ye by Kanye West
Ye ( YAY; stylized in all lowercase) is the eighth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 1, 2018, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Following controversy surrounding an interview with TMZ, West re-recorded all the work on the album, with him completing it over the course of just two weeks at West Lake Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Guest vocals from PartyNextDoor, Ty Dolla Sign, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson, Jeremih, and 070 Shake, among others, are included. West produced Ye with Mike Dean, alongside numerous others. Succeeding the release of Pusha T's Daytona, the album was the second of five seven-track albums produced by West in what were referred to as the "Wyoming Sessions", which were set to be released weekly. It preceded the release of West's collaborative album with Kid Cudi, as Kids See Ghosts, titled Kids See Ghosts. The latter's release was succeeded by that of Nas' Nasir, and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E.. West held a listening party for Ye on May 31, 2018, which was livestreamed from Jackson Hole. "Yikes" and "All Mine" were released as singles in the summer of 2018 in support of Ye, with a lyric video being released for the latter simultaneously with one for non-single "Violent Crimes". Both of the singles attained top 20 positions on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The majority of them drew comparisons between the latter and West's previous works, while other critics had somewhat mixed feelings towards the lyrical content. It was named as one of the best albums of 2018 by multiple publications. Ye gave West his eighth consecutive studio album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200, tying him with Eminem's record. It was also a chart topper in Australia, Canada, Estonia, Ireland, and New Zealand, becoming West's second number one album in the first of the five territories. Top five positions were further attained in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The album has been certified platinum and gold in the United States and the UK by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively.
Kanye doesn’t shy away from darkness or drama on his eighth solo album, written and recorded while holed up with an extended circle of friends and collaborators amid the snow-capped mountains encircling Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As expected, he mentions recent controversies—including that notorious “slavery was a choice” comment—and possibly sparks some new ones, name-dropping the #MeToo movement and Stormy Daniels. Even those headline-grabbing asides, however, don't overshadow what are arguably the most candid lyrics of Kanye's career. His mental health is a constant theme: Kanye confesses to suicidal and homicidal thoughts within the album’s opening minute, then admits he’s bipolar on “Yikes”—but proclaims the condition is “my super-power…ain’t no disability." He praises wife Kim Kardashian for standing by him through "the worst times” (“Wouldn’t Leave”) and reveals how his daughters have changed his views about women (“Violent Crimes"). Like G.O.O.D. Music president Pusha-T’s <i>DAYTONA</i>, released a week prior and produced by Kanye in Wyoming, the album has just seven songs, most under four minutes—his most focused and concise project yet, even with yet another impressive, sprawling guest list (Kid Cudi, Ty Dolla $ign, Nicki Minaj, Charlie Wilson). And the production, as always, is often remarkable: Kanye’s political beliefs may have changed, but his ear for skilfully chopped-up samples and uplifting, gospel-informed vocal arrangements hasn’t.
