Two “Saturday Night Live” sets, an Instagram snapshot and 66 projector images later, we now have a better picture of what’s to come on Kanye West’s anticipated new album.
As promised, the rapper — not to be confused with a celebrity — didn’t take part in any of the skits for “SNL’s” season finale/swan song for cast member Bill Hader. But he didn’t need to — over the course of two songs, West still left a lasting impression.
The night’s first set from the Chicago rapper/producer featured his new track, “Black Skinhead,” a ferocious, Marilyn Manson-sampled piece of audio that kind of comes as West’s answer to OutKast’s “B.O.B. (Bombs over Baghdad)” 13 years later.
Wearing all-black leather and his red Air Yeezy II sneakers, West later jumped into another new single called “New Slaves” while backed by a projection of coupons and the message, “Not For Sale.”
It was the second time West used the technique to promo his new sounds this weekend. In one of the more creative music marketing campaigns we’ve seen, he debuted “New Slaves” by literally projecting the music video in 66 locations across the world on Friday night.
The new songs trail behind a storm of rumors that West’s forthcoming sixth studio album will arrive on June 18, a date he tweeted earlier this month with zero explanation. If the lyrics and tone of his two latest singles are any indication, the record promises to be as bold as … well, pretty much anything West has done before.
Thanks to his girlfriend Kim Kardashian, it looks like we also have inside info on the album’s title.
Before the “SNL” broadcast, Kim K. dropped a picture of the Air Yeezy II’s next to what appears to be the album cover with the words “Yeezus” written on red tape in black marker.
The Instagram photo came with the caption: “#Yeezus #RedYeezy’s #SNL #Tonight #NewSlaves #YeezySeason #Donda #June18.” (It looks like folks reporting that the album would be titled “I Am God” weren’t too far off.)
Gavin Godfrey | CNN
