Donda listening parties

There were four Listening Parties held for Kanye West's tenth studio album Donda (2021), the first at ChurchLV in Las Vegas, two held in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and the last at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The concerts were held between July and August 2021. They are collectively known as the Donda Listening Parties, or Donda LPs for short.

Ye previously had Listening Parties for Jesus Is King (2019) in Fall 2019, and would go on to have just one for Donda 2 (2022) in February 2022.

Las Vegas

(Track Version sections are currently being updated)

The first listening party was held at ChurchLV in Las Vegas on July 19, 2021, from 6:30 to 8pm. The show required registration and was invite-only. Given the exclusive nature of this show, this is the one with the least footage. Of the photos and videos shared online, Ye was shown by himself donning a facemask playing music off his laptop, not singing. This is a practice that was largely consistent with the later shows.

Setlist:

Adapted from the Ye Tracker

1. Come To Life
2. Donda
3. Hurricane
4. Moon
5. 24
6. Never Abandon Your Family
7. Lord I Need You
8. God Got Me [Intro Loop Played]
9. I Know God Breathed On This
10. Praise God [Pusha T x Travis]
11. Praise God [Baby Keem Ref]
12. Keep My Spirit Alive
13. Life Of The Party
14. New Again
15. Donda Donda Donda
16. Daylight
17. No Child Left Behind
18. Jesus Lord

Track Versions

In Alphabetical Order:

• "24" is now pitched down, and still has Kaycyy vox. No Ojivolta production, Lancey Foux's version is MIA, and the drums are minimal, much like future renditions of the track.
• "Come To Life" is still mumble, but showcases some of Tyler, The Creator's vox prior to the Deluxe Edition.
• "Donda" doesn't have Tony Williams' vox yet, and Pusha T's verse will be present up to LP2.
• "Donda Donda Donda" is longer than the LP versions.
• "God Got Me" is still rough, having started as a 20 min Ye freestyle produced by 88-Keys & Ojivolta, cut down to 14 1/2, then eventually being reworked as a track for Consequence / Some lyrics were reused for "Lord I Need You" and an unreleased version of "Donda".
• "Moon" is produced by E.VAX from Don Toliver's Hurricane reference, and did not yet feature Kid Cudi / Same version played at LP1 & 3.

Atlanta (1 of 2)

The first public listening party for Donda was on July 22, 2021 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, which eventually served as the site for the second listening party as well. At this show, Ye donned a red puffer vest and a black mask as he walked around a stage that was entirely white for most of the program, though it was changed to feature some visuals sporadically throughout the show.

The show itself also started very late, past its original schedule, prompting some fans to think he'd just cancel the show.

Setlist:

Adapted from Ye Tracker

1. 24 / You're Gonna Be Ok
2. Donda
3. Junya (ft. Playboi Carti)
4. Remote Control
5. Praise God (ft. Travis Scott & Baby Keem)
6. Never Abandon Your Family
7. Hurricane (ft. Lil Baby & KayCyy Pluto)
8. Moon (ft. Don Toliver)
9. Jonah (ft. Vory, Lil Durk & Ty Dolla $ign)
10. Pure Souls (ft. Roddy Ricch)
11. New Again
12. Tell the Vision (ft. Pop Smoke)
13. God Breathed (ft. Vory)
14. No Child Left Behind (ft. Vory)
15. Jail (ft. JAY-Z)

Track Versions

In Alphabetical Order:

• "24" was over six minutes long / Features pitched down Sunday Service vocals, and completely new Ye vocals, as well as a reworked beat / The "God's not finished" part has vocals from Albe Back and his daughter Kaity.
• "Donda" showcases Tony Williams chorus vox, having been recorded after the Las Vegas LP.
• "Moon" is the same version as the Las Vegas LP.

Atlanta (2 of 2)

Ye had moved into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and was spotted attending an Atlanta United soccer game on July 24. Starting the morning of the 2nd Listening Party on August 5, a livestream showed Ye working on the album, conversing with other artists and celebrities (including Chance The Rapper, Steve Lacy, and Vic Mensa), working out, and even sleeping.

The Listening Party began at 9:30pm and once again featured Ye standing center-stage in a mask (this time in an all-black outfit), and not singing out loud at all. His room was recreated on stage as well. On the final song, "No Child Left Behind," Ye was elevated to the ceiling of the stadium by harness, seemingly referring to ascending to heaven.

Setlist

Ye had shuffled the setlist and made changes to some tracks, breaking apart the speculated "Hurricane-to-Moon" as outro chain; making "No Child Left Behind" the closing track; adding Kid Cudi to "Moon";

Adapted from Ye Tracker

1. Donda (ft. Pusha T)
2. Moon (ft. Don Toliver & Kid Cudi)
3. Praise God
4. I'm Not Ok (Ok Ok)
5. Junya
6. Jonah
7. Heaven and Hell
8. Off the Grid
9. Remote Control
10. Donda Donda Donda (Donda Chant)
11. New Again
12. Pure Souls
13. Keep My Spirit Alive
14. Never Abandon Your Family
15. Jesus Lord
16. God Breathed
17. Tell the Vision
18. Jail
19. Lord I Need You
20. Hurricane
21. 24
22. No Child Left Behind

Track Versions

In alphabetical order:

• "Jonah" has added snare & 808; adlibs removed from Lil Durk's verse / Final Ye verse first added; outro cut
• "Junya" has added Playboi Carti lines / Re-recorded Ye outro lines
• "Moon" now includes Kid Cudi and Ye vocals
• "Praise God" now has organ chords instead of LP1's choir-based melodies / Final version claps & hats introduced
• "Remote Control" has pad chords instead of pluck chords / Reworked Digital Nas drums / New Ojivolta snares / Young Thug verse added w extra adlibs & "Booty got rolls/Hoppin' out the brand-new Rolls" / Kid Cudi verse added at end w extra adlibs

Chicago

Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, was the site of the final Donda listening party in which Ye was joined by features on the album including DaBaby, Marilyn Manson, Shenseea, and more. The set had included a recreation of his childhood home in the city on a mound, surrounded by fences that were met with performers and cars parked outside.

Once again some alterations were made to the tracklist and the tracks themselves. Ye included JHE Rooga's "GD Anthem"; removed Kid Cudi from "Moon" (which came with backlash from fans), as well as added a meme outro to "Remote Control".

At the end of the Listening Party, Ye pretended to set himself on fire as part of an emotional reveal of the new track "Come To Life." After that, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian emerged in a wedding dress and walked towards Ye before the show concluded.

Setlist:

Adapted from Ye Tracker

1. Donda Donda Donda
2. Jail, Pt 2
3. God Breathed On This
4. Off the Grid
5. Hurricane
6. Praise God
7. Tell The Vision
8. I'm Not Ok
9. Junya
10. Believe What I Say
11. 24
12. Remote Control (“Globglogabgalab” Outro)
13. Moon (ft. Don Toliver)
14. Heaven and Hell
15. Keep My Spirit Alive
16. Jesus Lord
17. New Again
18. JHE Rooga - GD Anthem
19. Jonah
20. Lord I Need You
21. Pure Souls
22. Come to Life
23. No Child Left Behind

Track Versions

In Alphabetical Order:

• "Moon" no longer features Kid Cudi. This is changed on the album's release.
• "Remote Control" features an extended outro featuring the "Globglogabgalab" meme. This is eventually shortened on the album's release, but the full version is made available on the Deluxe as "Remote Control Pt 2."