The artist formerly known as Kanye West, as promised, has deluxe-ified Bully.
Official word of Bully indeed being expanded came with the surprise release of “GEMINI SEASON,” a new track Ye shared in commemoration of his 49th birthday earlier this month. For the visual element of the new track, Ye again turned to his wife, performance artist and architect Bianca Censori, who previously directed the video for “Father,” a Travis Scott-featuring song off the standard edition of his latest solo album.
For the deluxe, the 24-time Grammy winner, soon set to bring his current live run to his hometown of Chicago for two shows at Soldier Field, has given the original album a refresh with new mixes on all the tracks, in addition to two new songs.
Ye’s changes are subtle, but small tweaks in the album’s original mix address fans who felt that Bully felt unfinished. Ye also treated fans to an additional two songs (no “New Body” for all those wondering): “OK” featuring Don Toliver and “MISSION CONTROL.”
Listen to BULLY (DELUXE) here.
While Bully didn’t land a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart, it did open strong at No. 2. Months before its release, Ye made headlines with a full-page Wall Street Journal ad in which he detailed the impact of a months-long “manic episode” that he said “destroyed” his life.
During what he described as a “fractured state,” Ye said at the time, he “gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika.” He went on to affirm that he was “deeply mortified” by his actions, adding that he is “not a Nazi or an antisemite.” He also asked the public for “patience and understanding” as he works to “earn your forgiveness” moving forward.
