Kanye West’s newest album, “Jesus is King,” was scheduled for release on Sept. 27, as teased by an Aug. 29 tweet by Kim Kardashian West, but failed to make an appearance, even after a two day delay.

The album’s delay represents a growing trend in the music industry where release dates are seldom set in stone, especially in the hip-hop and rap communities.

Recently, it seems commonplace that West’s projects all go through their own tumultuous debut, like 2018’s “Life of Pablo” which was first delayed, uploaded and subsequently removed from streaming service Tidal, then weeks later found its way onto all major streaming services unannounced.

Likewise, Kanye’s previous project, “Ye,” dropping months after his widely praised collaboration with Kid Kudi, “Kids See Ghosts,” was thought to all but dispel rumors of Kanye’s long-promised album, “Yandhi.”

The general confusion of an artist’s music simply existing or not would be a major headache to any marketing agency, but Kanye uses his inconsistencies as an advertisement for himself, making the lead-up to any of his releases an experience unto itself.

Using Google Analytics, the search term “Kanye West” spikes in interest occur when one of his albums drops, followed by a sharp decline in interest. Of course, the same could be said for most popular artists while promoting their newest project.

But what makes Kanye unique, outside of his outlandish persona, are the lengths of his search query peaks. It’s commonplace to see his peaks in relevancy extend days, sometimes weeks, preceding the release of an album.

The spikes in interest line up to whatever news was reported on him, creating a cycle of delays, news outlets reporting on said delays and an increase in visibility, which goes back and forth until an album is dropped.
It might not be entirely ethical, or in the best interest of his fans, but Kanye has seemingly weaponized entertainment media, as well as his eager fan base, to keep himself in the spotlight as long as possible.
Like all things Kanye-related, it’s not clear if his mismanaged release schedule is done with intent or not.
Back in 2016, he stated on Twitter, “No more fashion calendar… I’m going Mad Max… 6 collections a year… 3 albums a year.”

Kanye’s commitment to prolificacy may have caused some burnout between recording, touring and a publicized bipolar diagnosis upon the release of “Ye.”

Kanye West has cemented himself not solely as an artist, but an enigma within the hip-hop landscape. Beyond the headlines, only he knows what his future holds.

TMZ reported that “Jesus is King” is complete, but Kanye keeps tweaking it. As of Oct. 1, the album has yet to drop.