Kanye West connoisseurs rejoice: Yeezy Dating is the site you’ve been looking for. The new dating platform looks to connect users who have one special little thing in common: an undying love for the Grammy-winning artist himself.
The site describes itself as being “A dating site for lovers of the genius, Mr. Kanye West,” and before its launch, it seems as though the project is already fostering a real sense of community amongst its supporters.
A pre-launch group chat that was created has, since its inception, curated a “Yeezy Fans Dating Playlist” filled with songs from Mr. West and others, while also crowdsourcing the funds for one of its users to order themselves a pizza.
Through a common interest in music, users have been able to connect with peers across the country and perhaps even the world. This friendship and relationship building is the sentiment that Yeezy Dating is hoping to carry over onto its platform.
Yeezy Dating has a Kickstarter page that is seeking volunteer funds from fans of the rapper and those interested in the site, in order to get everything off of the ground.
The mind behind the operation is 22-year-old Harry Dry. According to a statement on the Kickstarter, “[I’ve] been building a dating site for Kanye West fans for the last month or so and I’m very close to finishing it, I just need a little help with the final development [and] marketing,” says Dry. “Any money pledged will be wisely invested into the product and building the community.”
Of course, should the platform finally come to fruition at some point in the near future, there are a couple boundaries that must be put in place to maintain order within the community.
First order of business, no Taylor Swift fans allowed. “Taylor Swift fans are banned from this website *snake emoji*,” reads the website’s text, which doesn’t seem unreasonable considering the rocky past between Swift and West.
On top of the Swiftee ban, rules stated for the site are as follows: 1. Don’t be a dick. 2. Report any dicks. And the last, but perhaps most important rule, 3. Taylor Swift fans are banned. This is a point that is reiterated quite often throughout the site’s promotional material.
We don’t know how the site will filter prospective dating options quite yet, but based on conceptual screen grabs provided on the Kickstarter, users can get a very general idea of what the interface may look like on launch. The pictures show users with a profile picture, name, age and location, which is the typical protocol of most dating sites and apps.
Where things get interesting is further down on the profile where three interest points of the user are revealed. However, the criteria for these selections is unclear, as they range from anything as random as physics to Kanye, and one that literally says “making stuff.”
These are most likely just filler phrases for what the real thing will have, but to the right of each profile is what looks to be the user’s choice of a favorite Kanye album.
In his art, West has never been one to shy away from transparency about his love life and innermost emotions. His fourth studio album, “808’s and Heartbreaks,” is laced with heartfelt ballads in “Heartless,” “Love Lockdown” and “Coldest Winter.” His short film “Runaway,” released alongside his fifth studio album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” documents the romantic peril of Griffin, played by West, and his muse, a human-phoenix hybrid creature after her unexpected crash landing on earth.
At other times, his expression has been less abstract, such as his “Yeezus” ode to his wife Kim Kardashian, “Bound 2” and “Saint Pablo,” which is dedicated to his two-year-old son, Saint, and appears on “The Life of Pablo.”
The idea of having a space for these same sentiments of love, the ones found in West’s music, fostered in an online community, is a pretty fresh idea. In fact, the platform has sparked speculations about other celebrity-based dating communities online. In an article on The Guardian, the topic of Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and Cher dating sites were posed as well.
After all, music is one of the most universal commonalities people have. It evokes emotion that resonates on multiple levels and, in the age of streaming, it’s easily shared. With that in mind, the hype around the site is seemingly justified and users might just be getting their hands on the next big thing in online dating. It wouldn’t be the first time that Ye broke the internet.
Aside from being the inspiration for this revolutionary stab at dating in the 21st century, 2018 has been anything but quiet for West. Amidst allegedly being sued for his Yeezy Season clothing line and executively producing projects for G.O.O.D Music artists Valee and Teyana Taylor, he was also spotted at The March For Our Lives march with his wife, Kim, and his daughter, North.
Even further, speculations of a new album have circled around the web after rumors of West being in Wyoming alongside other artists including Drake, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi leaked. It’s been a little over two years since fans received a full-studio album from the rapper, who typically releases on a three-year schedule.
For now, not much word on an official launch date or the features that the site will boast has been given besides these Instagram posts. Users can expect more information to be released in late March or early April, but in the meantime, Kanye West lovers can register their emails for early access to the platform.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgbtNuOlmwd/?taken-by=yeezydating
In modern contexts, the effort that is Yeezy Dating only proves the true leverage of online communities when used the right way. More than a dating site, Yeezy Dating is working to provide people with a family of like-minded individuals online, even before its release. Only time will tell if the same sense of connections and relationship building can be brought over to the platform on launch.
