Image via YouTube
UPDATE 7/31/16 11:32 p.m. EST: West offered his own stance on the divide (or lack thereof) between art and advertisement via Twitter. See what he had to say below.
We’ve come a long way since wondering whether the CDQ of “Wolves” would ever grace the public’s ears. The February release of The Life of Pablo liberated what was essentially the initial hype builder for Kanye West’s seventh studio album, but the song never settled as most do. Some degree of controversy always lingered.
A year-long craze saw Yeezy fans grow rabid for the official, mixed and mastered “Wolves.” (The adidas-hosted YouTube video of West’s Season 1 release show amassed over three million views, which speaks to the passion this track evoked in listeners.) Later, the guest features fell into question. What originally boasted Vic Mensa and Sia did not include either when West played the track at his Madison Square Garden listening party. Frank Ocean showed up (both in person and on record) before being moved to his own interlude after West continued to #FixWolves.
Today, the hip-hop icon shared the song’s official video—a gleaming, startling, meticulously filmed opus that’s also, at least nominally, a Balmain ad. The branding move has proved divisive online, where opinions have varied widely.
Although there’s the temptation of ridiculing any piece of content ‘tainted’ by a corporate partnership with a knee-jerk reaction, it’s not black and white. Many blatant ads can constitute as art, and professionals around the world strive to turn promotional efforts into something with a pulse.
Head below to see what people have to say about the new visual, and let us know what you think by taking our poll.
when the wolves video comes out but it’s also a balmain ad ? pic.twitter.com/XkKruDMZlF
— Cam Wolf (@camjwolf) July 29, 2016
