it appears Lorde has seen Kanye’s new Kids See Ghosts stage 👀👁👀 pic.twitter.com/mqpFvn4nls
— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) November 12, 2018
Lorde sang Kanye’s “Runaway” at her 2017 Coachella performance. Ironically, she’s now accusing Kanye of running away with that exact set design for Kids See Ghosts’ debut performance at Camp Flog Gnaw last weekend. Neither Kid Cudi or Kanye has replied to Lorde’s “stealing” accusation, but the set designers behind both performances have offered their opinions. Designer Es Devlin, who designed Lorde’s set and previously worked with Kanye West on stage design on his Yeezus and Watch The Throne tours, gave The New York Times‘ Joe Coscarelli a thoughtful response that sidestepped the blame game to ponder the inspiration behind both stages:
and here’s Es Devlin w her side: “I admire both and see no imitation at work here: I think the more interesting point is that both artists, responding to our dis-jointed times, are being drawn to this gesture of the fragile floating room” pic.twitter.com/TwtmeW6IY5
— Joe Coscarelli (@joecoscarelli) November 13, 2018
Devlin also took to Instagram and posted photos of a similar design she created for the English National Opera’s rendition of Carmen in 2007 that you can see at the bottom of the post. Trask House is the service that created the Kids See Ghosts set. Their owner John McGuire gave the Times a similar explanation as Devlin – albeit in a less congenial fashion:
(Lorde) wasn’t the first person to use a floating glass box, she won’t be the last. She doesn’t own it, her designer didn’t invent it. Cubes and floating aren’t new to Kanye West, stage design or architecture. A quick google of floating glass box brings up many instances of suspended glass cubes.
Lorde hasn’t yet responded to Devlin or McGuire.
