Kanye West announced earlier that a sequel to his 2021 album “Donda” which is an eponym of his late mother Donda West, will drop on the 22nd of February. However, Kanye is fond of hanging fire, meaning a release date for “Donda 2” may well be pushed back beyond February 22.
West threw fans off balance on Thursday, February 16, announcing that the forthcoming album in all its glory will not be available on streaming platforms. Rather fans will have to purchase his Stem Player to listen to the project- the device cost $200.
“Donda 2 will only be available on my own platform, the Stem Player. Not on Apple Amazon Spotify or YouTube,” West wrote on Instagram. “Today artists get just 12% of the money the industry makes. It’s time to free music from this oppressive system. It’s time to take control and build our own. Go to stemplayer.com now to order.”
The reveal arrived along with a preview of Donda 2 and while it was an exciting announcement, not everyone was happy as the news shocked the public and caused a wide-ranging conversation to unfold. Many people stated they would not be purchasing the $200 Stem Player and blasted West, however, his dedicated fans didn’t mind, arguing that he can release his music as he sees fit.
Check out the announcement and a few reactions below.
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