Behind Kanye West's Sunday Service
Lately, rapper and designer Kanye West has been branded by his unconventional sense of style in his clothing and shoe line that most of us are already familiar with, Yeezy. Best known for a simplistic and monochromatic, yet sort of retro feel, Yeezy stands out as a unique brand that represents Kanye's mind and personal vision. West's persona is also infamous for his since-deleted twitter rants in which he voiced opinions on political issues and indulged in lengthy rants about personal struggles. In turn, it's no doubt to Kanye fans that when West has an opinion, he stands by it passionately. So when it comes to projects such as his music and his clothing label, West is used to going above and beyond in his work.
Coachella 2019 was when West's latest project, Sunday Service, became mainstream to the public. The Sunday Service entails a large outdoor concert full of high-energy hymns, praises, and remixes of popular songs with a gospel twist. The original Sunday Service idea consisted of Kanye and his music team, along with family, close friends, and personally-invited celebrities joining together in a celebration and praise of the Christian faith. West gathered family and friends to sing with a purpose to start the Sunday with positive energy among like-minded individuals. Although not strictly a religious event, the point of Sunday Service is to feel like its church because of the values that bring a church together. Kanye's vision of the Service was to heighten the sense of togetherness and community that many churchgoers feel at home with their services. To show how much energy Kanye invested in this idea, he would personally pick one outfit from his Yeezy line to match the Service's theme and have the same outfit shipped to each member in the choir several days beforehand to wear to the Service. There had been several smaller Services before Coachella, particularly for Kanye's enjoyment, before fans and the public became aware of his new style of music.
At 9 am on his performance day at Coachella, Kanye invited those who were willing to participate to venture off to a disclosed location away from the Coachella campgrounds for his first public performance of the Service. Fans were confused as to what he had planned for his performance, but over 50,000 festival goers, over half the Coachella crowd, gave his spontaneous concert a chance. Atop a man-made mountain built for the event, Kanye could be seen blending in with the crowd—which included other prominent voices in the show such as Chance The Rapper—in an identical pink outfit to match the others in the choir.
Formerly known for his egocentric messages and derogatory lyrics in his music, West's new project contrasts with his previous work and shows the mental growth and knowledge he's sustained from evolving in life, family, and the music industry. It is no longer about himself performing, but to bring a sense of community to others. For those who have been following Kanye West's musical journey through the years like myself, you can see the massive shift in how the musician has been channeling his creativity over the past several years. Kanye's Sunday Service is an inspiration to let go of the negative morals, ideas, and values from your past, along with things that others may have previously associated you with, and to have the courage to fully channel your true, individual self through whatever makes you happy.
Strike Out,
Writer: Ellen Dominy
Editors: Giselle Parks and Savannah Tindall
Tallahassee