Kanye "Ye" West's return to the live performance stage got off on the wrong foot. During the errant rapper, producer, and mogul's concert in Shanghai, China, on Friday night, a perfect storm of technical malfunctions, inclement weather, and a sea of dissatisfied fans chanting for refunds erupted after Ye commenced the show more than 40 minutes behind schedule.
Having struggled to secure willing concert partners due to his myriad controversies, Ye made his triumphant return to China last week, following a lucrative and viral listening party at the Wuyuanhe Stadium in Haikou, Hainan Province, in September 2024. Anticipation for his highly anticipated gig at Shanghai Stadium, designed to promote his upcoming album "Bully," was sky-high, with tickets selling out within minutes, according to local reports. This suggested that despite his various racism scandals and social media controversies, Ye's Chinese fans remained as enthusiastic as ever.
Promoted as "an immersive, multisensory experience, promising innovative stage design, upgraded setlists, and international production teams," Ye's gig was hyped up by the Global Times, a state-backed Chinese news outlet known for its nationalistic stance. The promotional materials billed the show as "a comprehensive, genre-defying journey through Ye's musical career, seamlessly blending sound, light, visuals, and installations," the paper added.
From the outset, the mood at Shanghai Stadium was dampened by torrential rain pouring through the arena's open roof, drenching both the stage and the audience. As the gig's scheduled 7:30 pm start time drew near and then passed, the crowd grew increasingly restless, culminating in thousands chanting for refunds. Ye finally emerged onto the stadium's vast gray stage solo at around 8:10 pm, clad in black leather pants and a gray hoodie emblazoned with "China" across the back.
Despite the austere mood set by fog, projections, and spotlights reminiscent of his "Donda" stage design—albeit with even fewer visual elements—Ye occasionally appeared as an enormous projection across the stage, while overhead screens featured reworked footage. According to the Global Times, tickets to the gig were exorbitant by Chinese standards, ranging from 980 yuan (approximately $135) to 2,680 yuan ($375).
Videos circulating online in China captured moments of Ye seemingly giving his all despite the challenging circumstances, throwing his body to the beat and waving his arms wildly as he rapped along to his hits. However, at other times, he looked utterly defeated, such as when his most recent single "Losing Your Mind" echoed through the stadium's sound system, causing him to stop singing altogether and slowly walk off the stage. Local reports indicated that the sound quality throughout the show was inconsistent at best.
Even as the concert was still underway, Ye became a trending topic on Chinese social media, sparking heated debates among fans. Some came to the rapper's defense, blaming the setbacks on the weather, while others argued it was all a lazy display—or even a cynical attempt to capitalize on China's market while Ye's brand remained tarnished in the West.
Throughout his career, marked by an uncanny ability to stay in the limelight, Ye has upped the ante in 2025, seemingly embracing his pariah status in the entertainment industry and pop culture at large with a series of highly controversial music releases and public stunts. In March, the rapper released a track crediting vocals to Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was about to face a federal sex trafficking trial. On June 13, Ye, who has been an outspoken supporter of Combs, briefly appeared at Combs' trial and later that month released "Never Stop," an EP by Combs' son Christian "King" Combs.
On the music front, in March, Ye revealed plans to release an album titled "WW3," which was subsequently renamed "Cuck" and then "A Perfect World." The first single from his upcoming 13th studio album was "WW3," featuring a cover image depicting a Ku Klux Klan hood. The second single, "Cousins," was equally controversial, with its music video showcasing KKK iconography and a swastika. Finally, the third single was titled "Heil Hitler."
