Mercurial rapper Kanye West, who previously dropped off the 2019 Coachella lineup over creative differences, has decided to pop-up at the fest after all. His buzzed-about Sunday Service concept will caravan out to the desert for a daybreak performance on April 21.
Typically, both weekends of Coachella feature essentially the same performers–but for West, they made an exception. Currently, it appears the Sunday Service will be an Easter exclusive. It seems we may now know what the NDAs performers were reportedly asked to sign before rehearsing with the Sunday Service choir were really all about.
Kanye West’s Sunday Service on Easter, Weekend 2
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— Coachella (@coachella) March 31, 2019
The secretive, gospel-tinged performances are known to have have been staged for West’s friends and family since… oh, right around the time in January when he very publicly dropped off the lineup of a festival he was expected to headline.
Negotiations with Coachella organizer Goldenvoice broke down when West announced that he would not play on the festival’s main stage because it was too small for the performance he had in mind (in spite of that stage accommodating Beyoncé and her 100 dancers last year) and that he would instead require a custom dome enclosure designed by his collaborate John McGuire to provide an “immersive” experience, according to MixMag.
The Sunday Services have so far included a choir of around 50 singers, as well as other speakers and performers. Few details have been released so far, other than a statement that it will happen at “sunrise”; Coachella historically opens festival gates around 11 a.m.
In an Instagram video posted on Sunday, West announced his Coachella performance over the loudspeaker of what appears to be a 737 aircraft filled with his friends and fans. West– who has spoken of struggling with mental health issues in recent years, and has made numerous public statements so problematic they put his impressive musical legacy at risk–appears happy and warm in the short clip.
RELATED: What Do We Know About Kanye West’s “Church” Services?
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The post Kanye West Will Bring his “Sunday Service” to Coachella appeared first on Los Angeles Magazine.