Kanye West confirmed the impending release of his new album, Donda, in a Beats by Dre commercial aired during Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The album, Kanye’s 10th solo LP to date, will arrive this Friday, July 23rd.
The accompanying ad features American track and field sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who recently became infamous after she was banned from Olympic competition after testing positive for marijuana use. While it’s great to see Richardson getting paid after such a ridiculously outdated rebuff, the exciting part of the commercial is obviously the new Kanye music that soundtracks it. Specifically, the ad features a song called “No Child Left Behind,” which marks our first known preview of Donda. Watch the ad below.
The tease comes days after Kanye held a surprise listening party in Las Vegas over the weekend. Another listening event is set for Thursday in Atlanta and, according to a press release, the event will also be streamed live online via Apple Music.
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Donda, which takes its name from Kanye’s late mother, serves as the follow-up to 2019’s Jesus is King. While much is still unknown about his latest project, early reports from last weekend’s listening party suggest that it leans more gospel than straight-up Christian, and includes guest appearances from the likes of Lil Baby, Pusha T, and Baby Keem. Kanye is also apparently back to cursing — something he previously swore off after becoming a born-again Christian.
For more, check out our primer, “Everything We Know About Kanye West’s New Album.”
