Ye’s first album since his public apology in The Wall Street Journal seems to be a trip in a time machine to points in his career prior to his controversial statements. Bully contains tracks which are reminiscent of projects which helped him gain so much notoriety. Ye utilizes chopped soul samples and heavy autotune in an attempt to make fans remember what they loved about Kanye West, but with short runtimes these tracks feel like vignettes meant to distract fans from the things he has done.
Different Sounds, Different Eras
Bully’s opening track “KING” opens with a Duke Edwards and The Young Ones sample, containing spoken vocals and soft organ chords, before the growling bass and retro sounding drums enter. After the opening’s short two minute run-time, it quickly shifts, with high hat triplets and pulsating 808s giving the track “THIS IS A MUST” a more modern hip-hop sound. This is one of the many changes in the sound of the album as it flows through different eras of rap, and a start to the rapid changes as most tracks are only around two minutes long.
As the album progresses, Ye attempts to evoke the sounds of projects like 808s and Heartbreak on tracks such as “ALL THE LOVE” and “PUNCH DRUNK”. These tracks include heavy basslines and bouncing kick drums, accompanied by Ye’s heavily autotuned vocals. This sound became iconic when 808s and Heartbreak first released for revolutionizing the use of auto-tune and 808s in hip-hop. Ye also includes references to his hometown of Chicago, shouting out Cottage Grove and King Drive, to bring back the imagery of Chicago which made past tracks like “Homecoming” so iconic.
These references to the sounds which made Ye such an iconic figure in hip-hop seem to be an attempt to step away from the sounds and imagery which defined his career over the past few years. Ye’s career has been largely marred by his many controversial comments, such as pro-nazi and anti-semitic remarks. By backtracking from the sound of Ye, these tracks come off as an attempt to regain the trust of fans who would welcome the return of Kanye West.
Bully Controversy
Prior to its release, Bully had been the subject of criticism, particularly regarding Ye’s opinions on AI use. Ye previously stated that he incorporated AI into the production of Bully, and compared its usage to the usage of autotune. Ye went back on this statement, and shortly before the release of Bully, he posted on X stating that the album would contain no AI. Many are still skeptical about this, still questioning whether Ye used AI software that would put his voice over audio of other artists rapping. This speculation was prevalent on the track “LAST BREATH” with Peso Pluma, where Ye raps in Spanish, raising concerns that he used AI to put his voice over a Spanish-speaking artist.
BULLY ON THE WAY NO AI pic.twitter.com/LJFUAczgSl
— ye (@kanyewest) March 25, 2026
Producer and Preacher
While the vocals on the album can be somewhat of a letdown, as listeners have to second guess whether it is Ye himself or an AI, Bully highlights Ye’s abilities as a producer. The use of soul samples is a throwback to the roots of both Ye and hip-hop. These samples, alongside lyrics about faith, show that religion is still central to Ye’s music, and religious iconography is on full display in the music video for “FATHER” with Travis Scott, directed by his wife, Bianca Censori.
While this album was a step in the right direction, that is, away from persona he took on as he spouted hateful remarks, the attempts to make fans nostalgic for his past projects, and hasty re-recordings to remove the influence of AI make this album feel like an attempt at reconciling with his fanbase and the public, without giving the substance and revolutionary sounds that Kanye West was known for. This project may mark a shift for Ye going forward and could signal a return to the good graces and influence of his past, but there is still a noticeable difference between Ye and Kanye West, which fans are sure to pick up on as he tries to bring back that spark.
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