Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has been in good graces with fans recently after the release of his twelfth solo studio album “Bully.” Despite major controversy in recent years, fans have started saying he is uncancellable. However, is there truth in this idea? Is the album really that good?
Despite previous issues in his past, Ye was looked at as one of the greatest rappers and producers of all time, up to his project “Jesus is King”. It was before his next release, “Donda”, when it was announced that he and Kim Kardashian would be getting divorced. This started a spiral for the rapper, in which he threatened Pete Davidson and had continued outbreaks about coparenting his and Kim’s children.
In 2022, he became incredibly antisemitic with an infamous tweet on October 8, saying “I’m a bit sleepy tonight, but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.” He was later dropped by his biggest partnerships, which included Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga, and he was effectively barred from performing in the US by Live Nation. He was previously listed on the billionaires list, but after his partnerships ended, he was promptly dropped from that list as well. He later went on Alex Jones’ show and said things like, “I like Hitler,” and “Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.”
He gave an informal and unserious apology in March of 2023, saying that watching “21 Jump Street” made him “like Jewish people again”. He continued with these ideals until May of 2025, when he claimed he was done with antisemitism, though many remained skeptical. It wasn’t until January of 2026 that he took out a full page of the Wall Street Journal, which is where he acknowledged the damage that he caused and took responsibility for his actions. He blamed mental health issues and a brain injury from a car crash to be the cause of his actions; he has been open about his struggles with bipolar disorder in the past.
In the years after “Donda”, he released a few projects, including “Donda 2” and “Vultures” 1 and 2. These projects are widely recognized as the worst music he has ever released. It was around this time that Ye started using a lot of AI in his music and abusing nitrous oxide. After his ban from touring in the US, he did a few shows in South Korea, Mexico, and China, gathering huge crowds. He sold out a 50,000-seat stadium in Korea, 41,000 in Mexico City, 30,000 with over 200,000 on a waitlist for Haikou in China, and 72,000 in Shanghai.
Fast forward to 2026, after the apology, Ye announced that “Bully” would soon be released, and it would have zero use of AI. He also announced a show in Spain before announcing two nights at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. After a delay in the timeline for the album, “Bully” was released on March 28. It is 18 tracks long and runs just over 42 minutes. It has features from Travis Scott, CeeLo Green, Don Toliver, Peso Pluma, Nine Vicious, André Troutman, and Ty Dolla Sign.
The album starts off with “KING”, which is a relatively short song after a spoken sample from Prince Edward. There is a harsh synth line, and this repeated distorted bell noise and booming 808 drums. The lyrics talk about the attachment of the media to Ye’s name and how he has been vilified, and reflecting on his fame. The title and the repeated sample are his way of reclaiming the title of king.
“FATHER” is a highlight of the album for me. It starts with a great soul sample before being interrupted by a distorted 808 line and a great kick drum. The track is very dancey and feels fresh. Ye starts the chorus with, “Bye-bye to my old self, Wake up to the new me,” showing his desire to give up his hateful past. The way his lyrics are delivered is creative and well done. The Travis Scott feature is a great addition to this track. Travis does very well on this type of instrumental, and he did well here.
“ALL THE LOVE” is a switch-up on the album so far; the production is less harsh, and it is the first time we hear Ye singing. Despite his slurred pronunciation, his vocals are good and work with the marching drums. The production and vocals from André Troutman are also a highlight of this song.
A repeated statement I hear from Ye fans is the desire for the ‘Old Kanye’, and that is what I hear on “PUNCH DRUNK”. His flow, over the soul sample and light drumming, is incredible. It is such a shame that he only did one mediocre verse on this beat. The next track, “WHATEVER WORKS”, has the same vibe to it but is done better. He added another apologetic bar with, “Had a change of heart, I felt different at first. Lot of pain, lot of hurt, but still, could’ve been worse.”
“BULLY” is another highlight of the album, featuring another artist with past issues. CeeLo Green delivers some good vocals with distortion on the hook of the song over an interesting chopped up guitar and string sample. Featuring no drums, this song has some of the better production on the album.
“PREACHERMAN” was a very hyped up song, prior to the release of the album. The beat is a good bass line under a sped up soul sample, before a small string section and then returning to the previous section. With the line, “When it’s dark, you don’t know where you goin’, need a light-bearer to lead you home,” he is referencing his faith in Jesus Christ. The line is repeated, showing how Ye’s faith has helped him see through the darkness.
The closer “THIS ONE HERE” has possibly the strongest message in verse two. “This that new us, Started from the ground and moved up, you ain’t got no love for yourself, you ain’t never felt a true love, I can see where your heart is, Broken pieces before us.” He starts the verse off talking to himself or “us”, saying that he is new or rebirthed. Saying he moved up could mean that everything from his birth has led up to this moment, or that he has hit rock bottom and has begun moving up. He talks about loving himself and not feeling like he’s felt true love, meaning he feels he hasn’t ever truly loved himself. Lastly, he can see where his heart is now, after leaving his body. He’s transforming or at least trying to transform himself.
Numerous tracks on the album are so bland, boring, short, or lacking effort that holds the album down. While some songs have effort put into them, the lack of hours put into most songs is hard to ignore. The highs of this album do not make up for the lows.
After the album was released, Ye sold out two nights of 80,000 people at Sofi stadium in Los Angeles. He performed his classics and biggest hits, and songs from the album. Guest performances included Don Toliver, CeeLo Green, Travis Scott, and most incredibly Lauryn Hill. This performance had another incredible stage design, which he is known for. He performed on top of a 40-50 foot diameter light-up globe that changed between the Earth, Moon, and other designs.
Ye was also announced as the headliner of all 3 days of this year’s Wireless Festival in the United Kingdom, before being banned from entry into the country. Prior to the ban, several of the biggest sponsors of the festival pulled out, most notably Pepsi. Melvin Benn, the director of Wireless, openly continued his support of Ye after the issues with the sponsor, saying “Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world.” The entire festival was promptly cancelled after the announcement of Ye’s ban from the country.
Despite his statements in previous years, Ye has seemed to turn a new leaf and reflect on his past comments. While his antisemetic views should not be forgiven, his seeming openness to change should be appreciated.