the song’s main refrain and creating a moment of pure, unbridled joy.

Francis Lets the Light Shine

Among the dozens-strong choir was longtime Kanye-collaborator Francis Farewell Starlite (aka Francis and the Lights), who stepped forward to the piano to deliver a tender and beautiful version of his recent track “Take Me to the Light” (which also features Bon Iver). He’s a talent that is used sparingly by Kanye, but whenever called, Francis never fails to illuminate.

'Saint Pablo'/'Fade'

Kanye has spoken of his interest in revisiting parts of his catalogue with a more sanctified mind, and these two cuts from The Life of Pablo turned out to be early examples. “Fade” in particular enjoyed a more wholesale revamp, keeping just the panicky bass line and the opening “your love is fadin’/I feel it fade” hook, and rebuilding it to a sky-scraping spiritual. Definitely no room for Teyana Taylor to flex her abs and glutes here.

'Jesus Walks'

“What song do you wanna hear?” asked choir leader Jason White towards the set’s end. It was a semi-rhetorical question, because in this scenario, the answer was always going to be “Jesus Walks.” Anyone peddling the lazy narrative that Kanye West has suddenly (or cynically) found God for Jesus Is King should be immediately corrected. Religion, spirituality and higher powers have always been key to his work, and the rousing rendition of this 2004 single -- backed by the ever-increasing power and musical muscle of the Sunday Service group -- felt like a natural climax to the show.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Danube Drought Exposes Nazi Wrecks and Pushes Central Europe’s Power System to the Brink
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing
Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
Record-Low Danube Forces Nuclear Cuts and Emergency Power Curbs
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Germany’s Economic Malaise Reopens the Sunday Shopping Debate
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Netherlands Declares Water Shortage Emergency After Drought Pushes Rivers to Historic Lows
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
×