Kanye West has made his most candid statement yet about his marriage to Bianca Censori, with a new song that appears to address their split and reconciliation, as is his long-awaited album. Bully makes its debut at listening parties around the world.
The 20-track record, which is named after Ye, was due to hit streaming services but has yet to appear on any platform.
Instead, fans around the world heard it for the first time at dedicated listening events.
And one song in particular, Ups and downsShe has immediately attracted attention for the frankness with which she talks about the state of her relationship with the Australian-born architect, whom she married in 2022, weeks after her divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized.
In the song, West sings, “Ups and downs, I put you through a lot, I know. Ups and downs. Still, you never let me go.”
He continues: “You said I love you and I love you too. Before I break your heart, I’ll have a heart attack. We broke up, but we made it back. And we’re going to stay together until we fade away.”
The ending sees him pleading, “Don’t let me go. I put you through a lot, I know.”
It’s a surprising admission from an artist whose behavior in recent years, including a series of widely condemned anti-Semitic comments, has put his wife in an extraordinarily difficult position.
West issued an open letter of apology for those comments in January, although the new album’s title track raises new questions about how much he has really changed.
In Bullyhe raps, “I wanna beat someone up like they’re a thug.”
The album may also get you into legal trouble.
West has a history of sampling music without permission, with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne angered in 2024 when he used a Black Sabbath track despite being denied permission.
In Bullya song called I can’t wait samples of The Supremes You can’t rush lovewhile white lines borrows heavily from The Carpenters (They long to be) close to you.
It remains to be seen if the rights holders have signed on this time, and this may go some way to explaining why the album has yet to appear on streaming services.
