Kanye West’s latest release, Bully, arrives not with the seismic impact of his previous work, but with a muted thud. The 11-track album, released unexpectedly, feels less like a fully realized artistic statement and more like a collection of sketches – often unfinished and unsettling. While glimpses of the artist’s signature brilliance flicker throughout, they are largely overshadowed by a sense of creative exhaustion and a reliance on familiar tropes.
The album’s brevity is immediately striking. Many tracks clock in under two minutes, leaving little room for development or nuance. This truncated approach contributes to a feeling of incompleteness, as if ideas are presented and then abruptly abandoned. The core issue isn’t necessarily the length, but how West utilizes the space – or, more accurately, doesn’t. The album’s exploration of vulnerability and insecurity, themes West has touched on before, feels particularly fragmented and lacks the emotional resonance of his earlier work.
Sampling and Artificiality: A Shifting Landscape
West’s masterful use of sampling has long been a hallmark of his sound, but on Bully, it feels less inspired and more perfunctory. The album features a heavily sampled rendition of Cortex’s “Huit Octobre 1971,” a track that has seen considerable use in hip-hop, and, according to WhoSampled, has become somewhat overused. The track “Circles” features this sample prominently, with West’s vocals sounding listless over the familiar melody. He once possessed an uncanny ability to unearth obscure samples and transform them into something entirely recent, bending them to his will. Here, the samples feel like placeholders rather than integral components of the songs.
Adding to the disquieting atmosphere is the reported use of artificial intelligence in the album’s production. Fans have been actively investigating whether certain vocal passages were generated by AI, a claim that has sparked debate online. The track “Preacher Man” is a focal point of this discussion, with its opening lines exhibiting a “simulacra shimmer” that suggests artificial manipulation. Whether intentional or not, this blurring of the lines between human and machine raises questions about authenticity and the future of music creation. French singer Pomme reportedly refused to clear a sample of her song “soleil soleil” used on “Highs and Lows” due to West’s “political positions,” further complicating the album’s creative landscape.
Vulnerability and Self-Reflection
Despite its flaws, Bully isn’t entirely devoid of compelling moments. The title track offers a rare glimpse of vulnerability, with West calmly describing a sense of internal chaos. “I wanna beat somebody up / Like a bully,” he states, a line that encapsulates the album’s central theme: the tension between power and insecurity. The inclusion of a snippet of dialogue with his late mother, Donda West, from the 2022 documentary jeen-yuhs on the track “Mama’s Favorite” is a poignant touch, though it arguably leans into sentimentality. Donda West’s reassurance – “No, [you] approach off just right, ’cause it’s what’s inside, because you can’t be a star and not be a star” – feels both comforting and unsettling, given the controversies that have surrounded West in recent years.
At 48 years old, West’s artistic output may be reflecting a period of personal and professional transition. The album’s subdued tone could be attributed to age, the fallout from his public controversies, or simply a rushed production process. Reports suggest the album was re-recorded with human vocals after initial concerns about AI-generated content, a move that highlights the ongoing struggle to reconcile artistic vision with public perception.
A Lost Vision?
Perhaps the most significant criticism of Bully is its lack of innovation. The album feels like a retread of familiar themes and sounds, lacking the boundary-pushing experimentation that defined West’s earlier work. Even the leaked, unreleased album CUCK, which Vibe reports was allegedly ghostwritten by Dave Blunts, contained a raw, albeit controversial, energy that is largely absent from Bully. Despite its problematic content, CUCK demonstrated a willingness to take risks and push boundaries, something that feels conspicuously missing from his latest offering.
Bully’s central paradox is that West is present on every track, yet somehow feels absent from the music. He’s attempting a case for redemption, but doesn’t sound entirely convinced himself. The album leaves listeners wondering what might have been if West had fully committed to exploring the themes of vulnerability and self-doubt that occasionally surface.
The release of Bully raises questions about the direction of West’s career and his approach to music-making. The album’s reception will likely influence his future creative endeavors and his ongoing efforts to rehabilitate his public image. The coming weeks will reveal whether this album is a temporary misstep or a sign of a more significant shift in West’s artistic trajectory.
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