Despite Controversy, Ye’s ‘Bully’ Debuts at No.2 on the Billboard 200

After years of lawsuits and controversy, it appears there is still very much an audience for Ye—or, at least, his music. Bully, Kanye’s long-delayed new album, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, suggesting listeners are, by and large, willing to accept the controversial musician back into the mainstream.

Bully debuted behind BTS’ Arirang, which continues its chart dominance after debuting last week at No. 1, with 187,000 equivalent album units earned in the most recent week of tracking. Ye wasn’t far behind with 152,000 equivalent units moved. Bully finds Ye resurrecting many of the sounds he’s become known for throughout his career, even down to the finely curated soul samples. Over the past several weeks, he’s announced a series of high-profile concert performances, including a three-night run at London’s Wireless Festival this summer, a move that has already caused some sponsors to back out.

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This past week, in Los Angeles, Ye performed two sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium, drawing tens of thousands of fans per show. At one point, taking in the scale of the crowd, he paused to declare: “That’s what 80,000 people sound like… They said I’d never be back in the States. Two sold-out concerts, baby!” Indeed, Ye has been something of an outcast in the mainstream entertainment industry since a series of antisemitic and racist tirades in 2022, culminating in the release of a swastika T-shirt via his Yeezy brand. Ye has since made a number of apologies and, in January, in an interview with Vanity Fair, pointed to complications both with his mental health and a car accident that happened early in his career as the source of his past behavior.

With Bully, an overall safe offering from Ye, he appears to be angling for a return to the spotlight. If the first week’s numbers are any indication, it could possibly work.

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