Earlier this year, we reported that Kanye West had dropped out of Coachella because the festival refused to build him a giant dome, but in the months since, he was lured back by the opportunity to put on one of his absurd, shockingly self-aggrandizing “Sunday Service” events, where fans and celebrities pay to—pretty much literally—worship at the altar of Kanye West. Adopting religious undertones (and overtones) is extremely on-brand for him, so it really shouldn’t be shocking, but it’s a bit like Taco Bell finding a way to put extra cheese and meat between the layers of the Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Yeah, we get where they’re coming from, but we don’t necessarily want to.
Anyway, West held his “Sunday Service” sermon this afternoon as part of Coachella’s second weekend, with him and a bunch of collaborators (like Chance The Rapper, Ty Dolla $ign, Ant Clemons, and Kid Cudi) heading to the top of a big grassy hill in matching outfits for a performance that mixed Kanye West songs with gospel music and a few covers, as a huge crowd of worshippers gathered at the foot of the hill in hopes of being blessed by their savior and/or purchasing a $225 crewneck shirt. Also, while Coachella was very proud of the fact that both weekends were streamed online this year (a first!), West’s “Sunday Service” was only viewable on the internet through a little pinhole, because… who the fuck knows.
Before we get off track again, the most notable part of “Sunday Service” was that West debuted a new song. Called “Water,” Rolling Stone says it’s unclear if it’ll appear on West’s upcoming album Yandhi, but seeing as how that album has already been delayed a few times, maybe West isn’t even sure yet. Here are some videos of the song: