If any track on “Bully” were to summarize the album perfectly, “Highs and Lows” would suffice by title alone. Nevertheless, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, boasts, “You know what season it is” on the intro song “King,” alluding to the idea that with the release of his 12th studio album, Yeezy season is approaching once again.
In typical West fashion, the album arrived on streaming platforms much later than anticipated, with a June 2025 release pushed all the way back to March 2026. Despite months of delays, the album arrived unfinished, following a trend dating back to his 2016 album “The Life of Pablo.” What’s different this time, though, is that the physical versions of the album have a completely different tracklist, featuring an older copy with vocals entirely covered by an AI deepfake of West’s voice.
If “Bully” is anything like previous West albums, it will receive updates on streaming platforms over time. For writing, it is nothing out of the ordinary for a West album, except for a heavier focus on hooks rather than full verses. Additionally, it still contains AI vocals in some areas, particularly at the start of “Preacher Man” and throughout “This One Here.” This is especially disappointing in contrast to his early work, where he rapped a demo version of “Through the Wire” while his jaw was still wired shut. While he is known for pushing technical boundaries, particularly when it comes to autotune, having other artists record references and just putting AI vocals over instrumentals comes off as lazy and forced.
Despite this glaring flaw, the 18-track project does contain some highlights, particularly in its production, with varied styles pulling from many different eras of his career. On one hand, “Punch Drunk” and “Whatever Works” are reminiscent of the college trilogy with chopped-up and sped-up samples, whereas “King” and “Father” are much more abrasive and similar to “Yeezus,” with the latter featuring Travis Scott.
However, for every highlight, there is a compromise somewhere else. André Troutman’s talkbox enhances both of the songs he’s featured on, “All the Love” and “White Lines.” West’s AI vocals on “This One Here” are a major disappointment to fans who have eagerly awaited the song’s release since it was previewed in 2022. Some of the real vocals from West also feel very phoned in at the last minute, despite months of delays leading up to the release, particularly on “Beauty and the Beast.”
It’s hard to deny that West can still make good songs, but through the highs and lows of his mental health and career, it’s apparent his vision is disjointed and that the album was scrapped together at the last minute. This is especially clear with the physical releases containing an old tracklist with entirely AI vocals. While it has become increasingly common for artists to release old versions of an album physically for sales numbers, it doesn’t justify the vast differences. This is especially disappointing for someone who announced their album and opened up pre-orders in October 2024. That aside, “Bully” is solid as of streaming release, but could do without the AI vocals. Only time will tell if updates will fix the album, or if West will simply move on.
