KANYE CUTS THROUGH
THE NOISE

Those crazy events. The feud with Drake. The delivery-date suspense. The social-media caviling. Marilyn fucking Manson. Whether it filled you with anticipation, excitement, annoyance or even disgust, Kanye West's chaotic, cacophonous run-up to the surprise 8/29 drop of Donda captured the most valuable prize of all: your attention.

The attention bred curiosity, and that curiosity drove gigantic streaming numbers. Those streaming numbers will propel the album to a huge #1 bow, with a total likely north of 300k. Donda's first day of streaming looks to be the biggest single day of the year at Spotify.

That, friends, is how it's done in these wild and woolly times: with earned media, social engagement and the leveraging not just of likes but also dislike. Kanye is a master at seizing the conversation, and he's done it again. The numbers speak for themselves.