“You know what season it is.” After hours of additional mixing and mastering, Ye finally dropped BULLY. And the reception? Pretty damn positive so far. But after the last few years, is an apology and an album enough to get him back into the good graces of the masses? That’s a loaded question.
That said, we spun it to hear exactly what’s been going on. We delved deep into the lyrics and samples, cross-referenced every Yeezy tweet from the last 15 years, the usual. And we came up with our rankings for the 10 best tracks on BULLY.
It was a difficult one, but we gave our reasons below!
10. “DAMN”
Easily the most underrated song on the project, “DAMN” is a sparse, yet emotionally rich Ye specialty. Every album he’s dropped has one of these—“forget the percussion, let’s just build on the melodies and layers until they truly feel it.” And with the objective of this album to be industrial and metallic, but still soulful? It’s executed well.
It’s fire without someone in your ear telling you it’s not.
9. “WHITE LINES” (ft. Andre Troutman)
The sample work throughout BULLY is exquisite. Opting to pull from Stevie Wonder’s live, talkbox-driven cover of Carpenter’s 1970 “Close To You” record, Ye and Andre Troutman expand on the subject matter of the same nature.
Ye has used autotune in damn near every way possible, and did it once again on this one. (Also, shout out to Frank Ocean.)
8. “WHATEVER WORKS”
Is that Ye chopping up more soul? Yessir! The difference is, rather than using the sample as another futuristic endeavor, he takes it waaay back to the College Dropout vibes. Even the vocal delivery mirrors that era.
But rather than seeing it as “The old Kanye,” as people like to say, “WHATEVER WORKS” just shows that he’s always been able to do this. Deciding to take this approach when he wants keeps it refreshing, and we couldn’t love it more.
7. “PUNCH DRUNK”
“Another crazy Ye sample! Wait, did you say that North West produced this?” Yes, you heard that right. The apple clearly doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as Ye’s daughter, North, went absolutely crazy on this beat—possibly the best beat on the project.
Over his daughter’s production? Ye gets in his bag a bit. He discusses political and social issues, many of which he’s discussed before. But even with all of those burdening us, we keep moving forward with love. Even if we’re “PUNCH DRUNK” on it.
6. “MAMA’S FAVORITE”
One of the most integral tracks to the project, as well as where he stands mentally, “MAMA’S FAVORITE” describes some of his perspective on the chaotic events of the last few years. He’s willing to risk everything to see how far things can go. The decisions can be incredibly questionable, but we tackle that more on the title track.
That said, the song wraps up with a snippet of a conversation he had with his late mother, Donda West. And within it, his unbridled confidence is fully explained in a matter of moments.
5. “FATHER” (ft. Travis Scott)
“Am I venturing into the fashion industry? Do you see this coat?!” Ye has always been on a path of expanding any creative field he’s been in, while also gaining more notoriety—for better or for worse. As he mentions, he used to be on WorldstarHipHop, now he frequently appears on NewsWeek any time he takes a stance.
Another artist with his share of public controversy? Travis Scott. The two are frequent collaborators and have continued working together regardless of outside circumstances. “FATHER” delves into worlds and sounds that both Ye and Trav excel in, and it’s an absolute banger.
As of March 30, the music video has racked up over 6.6M views and counting.
4. “SISTERS AND BROTHERS”
Blending industrial percussion, a gospel sample, and nuanced bars, “SISTERS AND BROTHERS” sounds like Yeezus and Jesus Is King pulled up dressed for a Graduation.
Directly after receiving words of affirmation from Donda West on “MAMA’S FAVORITE,” Ye vows to continue his vigilante approach to life. But this time, he’s trying his best to keep his religion at his side.
3. “KING”
For those that hoped he would one day reach back into his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy bag, Ye went into that mode from the jump. The beat knocks harder than the feds, the sample is perfectly placed, and the subject matter is just as Yeezy as ever.
“Guarantee my vice is different than yours was, Drunk off power when I was pouring up/When all y’all treated me like an orphan, The classics turned me to Daddy Warbucks/The stables for the ‘Rarri’s and Porsches, The fame was only getting me more buzzed.”
If “KING” isn’t Ye? We don’t know what is.
2. “ALL THE LOVE” (ft. Andre Troutman)
Way back in 2007, Ye sampled Daft Punk for his classic hit, “Stronger.” Nearly 20 years later, “ALL THE LOVE” feels like it takes direct inspiration from their music, also serving as the most positive and lighthearted Ye track we’ve heard in years.
“ALL THE LOVE” could have existed across various eras in his career, but living on BULLY really gives it a chance to shine. It sounds like redemption and moving forward, highly in part to Andre Troutman sliding with the previously mentioned talkbox vocals, akin to Stevie Wonder back when he was having ‘Innervisions.’
The version on the album is extended from the LP, feeling much more fleshed out, and easily being one of the best tracks BULLY has to offer.
1. “BULLY” (ft. CeeLo Green)
While “ALL THE LOVE” and “FATHER” have more hit potential, “BULLY” (ft. CeeLo Green) does what Ye has done best throughout his career—offers a look into his mental state during the process of crafting this body of work.
The first few lines include “I’ll take the pill, it’s small enough/Too late, my system’s run amok/I want to beat somebody up… Like a bully.” Ye has had well-documented battles with Bipolar I disorder. In his January apology, he expressed how being off his medication was irresponsible, as he was prone to lashing out and moving erratically.
However, he still believes that his approach was significantly worse than his message. The track centers around the idea that it’s worth losing it all to tell the truth—a train of thought that ties tracks like “KING,” “MAMA’S FAVORITE,” and “SISTERS AND BROTHERS” together, painting a vivid, but much more digestible picture of Ye’s current stances on the world.
