Ye’s highly anticipated China concert took place in Haikou on Sunday. And that’s right, in this case “HK” does not stand for Hong Kong. Prior to the concert, Chinese fans joked that Ye’s team had mistaken Haikou, the capital of Hainan province, for the more widely known international metropolis of Hong Kong. The rumor circulated so widely that many believed it to be true — but in fact, Ye’s “Vulture Listening Experience” was an effort by the Haikou government to boost its tourism-driven economy.
Days before the listening party, Ye posted an image on Instagram of himself as a child in China, with the caption “BACK.” Netizens were quick to dig up details about Kanye’s stint in Nanjing, where he lived in 1987, accompanying his mother as she taught at Nanjing University. Many Instagram comments written in Chinese welcomed him back to China.
The actual listening party on Sunday evening quickly blew up online, with some attendees claiming it to be the best concert experience of their lives, while others noted the chaotic nature of the whole affair. Concertgoers were also pleasantly surprised by the length of the event, which lasted a whopping three hours. By netizen’s counts, Ye sang roughly 89 songs in total.
Ye, dressed in a sweatshirt with a Chinese translation of “told you so” (告诉过你 gào sù guò nǐ) written on it, performed on a stage transformed into a field of golden feather grass, and swirling nebulous smoke.
Not only did Ye perform with his Vultures collaborator Ty Dolla $ign, but his children were also present in Haikou with him. Ye sang an unreleased version of the song “Everybody,” with his wife Bianca Censori leading his four children on stage.
One satisfied fan declared this to be the greatest performance ever. Despite concertgoers not being allowed to leave their seats, they were able to enjoy a lengthy performance that started on time, included new songs, and even had an “eagle” fly above the stadium.
The fan wrote: “It was a rollercoaster ride of a performance! Ye in Haikou was so worth it, I saw so many homies!”
On the other hand, user “RealGlo” on Xiaohongshu had a much more underwhelming experience. According to her video, only one-tenth of the fans present actually knew enough of Ye’s lyrics to sing along his songs. She also said that there was a loud echo in the stadium, which on top of Ye speaking English, led to several awkward moments where he tried to interact with fans but had a limited response.
Still, people are clamoring for more: as of publication, there’s an as-yet-unconfirmed rumor that Ye will perform again in Haikou on September 21, this Saturday.
Banner image via Hainan Ribao.
