Bully

Ye(Kanye West)、ニュー・アルバムをリリース。
12枚目のスタジオ・アルバム『BULLY』のリリースに向け、インディペンデント・ミュージック・カンパニー、gamma.とパートナーシップ契約を締結。

When was the last time Kanye West did anything that put a smile on your face? For much of his fan base (and the general public), those feelings evaporated long before the release of his 12th album, the surprisingly good Bully. Unfortunately for long-suffering day ones who are conflicted by his behavior in the decade leading up to this 2026 return-to-form, its also an album that might not find the ears for which its intended. Resurrecting some of the sonic trademarks that made him one of the most important artists of his generation, West packs in the old-school samples, those pitched-up chipmunk vocals, Golden Age beats for the old heads, and aggressive industrial-tinged production into a listenable, intentional work thats fairly well-executed. While its not exactly equal to any of his catalog classics (i.e. everything up to Yeezus or Pablo, depending on where you draw the line), that old Kanye -- the masterful producer with revolutionary ideas and endlessly quotable bars -- is still in there, somewhere, offering glimpses of the good old days before Ye became such a controversial cultural figure. Kicking off with the pounding declaration "King," West tries to explain himself and face reality ("The hero became the villain now") before announcing, "You know what season it is," as if he too senses that this comeback attempt has a real chance. The menacing, gritty "This a Must" and the clattering, Yeezus-worthy "Father" with Travis Scott complete the thrilling opening trio, as the yearning "All the Love" with Andre Troutman brings some much-needed vulnerability to the affair like something off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That transition leads to the sample-and-nostalgia-heavy "Punch Drunk" and "Whatever Works," which might make the College trilogy fans weep with joy. Tears of a different kind will fall during "Mamas Favorite," another Donda-sampling gut-punch that employs a sample of his late mother from the documentary Jeen-Yuhs. The centerpiece title track addresses his public controversies, acknowledges his faults, and confesses his sins, as CeeLo Green howls over a dramatic, string-packed chorus. To top it off, the unexpected Nelson Muntz sample that kicks it off just takes the track to another level of self-awareness with a knowing wink and a genuine sense of humor thats been lacking in Wests music. So, objectively, Bully could be considered a great late-era Kanye West album. A cynic might say its strategically designed this way to win back his larger fan base, though whether thats enough to convince folks to forgive and forget is another story. ~ Neil Z. Yeung