httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZyt5dSNcFo
Chance the Rapper debuted a spiritual, jazzy new single, “Blessings,” Thursday on The Tonight Show.
He followed the broadcast by tweeting the cover art and release date for his long-awaited third mixtape, 3.
“When the praises go up, the blessings go down,” Chance proclaimed during the song, which he unveiled with help from his band, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment, vocalist-collaborator Jamila Woods and gospel singer Byron Cage.
Wearing a hat marked “3,” Chance alternated between rapped verses and soulful crooning.
The gospel-styled, stage-stuffed performance recalled the grandiosity of Kanye West’s February SNL rendition of “Ultralight Beam,” which featured a scene-stealing Chance cameo.
Last month, Chance released a partly animated clip for “Angels,” which found the rapper soaring around his hometown of Chicago like a hip-hop superhero.