Kanye West previously explained the unusual reason that he decided to stop smiling in photographs.
The rapper, 47, has become infamous for his grandiose statements in recent years. From attempting to run for president back in 2020 and having random outbursts on social media, it would appear that Ye has been trying to move on from being known as a rapper and more of a ‘modern artistic genius’.
And it would seem this reinvention has even impacted how he presents himself in the visual media.
Ever noticed that Kanye doesn’t ever smile? (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
West wouldn’t be the first celebrity to prefer to frown into the camera, after all, most of us would be annoyed by constantly having flash going off in our faces, however it would seem that his aversion to smiling comes from something more than just a dislike for having his photo taken.
Back in 2015, the rapper opened up on managing his image during The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Los Angeles Awards back in 2015, explaining how he came to the decision after looking at photographs taken in the 1800s while working on his album Yeezus.
“Back when I was working on Yeezus, I saw this book from the 1800s and it was velvet-covered with brass and everything,” he explained (via E! News).
“I looked at all these people’s photos and they look so real and their outfits were incredible and they weren’t smiling.
“People, you know the paparazzi, always come up to me, ‘Why you not smiling?’ and I think, not smiling makes me smile,” he continued.
He’s previously explained why (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
“When you see paintings in an old castle, people are not smiling cause it just wouldn’t look as cool.”
However it’s probably not worth telling the rapper the reason people rarely smiled in early photography was a result of practicality rather than aesthetic. Unlike modern cameras which can capture dozens of photos in seconds, early photography was hard to come by and required the sitter to stay still for an extended period of time – which meant it was simply easier to hold a straight face rather than smile
However we can definitely agree with the Gold Digger singer that keeping a stoic expression certainly looks cooler than baring your teeth at the camera.
West isn’t on his own when it comes to celebrities refusing to smile either, with singer turned fashion designer Victoria Beckham being famous for her poker face in photos.
Victoria Beckham has also opened up on her infamous poker face (Marc Piasecki/GC Images)
Explaining the reason why during an interview with the Telegraph, Beckham explained that she had felt self-conscious about how she looked.
“It was because of my skin that I became very careful about what I ate,” she explained. “And yeah, probably I did look stern in a lot of pictures, but I was so uncomfortable.
“Was there a time when I used to scroll through all the comments about me? Probably. But now I just don’t have the time.”
