Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has finally released his long-awaited album “BULLY,” and it’s his best work since 2021’s “Donda.”
Over the past few years, Ye has been even more controversial than usual, undoubtedly causing him to lose some fans. However, the fanbase he retains is still massive. And almost all of them are going to love this album.
It checks the two boxes that make a Ye album great: production and personality.
The intro track “KING” is aggressive and chaotic, in a good way, reminiscent of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” or even “Yeezus.”
By the fourth song, “ALL THE LOVE” featuring Andre Troutman, Ye is singing over a drum-heavy, yet calming beat. Troutman makes genius use of a talk-box, a device where the sound from an instrument is sent through a tube into a musician’s mouth, so they can make it sound like the instrument is talking.
The result is the best song on the album. It’s a soulful, speaker-rumbling masterpiece that blends sounds from “Donda” and Ye’s revolutionary 2008 album “808s & Heartbreak.”
This album brings together all the innovative sounds that have defined his two-decade reign at the top of hip-hop. “WHATEVER WORKS” is vintage Ye, a more traditional rap style over a beat incorporating a high-pitched, sped-up soul sample. Many fans refer to this as chipmunk soul or old Kanye, which he addressed in his 2016 song “I Love Kanye.”
“I miss the old Kanye. … Chop up the soul Kanye,” he satirically rapped from a third-person perspective.
The title track “BULLY” features CeeLo Green showcasing his versatility and vocal range, delivering a hook that demands the listener’s attention. This mixes seamlessly with the strings-driven production, setting the stage for Ye’s verses venting his frustrations of feeling targeted, censored and restrained.
“All the castles in the sky come down crashing every time I speak my mind,” he laments.
As far as Ye albums go, “BULLY” is actually pretty subtle. However, that shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of confidence. He fearlessly continues to critique the structures of power on songs like “I CAN’T WAIT.”
“They hate to see the system actually figured out. They want you caught up in distraction, fear and doubt,” he rhymes.
“PREACHER MAN,” on its surface, is a song so egotistical, yet simultaneously beautiful, that it could have only come from the mind of Ye. However, Ye has led an incredibly traumatic life. He’s sick of feeling alone. And sadly, he knows he’s the only one who can truly understand himself.
“I hate that God didn’t make a couple more of me,” he raps.
The outro track “THIS ONE HERE” is absolutely perfect. An ethereal sounding beat gives Ye space to deliver the most inspirational, and surprisingly humble, singing performance on the album.
“Kicked all the ego right out of the door,” he reveals to open the song.
“BULLY” doesn’t miss. While it isn’t going to influence an entire new generation of artists the way “808s & Heartbreak” did, it’s easily the best album of the year so far.
OVERALL: 4.5 out of 5 stars
