In true Kanye West style, the controversial artist has taken to X to rebuke rumours that his highly anticipated new album, Bully, was created with AI.
White Lines, King and Mama’s Favourite are just some of the new Kanye West songs set to drop on Friday.
A day ahead of the release date, he shared an image of a handwritten track list with a simple caption.
“BULLY ON THE WAY NO AI,” the rapper wrote.
The post contradicts his previous comments from an interview with Justin LaBoy last year, where he glamorised the “power” of online tools for music.
Videos shared in the interview showed West using Audimee, a platform that helps users transform their vocals using AI.
The artist said artificial intelligence had become a part of his production process in “the same way (he) incorporated Auto-Tune”.
“It’s a tool, not a replacement,” he said.
“When I send a song or a sample to my engineers, I just say ‘JS [sound engineer, John Scott], AI’.”
Amid the confusion, many are questioning whether West is playing mind games with his audience.
“It’s going to have AI isn’t it,” one Reddit user posted after the shock announcement.
For some of his diehard fans, having long-awaited the release means organising tentative listening parties might be more of a priority than analysing his AI use.
West has been teasing (or taunting) the album since 2024, when he previewed ‘Beauty and the Beast’ during a performance in China.
With the original release date having been postponed, the world is well accustomed to his tumultuous album debuts and wild antics.
If you are a Kanye West fan or just the average person on the internet, you’ll be well aware that his career has come with a roller coaster of controversies.
In the past two years, he’s gained widespread criticism over displaying highly-publicised Anti-Semitic views.
In 2025, the artist was banned from entering Australia after releasing a widely condemned song that glorified Adolf Hitler.
Federal home affairs minister Tony Burke made the decision to cancel West’s Australian visa in July after he released Heil Hitler, which has been banned on most platforms.
As a result, the Ye 2026 world tour will certainly not reach our sunny shores.
West penned an open letter in the Wall Street Journal in January, apologising for his offensive remarks and claiming he “is not a Nazi or antisemite”.
He attributed his actions to his bipolar-1 disorder, which he said was the result of a medical oversight following a car crash in 2002.
In June 2024, West’s former assistant Lauren Pisciotta filed a lawsuit against the rapper, alleging he was involved in sex trafficking, stalking, assault and rape.
West has denied all allegations.
The world has been watching this artist wreak havoc for many years now, yet millions can’t contain their curiosity for what this new album may bring.
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