It’s only been a minute since we heard the (alleged) news that Kanye West is planning on releasing a David Bowie tribute album, but somehow petitions aimed at stopping this from happening have already gained thousands of signatures.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, really. Kanye is as fiercely hated as he is loved, and his career moves are often met with rage from his detractors- even his headlining position at Glastonbury gained him 100k petitioners calling for his cancellation. The petition against the album, started by ‘Peter Piranha’, states that “David Bowie was one of the single most important musicians of the 20th and 21st century, it would be a sacrilege to let it be ruined by Kanye West,” with many clearly agreeing.
However, it’s interesting to note that the album is yet to be confirmed by anyone from West’s camp. News of the album was originally posted by The Daily Star, who quoted “a source close to the rapper” (as per). According to this reliable source, Yeezus wants to pay tribute to the legendary performer by recording a mix of straight covers, and some tracks with his own spin. The Daily Star also claims that Kanye pictures himself as a successor to Bowie, and is “determined to carry on David’s work as a musical innovator. He says that the torch has been passed to him.”
In actuality, it’s very likely that The Daily Star’s trusted source may not be so close to Kanye at all, and that a tribute album is not in the works. Though, with all this fuss, we may have just given him an idea.