New Kanye West Song Features Rihanna; Yeezy Says He Was "Joking" About Anti-Radio Stance

Kanye West is still doing amazing things. Yeezus brought down the room at iHeartRadio Music Summit in Burbank, Calif., on Wednesday when he told stories about his career and previewed a new song that sounds like it will be a massive chart success.

Billboard was on the scene, and we collected some of West's best moments from the summit. Here is an unofficial (and, we doubt, non-comprehensive) list of his actions:

He shocked the audience of industry bigwigs with an unscheduled appearance. Def Jam CEO Steve Bartels was in the middle of a presentation when he said: "I wanna stop this and turn it over to one of the great iconic rock stars of our time: Kanye West."

• He didn't use a microphone.
• He thoroughly explained why his mid-2000s hits "Jesus Walks" and "Through the Wire" were both transcendent and innovative. He also explained his effect on modern urban radio, which he attributed to EDM-inspired work and the Daft Punk mashup "Stronger."
• He said the following: "This little talk I'm giving is going good so far. So I have to risk being Kanye."
• He completely backtracked on a statement he made in 2013 that he didn't care about being on the radio. "I was joking!" he said on Wednesday. "Of course I want to be on the radio!"
• He explained that his new Paul McCartney-featuring song "Only One" came about from jamming and freestyling, and said he asked Sir Paul "What was p---- like in the 60s?"
• He whipped out his laptop and premiered a song featuring Rihanna that reportedly "featured acoustic guitar and a big, soaring chorus and melody with a massive hook."
• Finally, he slammed his computer shut and walked offstage to a standing ovation.

There's little room for doubt: Nobody works a room like Yeezy.

Tags

Kanye West, Rihanna