The Evolution of Kanye West’s Sunday Services, From Calabasas to Coachella
Written by SOURCE on April 19, 2019
Fifteen years after he made Jesus walk on his 2004 College Dropout single, Kanye West spent the first quarter of 2019 taking listeners to church with his weekly live gospel performance series: Sunday Service. The ultra-exclusive gatherings see the rapper performing hits from his catalog, along with covers of R&B and gospel gems, while backed by a gospel choir and musical luminaries.
Depending on how cynical you are, the sessions seem to be earnest musical celebrations inspired by church (with a backyard barbecue vibe) or a stop-gap to divert our attention away from the oft-delayed Yandhi. Either way, Kanye’s Sunday Services are the culmination of his career-long movement to merge gospel and faith with rap.
And now, after submitting thunderous performances for the past few months—the majority of which have taken place around his local Calabasas area—Kanye is bringing his passion project to Coachella on Easter Sunday, where he will perform atop a private Palm Springs mountain at 9 a.m. PST. Before that goes down, let’s look back on the key moments from Kanye West’s Sunday Service sessions.
