There is an epidemic of unfinished “first pressing” or “V1” vinyls that ship out the week an artist drops their album, solely to boost their first week sales
This primarily happens in hip-hop, as a lot of big rap artists can typically wait until the last minute to submit their finalized album, whereas preparing physical units like vinyl and CDs can take MONTHS to complete
So now, instead of being rewarded for supporting an artist on their release week, fans are being punished for it
Artists can go through changes in creative direction often and spontaneously, and that’s understandable
But, it’s unfair to the fans who buy a piece of physical media from an artist they love, only to receive a derivative version of that album in the mail, sometimes without even knowing that’ll be the case before they make the purchase
This is not directed towards anyone specifically, as many major labels/artist teams have implemented this strategy to avoid losses in sales and revenue
I hope Billboard and Luminate can implement a policy to reduce this issue, as I believe that’s the only way this can be resolved
If you took the time to read all this, thank you! I’d love to hear your thoughts
@Jasp3r_0 This album is just middling, I understand people are excited by the newer tracks but they are pretty average by Ye standards.
While the OG bully tracks no longer fit, are altered badly and sound soulless because the vocal performances were poor and require retakes/reinvention
Okay so I’ve had some time to sit with this album and tbh I have mixed feelings
The first 9 track run is genuinely the best thing Ye has done since Donda. The production is awesome, he’s got some funny bars and he seems more or less energetic on the vocals. The only thing I have a problem with is the length of some of these tracks. I wish they were a little longer
I love the mix of soul samples and Yeezus - esque production. The features do their thing too
But the album takes a turn for the worse after that. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard the AI versions of these songs but they just seem so soulless to me. Even when they don’t have AI Ye’s vocals for example on Preacher Man just sound so tired like he’s being forced to record them
Circles is one of the worst songs Ye has ever released and Damn is literally the same few AI lines looped for 2 minutes. Not to mention how they massacred Showtime (also AI slop)
I get there’s always hope they will fix some of these things but on the other hand is it really too much to ask for to get a polished album on release ? This album has been delayed so many times I refuse to believe he didn’t have time to fix all these things before release
Anyway as I said in my first reaction this definitely exceeded my expectations and I can see myself coming back to a good chunk of that first half
@glen_sather@MitchODT@kanyestreams1 He was using burn as a comparison for a good song your clearly trying to direct the argument elsewhere now that your losing your arguments point
The album is pretty good. One of the only downsides is you’re getting into the song but it ends early. Wish some of these songs were a little longer. Even if just 2-3 songs got extended, then it’d make the other short ones a little less noticeable.
It’s definitely an album you want to actually play throughout instead of play-listing songs because of that
@glen_sather@kanyestreams1 E.g. This is a must is 1:27 then listen to the abrupt cut and tell me that’s finished. Clear filler on a basic beat. Also Vultures 1 has Problematic, Back to me, Burn, Beg Forgiveness…
@MitchODT@kanyestreams1 Its a fine album but it doesnt have a song anywhere near All the Love quality. Also not sure what songs on Bully arent finished? Maybe they just arent what you wanted
@kanyestreams1 First half new songs sound like demos All The Love to Punch Drunk are the standouts.
New versions of older bully songs just don’t hit the same with the new sounds, it’s less somber now