Ye’s ‘Bully’ Is Full of Missed Potential (Review)

The disgraced child of rap prophecy, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), returns with his 12th studio album Bully. A fitting title, given the inexcusable actions he’s taken over the past three years. Mental health is complex, and with that in mind, I approached this album with an informed ear, not a forgiving one. Over two weeks of listening, one question remained: does Ye acknowledge or apologize for his actions here? The answer is no. 

There are glimpses of something better. Tracks like “ALL THE LOVE” feature anthemic drums and an excellent talkbox performance from Andre Troutman, paired with themes of healing and moving forward. On first listen, it’s one of the album’s highlights, even if it feels incomplete without a Ye verse. 

That perception shifts when you learn the track was originally titled “Gas Chambers.” Sonically, the two versions are nearly identical, including Ye’s repeated chorus. Knowing that makes it impossible to hear the song the same way again and it casts a long shadow over the rest of the album.

Even the tracks that didn’t start off antisemitic end up feeling disappointing. This album is basically “missed potential” or “glimpses of gold” the whole way through. Songs like “THIS A MUST” (formerly known as “UNLOCK” in the Ye community) should hit harder than they do. The production is there, but Ye sounds low energy, almost checked out. It’s a track that needs more from him, and he just doesn’t give it.

There are moments where the album does come together. Tracks like “KING,” “PUNCH DRUNK,” “BULLY,” “WHATEVER WORKS,” and “I CAN’T WAIT” stand out and not just because they sound good, but because they actually feel finished. These are the songs that remind you of earlier eras of Ye, when everything felt more intentional and complete.

The album also features Travis Scott, and while it’s not a hot take to say he’s past his peak, you really feel it here. Listening to “FATHER” and comparing it to something like “PISS ON YOUR GRAVE” from Rodeo, there’s just no competition. I’d probably only rank “FATHER” above “Wash Us in the Blood” when it comes to Ye and Travis collabs, and that’s not saying much.

Tracks like “MAMA’S FAVORITE” and “SISTERS AND BROTHERS” lean heavily on samples, with some decent Ye verses mixed in. Moments like these make me wonder what a Ye current day album could’ve been if he hadn’t burned so many bridges. It’s hard not to think about how different this would sound if more artists were willing to work with him.

You can’t ignore the use of AI either. Tracks like “HIGHS AND LOWS,” “WHITE LINES,” “PREACHER MAN,” “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,” “DAMN,” and “THIS ONE HERE.” all started with AI vocals before being reworked. Even if Ye re-recorded parts, there’s still a question of how much AI is actually left in the final versions, it’s hard to fully invest in those songs because of that.

Right in the middle of all this is “CIRCLES,” which features Don Toliver and a sample from BadBadNotGood. Honestly, it’s a nothing track. It just repeats “circles” over and over with a few scattered lines, and there’s not much to take away from it.

Then there’s “LAST BREATH,” featuring Peso Pluma, where Ye raps in Spanish. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t really leave an impression either. I could see it working in a party or bar setting, but as part of the album it just feels kind of empty and a little forced.

The album closes with “THIS ONE HERE,” originally from sessions between Ye and James Blake back in 2022. Out of all the tracks that had AI origins, this is probably the second best behind “PREACHER MAN.” It’s one of the few moments near the end that actually feels somewhat complete despite the potential use of AI.

The standout tracks I mentioned earlier are the ones that made it into my rotation, and they’re the ones I’d recommend if you’re going to check this out at all. While this version of Bully is better than the earlier AI versions that were floating around before the official release, it really just highlights how far Ye’s music has fallen.

At this point, his music feels like a shell of what it used to be.

I hope one day I can come back to this and feel differently. But more than that, I hope Ye figures his way back, both musically and personally.

Thanks for reading this review of Bully. If you liked this article make sure to check out more of our music content here at Feature First.