On Friday, Feb. 9, Kanye West’s album titled “Vultures” was released to the public. In collaboration with R&B singer and producer Ty Dolla $ign, West has teased this album to be a three part release, with the second volume expected to arrive on March 8 and the third piece following around April 5. The album consists of a multitude of different genres and large names, but the mix’s importance lies beyond just music. 

The album’s release has been relatively complicated, as West has been especially controversial over the past two years. The West that used to be known for making musical sensations, like “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” in 2010 and “Graduation” in 2007, has been replaced by a character who’s mental state is talked about more than their actual music. Rather than drawing attention for being an artist, he’s been drawing attention for his anti-semitic remarks and support for controversial characters. Not only this, but his sporadic communication about his struggles with mental health, as well as his recent divorce from Kim Kardashian and his questionable remarriage to Bianca Censori make him known for much more than just his music. Each new controversy that West becomes the center of overshadows his music, making him an extremely complex public figure. Overall, West has been all over the place, and this first volume of “Vultures” honestly reflects this. 

In relation to all of this, “Vultures” is *almost* a completely coherent album. The mix is generally refreshing and colorful, making it obvious that West and other contributors of the album know what they’re doing. I would even say that certain songs like “Burn” are decent and fan favorites. Even so, many of the featured songs are also almost disorientingly unfinished, random in lyrics, and sporadic in rhythm. Maybe that’s just a preference, and his beats are simply too complex for me to understand, but I would beg to differ. I think it’s crazy how West can get away with lyrics similar to that found in “Paid,” where the line “I’m just here to get paid” is literally repeated for the first 30 seconds of the song. Talk about a lyrical fall off. Not to mention the multiple anti-semitic and extremely controversial lines found throughout his songs, specifically his mentions of certain demographics in “Stars” and “Vultures 1,” as well as a jab at Taylor Swift in “Carnival.” 

It seems as though West just can’t escape controversy, a hot topic figure amongst almost all ages. Some believe that “Vultures” is an attempt to escape his current public image and return to his old golden reputation, an attempt at negating all other criticism and negative perception. Others believe that he’s actually a very unwell man who’s been manipulated by other figures from the shadows. There’s even a theory that his controversial actions are just a publicity act, a way to become even more renowned as an artist. Regardless, it can be agreed that “Vultures” has been one of the most interesting albums of the year.