Kanye West’s new album Vultures was released on February 9 after multiple delays and controversies. The album did not even show up on many streaming platforms until very late, sending fans into a frenzy about whether the album was delayed again. West collaborated with fellow rapper Ty Dolla Sign on the album, releasing it under the collective name ¥$.
In true Ye fashion, the new album has many controversial statements and themes throughout. While listeners have yet to analyze the album completely, there are plenty of references off the bat for hardcore fans of the legendary rapper. One of the most obvious references in the album is in the song Carnival, where he name-drops pop star Taylor Swift.
Leading Up To The Release Of Vultures
After multiple delays and drama, Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s new album Vultures was released on February 9. The release was preceded by many controversies, especially regarding West’s public image as he was accused of being an antisemitic. Kanye West a.k.a Ye faced considerable backlash when he went on Alex Jones’ show and reportedly praised Hitler.
Kanye West lost out on brand deals with Adidas, GAP, and Balenciaga, and even received criticism from the streaming giant Spotify. Ye seemed to be unbothered by the accusations as he reportedly defended his stance on the issue in the eponymous song on the album Vultures. According to Variety, West addressed the accusations in his new album with equally instigating lyrics that spoke about his feelings towards Jewish people.
The album was announced in August 2023, with an aimed release in December. However, the album faced multiple delays due to various issues. Rock star Ozzy Osbourne claimed that Ye sampled his song with Black Sabbath War Pigs despite Osbourne’s refusal to permit him to do so. He wrote a long note to The Guardian talking about how he felt about the issue.
The album missed its release date of January 12 as well and then a February 9 release was announced. Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign reportedly held a listening party in Chicago for the album, which sold to a packed venue. The duo also organized a listening event in New York City on February 9. While the album was supposed to drop at midnight, there were delays again before the album finally showed on streaming platforms.
Kanye West Name Drops Tylor Swift Again In New Album
There are no Kanye West albums without some controversy. After multiple delays, Ye’s new album with Ty Dolla Sign Vultures finally dropped and there were some new revelations in the songs. Apart from addressing his behavior in the past few years, Kanye West also reportedly name-dropped Taylor Swift in one of the songs.
In the song Carnival from the album, which also featured Playboi Carti and Rich the Kid, Ye names Taylor Swift, saying that he ‘made six Taylor Swifts’. According to the lyrics website Genius, Ye was either saying that he made the career of six different pop stars or that he was worth $6 billion when he still was collaborating with Adidas.
Kanye West and Taylor Swift have had a long-running beef, which started when Ye barged in on Swift’s win at the 2009 VMA ceremony. Swift was on stage accepting her award when Kanye West came onto the stage, took the mic from the All Too Well singer, and proceeded to say why Beyonce deserved the award for Single Ladies (Put a ring on it).
The aftermath of the event was unprecedented as it became one of the most defining pop cultural moments of the decade. Kanye West released a song titled Famous a few years later in which he referred to Taylor Swift and even had a n*de likeness of the pop star in its music video. The video and song were called out by Swift who said that Ye had not taken permission to use her name.
The spat continued for a while, and it looks like Kanye West is back to bringing it up again. The lyrics of his songs still seem to indicate that Ye believes his antics at the VMAs made Taylor Swift the global icon she is now. While it has only been a few hours since the album was released, more Easter Eggs and references are yet to be uncovered.
