Chance the Rapper Launches Concert Film And It’s Magnificent

The weekend saw the international limited cinema release of Chance the Rapper’s ‘Magnificent Coloring World’, a concert film shot back in 2017 and largely centred around his Grammy Award-winning mixtape ‘Coloring Book’.
Chance, known for remaining an independent artist throughout his rapid ascent to the top, has stuck true to form here, with the concert film an independent release across the USA, Canada, UK and Ireland. The international premiere took place in London, with Chance in attendance to welcome lucky fans to the screening, and thank them for coming along. After the screening Chance spent time talking to everyone there, serving as a reminder as to why Chance is known as one of the good guys in the industry.

Back to the film itself, it opens with a documentary feel to it, looking at the meteoric rise of Chance’s career. It serves to sets the scene for what we have the pleasure of being a part of – a never before seen concert with 1,500 of Chance’s biggest fans, held in Chicago.

What follows is a stunning journey exploring Chance’s vision for this special concert, as he flows between songs largely from the critically acclaimed ‘Coloring Book’, as well as a few other hits. Those familiar with his live sets will recognise Chance’s choice of arrangement, from the beautiful gradual ascension you’d expect from ‘Same Drugs’ and ‘Summer Friends’, through to the captivating up-tempo energy of ‘No Problem’ and ‘All Night’. With each song performed, Chance has carefully considered how he’s weaved his set together, making full use of his talent for storytelling as well as the excellent stage design he’s explored for the film.

As fans of Chance’s work, we’ve seen a lot of his live material and have come away impressed. But this feels different and that’s a testament to the production and stage design Chance and his team have cleverly used in order to give this a truly cinematic feel. The pandemic allowed Chance the opportunity to hone his skills behind the camera, and the evidence is here to see as the producer of the project. Chance has seemingly added another string to his bow, and it may only be the start. According to Chance himself, we’re seeing the impact concert films is having on the industry.

“Artists and the industry are recognising how powerful film is as a vehicle for music. And how many more people you can engage at one time when you do it as widespread as a film as opposed to an individual event”

Despite the concert film being shot coming up to 5 years ago, it feels completely at home in 2021 and actually feels wonderfully in keeping with current times – indeed probably the most frustrating thing about it is that it’s as close as we can get to seeing Chance the Rapper live right now. Though watch this space because as restrictions lift, Chance is intent on giving his fans the opportunity to see him live once again.

“I’m definitely going to play as many shows as possible. I love performing, and there’s just nothing like it. What was cool about this film vs the virtual concerts I shot during the pandemic is that this was a real concert, with people. And there’s something different about feeding off the energy of people”

Though it feels best fit to be viewed in the cinema, we hope to see ‘Magnificent Coloring World’ end up on a streaming service at some point. If only to ensure that every city across the world can be a part of this brilliant Chance the Rapper experience.