Kanye West performs surprise DJ set in Maldives on New Year’s Eve
Kanye West was recently spotted in the Maldives performing a DJ set during which he played the hit Taylor Swift song, ‘Shake It Off’. During one clip circulating on social media, the producer transitioned from the pop song to his own Vultures 1 hit ‘Carnival.’
The pair famously have a history. In 2017, for his album The Life Of Pablo, Kanye released a song and music video that shocked the world and sent social media into a frenzy. Entitled ‘Famous’, the track was heavily scrutinised for its controversial lyrics referencing the Swift. At the 2009 VMAs, West interrupted the vocalist’s award acceptance speech, telling the audience Swift did not deserve the accolade for ‘Best Female Music Video’.
Still, during the live DJ set, he didn’t just play Taylor Swift or his own music. At one point, he played Bon Jovi’s classic track, ‘Living On A Prayer.’
During his Maldives DJ set, from the various videos recorded, it appears the producer was in a good mood as he sang along to his songs, smiled and interacted with the kids who surrounded the DJ booth.
Over the summer, Kanye West was seemingly taunted by Taylor Swift after being denied a 12th number-one album by the pop star who re-released her album project Tortured Poets featuring a live version of her song ‘Thank You Aimee’. However, on the re-release, the track title was stylised as ‘thank You aimEe’ so that the letters ‘Y’ and “E” are capitalized. A nod to West’s nickname ‘Ye’.
A previous stylisation of the track had the letters ‘KIM’ capitalized (‘thanK you aIMee’) which many thought was Swift making a reference to West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian. This DJ set from West is just the latest chapter in the long-running saga between the two stars which has been strangely entertaining to many.
Swift’s Tortured Poets prevented Vultures 2 from topping the Billboard 200. The Chicago rapper’s Vultures 2 earned 107,000 equivalent units in its first week of release, falling short of the 142,000 amassed by Swift’s album in its 14th week. More significantly, the project was Kanye’s first since his 2004 debut, The College Dropout, not to debut atop the chart.
This latest appearance from West is in typical fashion. Random, unexpected, worldly and quick. The elusive emcee has many waiting for his forthcoming project, Bully, for which he has already released the artwork.