By Randall Elvin · Entertainment Editor
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, returned home to Chicago, and Soldier Field was sold out.
Around 71,000 fans packed the stadium on Sept. 3. Then he did it again for night two. According to Pollstar, his two-night concert grossed $29.8 million.
For an artist who has faced severe public backlash and controversy for the last several years, the 142,000 fans who packed the concert seemed to tell a different story about his “cancellation.” Chicago showed up for its hero, who has defined hip-hop music for more than two decades.
Ye grew up in Chicago, and the city has remained an important piece of his identity. Soldier Field hosted his “Donda” listening event in 2021 and his last appearance in the Windy City.
Multiple Grove City College students and alumni attended.
“Sitting there watching this man who had done so many great things in regard to very good music and coming back to his hometown and performing in front of so many people was so cool,” senior Max Turner said. “And I got the sense of what he talks about all the time, saying we can do great things and be the best you possibly can be.”
That message was reflected throughout the performance.
The second night became even more of a Chicago celebration as Ye brought out a collection of artists connected to his career and the city.
The guest list alone showed the influence of Ye’s career, with such big names making appearances for him. Travis Scott, one of the biggest names in music today, shared the stage with his longtime idol. Also, Kid Cudi, who had a fallout with Ye in previous years, returned alongside him for their first appearance together in a long time.
“It was electric having all the guests, and then with even more coming out like Chief Keef, Young Thug, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi,” junior Jed Arico said.
Longtime fans could hear songs from various stages of his career, which showed Ye’s connection with fans, as he got the loudest reaction from the crowds when he sang “Heartless,” which was released in 2008.
“‘Heartless’ drew the loudest singing, and the talk box Andre Troutman freestyled over ‘Heartless.’ That was amazing,” Turner said.
Ye’s return still had huge controversy due to his antisemitic remarks, although he did apologize for those comments, saying he had “lost touch with reality.” Despite that, the Anti-Defamation League worked with staff of Soldier Field to recognize hate symbols and antisemitism. The organization expressed concern about Ye’s rhetoric and his influence, while also insisting it wasn’t trying to determine what speech he could express on the stage.
Even so, 142,000 people attended his performance and joined together to listen live to the music they love. Ye showed love to his fans and proved he’s still very much alive and that the Bully tour will be far from a flop.
He proved once again that “cancel culture” can’t cancel culture.
