The artist previously known as Kanye West, made a surprise appearance in China after 16 years to perform on Sunday, much to the delight of his fans around the world.
Accompanied by his wife Bianca Censori and ex-wife Kim Kardashian, the musician brought his children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm on stage to join him in performing his track “Everybody” from his album “Vultures.”
The event, which Ye prefers to call a listening party, took place at the Wuyuan River Sports Stadium in Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, and all 42,000 tickets were sold out. Ye also revealed his plans for his upcoming album and debuted a new song titled “Preacher Man.”
There are rumors circulating on Chinese social media about Ye potentially holding a second show in Haikou on September 21. A hashtag related to his show garnered over 1.7 million interactions on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, with many users wondering “How?” according to The Guardian.
However, certain aspects of his show have left fans surprised and perplexed, such as the choice of a smaller province like Hainan for the concert instead of larger cities like Beijing or Shanghai, and the fact that he was able to hold the concert in China at all.
China is known for its strict regulations on foreign performers, tightly controlling their content and requiring submission of set lists and song lyrics for tour approval, which they often struggle to obtain.
In 2017, Justin Bieber was prohibited from performing in China due to his past “bad behavior” in the country and elsewhere, while Katy Perry was reportedly denied a visa in 2015 because she wore a sunflower gown during a concert in Taipei, which was seen as a display of support for Taiwanese anti-China protesters.
In 2016, Lady Gaga’s entire music catalog was banned after she met with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and Maroon 5’s shows were canceled in 2015 when the group’s keyboard player extended birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama.
Given the government’s crackdown on the hip-hop music scene in 2018, which was deemed to contain “immoral and vulgar content” and was restricted from airing, it’s understandable that fans were surprised by the approval of Ye’s concert.
Ye has a history of controversial behavior, including his vocal support for Donald Trump, a series of antisemitic remarks, and his suggestion that slavery was a choice made by Black people in America, all of which led to major brands severing ties with him and facing widespread criticism.
However, Ye has expressed positive views about China in the past, stating in a 2021 interview with Forbes magazine that he “loves” China, citing his mother’s experience teaching English in the country when he was younger.
Experts speculate that China’s struggling economy may have played a role in allowing the concert. Since the reopening of its borders in 2023 following Covid-19 lockdowns, the government has been working to stimulate spending and promote tourism, particularly in Hainan.
The Haikou government even featured Ye’s show on its website, describing international singers’ performances as a means to achieve “high-quality development of the tourism industry.”
Hainan, often referred to as the “Hawaii of China,” was a popular tourist destination for Chinese residents, but domestic tourist numbers have declined and international tourists have not made up for it. While China welcomed 49.1 million tourists in 2019, it had only received around 17.25 million foreign tourists by July of this year.
These figures are unlikely to meet Hainan’s tourism development targets, which aimed for a total tourism revenue of 207 billion yuan (£22.06 billion) and over one million inbound tourists.
A release on the culture and tourism ministry’s website outlined the tourism development goals for Hainan in 2024, which include receiving 99 million tourists throughout the year, a 10% year-on-year increase, and achieving a total tourism revenue of 207 billion yuan, a 14% year-on-year increase, as well as receiving over 1 million inbound tourists.
Reports also indicated a decrease in retail spending in Haikou, with an 11% drop in shoppers across the island and a 30% decline in duty-free sales in the first seven months of 2024.
Considering that Taylor Swift’s Eras tour generated $1.04 billion in 2023 alone, it’s likely that China recognized the potential benefits.
In an official release in May
