*Kanye West’s eighth album titled “ye” can’t be discussed in isolation from its tumultuous lead-up; the return to twitter, the Trump endorsement, the TMZ interview. One erratic move after another it felt that Kanye has gone to the deep end – the sunken place.
Kanye’s erratic behavior is par for the course. His contrarian tendencies have led him in hot waters with fans and public at large. What made things different this time around was how it felt like the damage is irrevocable. Releasing the two hype tracks prefacing this project, the troll-like “Lift Yourself” and “Ye vs. The People” fell flat. For some people, these moves got Kanye cancelled indefinitely.
However, on ye Kanye gets to somehow find some grace to share the state of his mind. Each of the album’s tracks feature Kanye being unfiltered, confessing his struggles and shortcomings without the grandeur of his previous work. Wanting to capture lightning in a bottle, Kanye redid tracks on the new album right after his TMZ interview. This shows in the album’s lyrical references which go as recent as the aforementioned TMZ interview and Tristan Thompson’s infidelity.
The album’s short length replicates the formula of Kanye West’s previous production on Pusha T’s DAYTONA. With only 7 tracks that last for 24 minutes, Kanye gets to keep this direct. Working alongside Frequent collaborator Mike Dean, Kanye strips down the production to simple mixes that reflect the rawness of his confessions.
The album opens with “I Thought about Killing You,” a dialogue that Kanye has with himself. Besides discussing his struggles with suicidal ideation, he laments being unable to express himself freely due to fear of public outcry. The track then switches the beat, leading into Kanye delivering a bar about the arrival of “Ye season.” This track’s manic switch-up serves to establish the mental dissonance that Kanye experiences. On a broader level, it establishes the album’s mental health themes that are made even more evident on the cover art.
Throughout the album’s run time, Kanye expresses his fears about the harm he may cause the people he loves. This is evident on tracks like “Yikes” where he calls out for help and on “All Mine” where he fears ruining his marriage. On “Wouldn’t Leave,” Kanye shares the state of his marriage in the aftermath of his disastrous TMZ interview. The song, clearly a quasi-apology to his wife Kim Kardashian West, takes the sentimental path and acknowledges the emotional labor of women who stand by their issue-stricken men. This track transitions into “No Mistakes,” a reaffirmation of the love Kanye holds for Kim. In the same track, Kanye manages to dunk on Drake, calling him “less successful.”
On the album’s second to last track, “Ghost Town,” Kanye goes back into a pensive mood to address his opioid addiction, his image in the court of public opinion, struggles with depression and finding it hard to even love himself. The track stands out possibly due to a moving verse from 070 Shake about the destructive capabilities of one’s ego being akin to self-harming to the point of numbness.
The album closes with “Violent Crimes” in which Kanye shares his fears about the demons that may appear in his daughter’s future. Kanye admission of being complicit in a culture that is toxic towards women is nothing new; it’s a trope followed by rappers who become fathers to daughters. However, the track contains some raw admissions that make Kanye’s concerns feel genuine.
Unorthodox in its short length, ye achieves what it sets out to do: give the listener a tour of Kanye’s head space with an almost uncomfortable proximity. While the album can be given some credit for its frank depiction of mental health, it doesn’t expand much on Kanye’s recent controversial statements. Even then, credit is due for distilling down so many heavy themes into 7 tracks.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
