Kanye West: Bully Missed the Hit, But Grazes the Target

 

The question everyone had while listening to Bully was just one: Is Kanye West back? After giving the album the spins it deserves, my answer is a resounding yes. Now, to be honest, Bully doesn’t reach the level of his best work. But it also doesn’t come close to the stumbles of his most recent recordings, and that’s a very positive thing.

King opens the album and sounds like a mix of the minimalism of 808s & Heartbreak with the dissonance of Yeezus. That’s good, although hitting that sweet spot between two such opposite albums, so vastly different, is an almost impossible bet to sustain. This Is a Must follows the same line. Another excellent track, but one that doesn’t quite surprise either.

When Father arrives, West brings in Travis Scott, one of the few collaborators still close to him. And the result justifies that loyalty. Father is intense, powerful, and dynamic. It has something of Yeezus, yes, but filtered through a more contained, more intimate sensibility.

All the Love is another impactful piece. There’s that rare ability to transmit emotions from a place of cold, almost robotic electronics, without losing the human warmth beneath the surface. Punch Drunk and Whatever Works, for their part, recall the early years Kanye, with the influence of soul and R&B, and those altered vocals that are his personal signature.

But it’s in the title track where West truly seems to wake up. Bully, alongside CeeLo Green, is almost epic. West sounds at the center of his abilities, and the track has that cinematic density that could easily accompany a Quentin Tarantino scene.

I Can't Wait maintains that level. Epic, deep, and forceful. And yet, something is missing. You miss the unhinged sonic audacity of The Life of Pablo, the brutal provocation of Yeezus, that willingness to throw himself into the void without a safety net. Here West moves with too much caution, staying in familiar territory: emotionality, nostalgia, the safe zone.

Bully is a comeback, but it’s not the stellar return many were expecting. The biggest problem isn’t the quality of the songs but the lack of risk. West is being too cautious, and that takes away strength and dynamism from the album. A lot of people would give anything to deliver an album like this, and that has to be acknowledged. But Kanye isn’t most people. And this isn’t his best work, not even close in his entire career. Even so, This One Here closes the album wonderfully. It will take West some work to regain trust, but Bully suggests he can do it. I have no doubt the album will grow with each new listen, but it’s clear that something was missing. West is far from 100%, but the trend is upward.