Kanye West, also known as Ye, has become almost impossible to separate from controversy; from selling swastika t-shirts to facing lawsuits from an OnlyFans model, his public persona makes listening to “Bully” complicated before it even starts. With Bully, he seems to be reaching back to the artist he used to be, but not fully committing to it.

Ye’s controversies have lowered the bar for what counts as a “good” album. Even a pretty normal-sounding album without odd or controversial statements can sound like progress. The album tends to constantly lean back into similar sounds and samples from his past, like auto tune from his fourth studio album “808s and Heartbreak,” soul and gospel samples that echo “The College Dropout” and “Late Registration,” and a strong influence and design from the 2012 album “Yeezus.” It almost seems like he’s trying to use what once worked, hoping it would work again.

The album can be beautiful at times, building a slightly melancholic but warm mood and atmosphere. Kanye still has a good sense of making his music with some emotional depth, standing out for its sound and mood.

Some songs like “Mama’s Favorite” have an emotional or even dreamy production feel, the most interactive with its soft synths and gospel samples that give the song that emotional depth. Moments like this stand out because of how intentional and arranged it feels, giving the reader an emotional space.

Kanye comes close to giving that emotional weight with “Punch Drunk.” With a gospel-leaning sample, the song makes a light-weight atmosphere, making it feel cared for, showing the flashy, artsy side that used to define his work.

Unfortunately, Bully also seems recycled, using old elements and not at all innovative. The issue isn’t Kanye just revisiting old sounds; it’s how he’s doing it. Instead of transforming his music into something new, he reuses his ideas in ways that sound like all his other songs.

The recycled example can be found in the gospel samples that look back on Ye’s seventh album “The Life of Pablo,” and his 2019 album “Jesus is king.” What’s different, though, is that it doesn’t give the same energy or impact. The gospel elements in the songs felt bigger and more powerful, but in Bully, the songs lack movement and emotion, making them feel flat and underdeveloped.

This newest album circles around redemption, ego, and public validation, but rarely fully explores them. Kanye acknowledges his flaws, but while he reflects upon them, it seems vague.

“It’s a lot of things that I don’t say / It’s a lot of things that I don’t way,” Kanye repeats in his song “Preacher Man.”

Yet, instead of digging into those ideas, he moves past them too quickly, leaving the album feeling unfinished, admitting to fault while deflecting it. Trying to be both self-aware and defensive makes the album feel underdeveloped.

While the sound gives depth, the lyrics don’t exactly match it. As a result, many of the songs feel like rough drafts rather than fully thought-out statements. Throughout the album, the lyrics don’t follow through, leaving the songs feeling unwritten, thoughts trailing off instead of actually landing.

Overall, Bully shows Kanye’s strengths and limits. It’s less extreme than his recent works but still has moments that remind listeners of his old music, although it doesn’t have the same energy or emotions attached to it. The album seems to be constantly looking back instead of moving forward, like a reminder of who Kanye used to be.

Bully seems like less of a step forward and more like a reflection, reminding listeners of the past without showing where he is going next.

Overall rating: 7.5/10