Albums to watch

Ye

Kanye West

Ye

Eighth album from the biggest name in rap was streamed live from Wyoming and features guest appearances from Kid Cudi, John Legend, Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign

ADM rating[?]

6.1

Label
GOOD / Def Jam
UK Release date
01/06/2018
US Release date
01/06/2018
  1. 9.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    ye really does what a self-titled album should do: it says “Hey, this is who I am.” Even at 23 minutes, it almost feels like two different albums: an aggressive, dissonant one, and an empathetic, soulful one. Yet, those aren’t the two sides of Kanye, because those things exist in him simultaneously, all the time
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  2. 8.0 |   The Guardian

    The world’s most talked-about rapper is bracingly honest about his mental health struggles – though his attitude towards women still needs work
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  3. 8.0 |   The Arts Desk

    It's like the DMT flash of another world that sears your brain, then is gone and mostly forgotten, rather than the unfolding arc of an acid trip
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  4. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    A meditative seven-track affair that, if skimping of mea culpas, exhibits hints of the self-awareness and empathy of which he has recently been lacking
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  5. 8.0 |   Earbuddy

    There’s more to this album than its dumb cover art, a shadow of a MAGA hat, and a bunch of hurt feelings
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  6. 7.9 |   Gig Soup

    Although ‘ye’ probably will never sit in the upper echelons of Kanye West’s musical legacy, it is by no means a project that is at the bottom of the pile either
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  7. 7.5 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Despite its sometimes grating protagonist, ye is a pleasant enough way to pass half an hour
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  8. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    It’s a prismatic album, reflecting its creator’s entire body of work--and also whatever you think about him going in
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  9. 7.1 |   Pitchfork

    Though it can be somewhat fascinating, it is undoubtedly a low-point in his career
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  10. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    An abbreviated, yet complete look at Kanye, both the highs and the lows
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  11. 7.0 |   Exclaim

    For now Ye only serves as the first foot forward in what should be a twelve-step program
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  12. 7.0 |   Clash

    By no means Kanye West’s finest moment, but it’s a reminder not to count him out just yet
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  13. 7.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Kanye Omari West’s art is made for our times
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  14. 6.7 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    For an artist defined by grandiosity, Ye is frustratingly slight. Now more than ever, Kanye West needed to deliver a bombastic fireworks display. Instead, he’s arrived, amidst a storm of controversy, waving sparklers
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  15. 6.0 |   NME

    Nobody can deny this mini album flirts with brilliance, and feels like a pop cultural moment straight out the gate; we just wish there was a little more to it
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  16. 6.0 |   Punk News

    His influence on pop culture is clear with each release. But Ye doesn’t feel like that reinvention. If anything, this album feels safe, a word I imagine is insulting to the artist
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  17. 6.0 |   NOW

    As he struggles to find his footing in a strange new world, there is still merit in a work like Ye if you can somehow look past the self-destructive celebrity behind it
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  18. 5.5 |   The 405

    Suffers from an abundance of ideas and a lack of follow through
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  19. 5.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    This record is, ladies and gentlemen, a uniquely modern mistake. This man is being indulged to the point of doing irreparable damage to his public image and his reputation
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  20. 5.0 |   Rolling Stone

    The Life of Pablo was chaotic, insecure, yet often brilliant. Ye is more chaotic, less secure, with enough sporadic flashes of brilliance to make you hungry for much, much more
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  21. 5.0 |   All Music

    Ye offers a bittersweet reflection of its creator, who is confused, searching, and at a crossroads
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  22. 5.0 |   musicOMH

    The Kanye West show has already rolled on, but some of the magic of yesteryear has been left behind
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  23. 4.8 |   Sputnik Music (staff)

    At the end of the day it's as hollow as a rich rapper telling you to love everyone over twitter
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  24. 4.0 |   Slant Magazine

    As a chronicle of living with mental illness, Ye is Kanye West's most unsparing work to date
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  25. 4.0 |   Crack

    Suffers from a dearth of profundity, the artist spinning his wheels in the lap of Wyoming wealth, hoping nobody will notice he’s run of out ideas
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  26. 4.0 |   The Independent

    Perhaps if Kanye had simply called ye an EP or a mixtape it would have been passable, a fun little project, but as a 'studio album' it feels like a pointless exercise
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  27. 3.0 |   No Ripcord

    West wouldn’t be the first artist to believe his own hype and have the quality of his work suffer as a result, but ye truly shows the dangers of becoming so famous and untouchable that no one can challenge what you’re doing
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  28. 3.0 |   The Digital Fix

    Ye is on the ropes. His braggadocio waning
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