“Bully” by Kanye West was first announced in 2024 following the release of “Vultures 2,” and there was a lot of history behind making the album. He chose the album name in honor of his 9-year-old son, Saint West.

“My son was playing with some kid, and then he kicked him. And I asked my son, ‘Why did you do that?’ He said, ‘Because he weak.’ And I was like, ‘This man is really a bully right there,” said West in an interview with Justin LaBoy on his podcast “The Download,” explaining how he came up with the album name.

A first version was released on March 18, 2025, called “Bully V1” and consisted of 10 tracks, but was unfinished because of the usage of AI vocals in the songs, which created a lot of controversy on social media. West later released two EPs, one on June 20 and another on June 27, intended as teasers for the final project.

“Bully” features a variety of songs from Kanye’s different eras. Ultimately, this album shows him redeeming himself after the controversy he stirred on social media. It also shows perseverance through how much he has gone through this decade, and that he is trying to improve as a person.

The songs that stand out the most on this album and are considered fan favorites are “Father” with Travis Scott and “All the Love” with Andre Troutman.

“Father” is the lead single on the album and the only song so far with an actual music video. The music video is set in a church and features West alongside other things you wouldn’t typically see there, like people performing stunts and being escorted out by the police.

Kanye’s latest lyrics often mention saying goodbye to his old self and wanting to “wake up” to a newer version of himself.

In this feature on the album, Scott’s lyrics include, “damn, I been wantin’ to stay near you, but, damn, you can’t rob me,” perhaps indicating he wants to be closer to God but is also afraid that God might “rob” him of everything that makes him a very famous rapper.

The lyrics also seem to indicate that this song is very impactful to West and Scott individually, their relationship with each other and their relationships with God.

“All The Love” takes a retrospective approach to his past. Maybe he is leaving his past behind and apologizing for what he said on social media before, which turned audiences against him.

Other songs like “Punch Drunk” and “Whatever Works” are also among the better songs on the album and, similarly, seem to suggest that Kanye is trying not to be like his old self.

While “BULLY” isn’t his best album to date, mainly due to weaker songs like “Circles” and “This a Must,” it is better than his three most recent albums: “Donda 2”, “Vultures 1” and “Vultures 2.” With many beats from his earlier albums, like “Yeezus,” referenced in these songs, this is a step in the right direction for West as a person and as an artist.

I hope he uses this album as a learning process to figure out what he should do next if he wants to get back to what made him famous.