Kanye West’s Sunday Service

Christianity and pop culture meet at service as spirit filled gospel is heard by celebrities and ticket holders 

Luke Garrett / Editor in Chief / The USD Vista

On April 21, masses of Coachella Weekend 2 attendees as well as flocks of celebrities arrived early to the Coachella campground for Kanye West’s Sunday Service. Neither fan nor famous in attendance knew what to expect, as West’s services had been invite-only since they began this past January. The world only knew of the services through Kim Kardashian West’s social media posts and various videos uploaded by those invited. 

Not only was this service the first to be public, it also tread a thin line between Christianity and secular pop culture. It held a unique space where celebrities and those who follow them were both in attendance. And it occurred on both Easter Sunday – the holiest day of the Christian faith– and the final day of Coachella – the music industry’s premier festival. This Western cross section of religion and secularism left the crowd utterly clueless and exceedingly curious as they sat in the grass field waiting for the Sunday Service to begin. 

The venue itself gave little to no answers as to whether the Sunday Service was concert or church. A custom-made grass-clad mount stood at the center of the crowds in an almost biblically-designed terrain. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains laid in the background perpetuating this quasi-religious scene. Although the merchandise booth aptly named “Church Clothes” solidified that this was no church service, with “Jesus Walks” socks selling for $50 and sweaters for $250–the line wait was over two hours. 

When the music began, the service moved away from being simply a concert as gospel music filled the Coachella campsite venue. An orchestra and choir atop the mount, all dressed in light purple tunics, began to play and sing gospel with staggering strength. Classical gospel numbers “How Excellence” and “Satan, We’re Gonna Tear Your Kingdom Down” were sung with excellence and passion by the choir, who danced as they sang. Gospel revisions of “As,” “Back to Life (How Ever Do You Want Me),” and “Ultralight Beam” were also sung. Chance the Rapper notably sang his part in the latter-most song and DMX, with his passion filled and guttural voice, followed Chance with a two-minute sermon. This rendition of “Ultralight Beam” brought West to tears. Chance and Kid Cudi were quick to console West as he knelt in the grass. The service became strikingly spiritual with West’s expression of raw emotion and the conductor’s frequent calls to the crowd to raise their hands in praise. 

Junior Liza Browning attended the Sunday Service with her older sister and was impressed with the performance. 

“It was an incredible mix of his content with a gospel type music,” Browning said. “It blended so seamlessly. ” 

When asked about the spirit of the service, Browning spoke of its spiritual nature.

“It made me believe in something,” Browning said. “I am not sure if that was what (West) was intending. Everyone was singing for this one thing. Whatever that was for each individual person, you felt it, you kind of let it in.”

As for West, little was seen performance-wise from the Sunday Service’s creator. He, for the most part, acted as an attendee, sitting in the center of the orchestra singing and encouraging the others that sang around him. Most notably, West walked around the mount with singer Teyana Taylor as he sung “Never Would Have Made It.” As the two walked together the choir followed behind them singing along, making an incredible scene of organic community music. West himself only rapped twice, in “All Falls Down” and “Jesus Walks.” 

Those in the crowd had varied reactions to this synthesis of concert and church, as well as to West’s back-seat presence. Some jeered for more Kanye West hits while others swayed to the gospel music with hands raised and eyes closed. As the service made its way to the two-hour mark, the leader of the choir asked all in attendance to embrace the neighbor to their right and left, and many did so cheerfully. Soon after, West walked down the mount to his awaiting family who sat on the rolling hills adjacent to the grassed stage and then left the venue. The choir and music continued as the creator of the Sunday Service left, acting once more as an attendee. 

As the service concluded, those in attendance were still left with questions unanswered. Was the Sunday Service a concert, church, or something more? Was West motivated by a sincere desire to share in faith with those in attendance or was the service motivated by capitalistic intent? Did West reconcile and harmonize the values of Christianity and secular pop culture? Is this even possible? Is this West’s intent? 

What is known for certain is that this Sunday Service marked a unique point within Western culture. It was a confluence of the celebration of spirit in gospel song and a hub of celebrity fanfare.