Ye on Ye

Kanye isn't trying to apologize for any previous behavior, and he isn't necessarily trying to justify it either. The album artwork of ye is a simple landscape photograph of a mountain range in Montana, where this and several other projects were completed overlaid with a phrase in green: "I hate being Bi-Polar it's awesome." ye, the eighth studio album by hip-hop legend Kanye West is concise. It is comprised of seven tracks and only runs for 23 minutes. In comparison, Kanye's former release, The Life of Pablo, is just over an hour long and consists of twenty songs. This length is similar to that of Pusha T's recently released album Daytona, produced by West. The new trend of these compact records emphasizes quality over clicks. On works this brief, there isn't much room for skipping around, allowing listeners to replay the album time and time again instead of picking a few songs on a significantly longer album.

Ye opens with the brash "I Thought About Killing You," in which Kanye professes that he not only loves himself but is also prone to violent, angry, manic thoughts. It is unclear who exactly Kanye is referring to, although one popular theory is that it is about Dr. Jan Adams, the doctor who performed Donda West's final surgery. However, it seems much more likely that in this opening track on Kanye's album in which he clearly intends to take ownership of the mental illness that has wreaked havoc in his life, the unnamed subject of his malice is his manic side. 

Kanye has struggled publicly and privately with manic episodes. His TMZ tirade is the most recent example of him losing control. Kanye swings from glory, elation and self-admiration to dark, destructive, depressed thoughts. Throughout the years, fans have worried about Kanye's mental health, especially following the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the first album he released after his mother's death. His public behavior became increasingly erratic, most notably after interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 VMA's. He even says on "Yikes," "sometimes I scare myself," but later goes on to relabel his bipolar disorder as a superpower rather than a disability.

Kanye had previously posted a series of tweets emphasizing his newfound intention to spread love, and further, to title his upcoming album "Love Everyone." This sentiment came along with Ye's conviction to not only love, but to forgive Dr. Jan Adams, and to use his headshot as the cover of the album. Adams issued a cease and desist, which Kanye responded positively to.

The original theme of love that Kanye discussed on Twitter is still present, even though he completely redid the album after his disastrous TMZ interview. He takes time to address this interview on "Wouldn't Leave" in which he praises his wife, Kim Kardashian West for staying with him even after he gave her the option to leave him as he most certainly jeopardized both of their careers. He circles back to his love for Kim in the final track, "Violent Crimes," in which he expresses his changed perspective on women after becoming a father.

The track "Ghost Town" sounds like an anthem, but the lyrics reveal it to be a reflection on the difficulty of finding balance. Kanye wants to love himself and be loved in return, but his mania often results in isolation. While the song is very upbeat, its lyrics are fairly dark as 070 croons about self-harm in order to feel something. This destructive behavior ties into the theme of medication, and Kanye's reluctance to be sedated, which prevents his mania, the same mania that results in some of his best work. Kanye feels like a ghost and is not sure how truly alive he is in this artificial state.

Kanye wants to relate to people, to create art through music and fashion, but he is often at war with himself as he tries to ride the waves of his bipolarity. The production, samples, and features all manage to outshine Kanye's verses, which isn't too surprising as he has always been a producer first and foremost. On an album this short, every track needs to be as close to perfect as possible, and every track needs to contribute significantly. That being said, "All Mine" and "No Mistakes" are throwaway tracks that add little to the overall album other than to offer opportunities for features. ye serves as a message from Kanye to himself, to his family, and to his fans. He is trying to make peace with the reality that he needs to be on medication, while maintaining the energy that has made him a staple in the music industry.