Kanye West Performing on Saint Pablo tour. Photo Provided by Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kanye_West_Saint_Pablo_Tour_SAP_Center_11_17_16_5.jpg
Kanye West, also known as ‘Ye’ released his long-awaited album ‘Vultures’ on February 9, 2024, after multiple delays. The controversial artist has been in the news consistently for over a year, leaving devoted fans like myself wondering if he would even make another album. Vultures is a collaboration album with fellow rapper and friend of Ye, Ty Dolla $ign. Although it is a collaboration album, Ye takes the forefront with the album cover being a photo of Ye with his wife Bianca Censori. I have compiled a list of my top 8 tracks from Volume 1 of Vultures.
8.” Problematic”
“Problematic” feels like a mix of different styles of Ye’s discography, specifically “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “Ye”. “MBDTF” has a grand soundscape, while Ye dives into more deep melodic introspective melodies. “Problematic” feels grand while also giving a deep dive into Ye’s lifestyle. Songs where Kanye is saying something and not made for streams or commercial success are some of his best, and “Problematic” can be a perfect case study for that.
7. “King”
“King” has Kanye addressing his controversy while also waving it off. He discusses how he remains on top as a “King,” even with the extreme amounts of backlash he’s received in recent years. He calls out the media by quoting what they have said about him and how it has not affected him in the slightest. He took the hate from the world and created something out of it instead of apologizing and taking it to heart. I genuinely think this is an amazing song when discussing the topic of Kanye and the mistakes he has made in the past.
6. “Paid”
“Paid” has an especially catchy intro and chorus from Ty Dolla $ign, with the opening verse featuring Kanye and Ty going back and forth with experimental voice effects and things I have never heard in a song before. “Paid’s” bridge shines with Ty’s singing portion being very memorable. The outro’s sample is reminiscent of early Kanye’s career and is energetic and a good outro to a great song.
5. “Fuk Sumn”
“Fuk Sumn” follows the blueprint of songs on “Vultures”, with a sample opening it, into a strong hook from Ty Dolla $ign, and right into a feature or a Kanye verse. I believe “Fuk Sumn” gives the best performance in this style with the best Playboi Carti verse on the album and Travis Scott giving a short but solid verse. Kanye’s verse on here is standard but strong, all of this making Fuk Sumn a very strong song and top five on Vultures.
4. “Back to Me”
“Back to Me” has had a very good run on apps such as TikTok with many videos talking about just how catchy it was. “Back to Me” has possibly the most well-known parts of any song in “Vultures”, with the song sampling the well-known characters Jay and Silent Bob with a very iconic line. This line is the selling point of the song, being repeated multiple times by Kanye, and to its credit, it is pretty fun. Freddie Gibbs and Quavo give a strong surprise verse in the latter half of the song. The features on the second half of the song save it from being a funny throwaway song and make it something worth listening to on repeat.
3. “Carnival”
“Carnival” is the largest song in streams off of “Vultures” so far. “Carnival” features verses from both Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, making it Carti’s second of his two features on the album. “Carnival’s” most iconic parts are the samples, with the chorus being the most prominent one with catchy anthem-like lyrics and rhythm. “Carnival” is truly carried by the features, with Rich the Kid especially shining. “Carnival” deserves a high spot on the list for the pure energy of the song, and it showcases Ye’s ability to push featuring artists like Rich the Kid, who gave a verse better than the majority of his recent work.
2. “Do it”
The beginning of “Do it” follows a common trope in Vultures of opening with a sample that will repeat throughout the song immediately into what Ty Dolla $ign does best, a catchy hook. The song is fast-paced and is layered well with a strong base that compliments Ty’s short singing portion. The beat almost sounds like an orchestra, leading into a silence before Kanye’s energetic entrance where he and Ty go back and forth in Verse two. After another strong chorus from Ty, verse three features Compton rapper YG in a short but well-done verse. This song let Ty Dolla $ign shine and that is why I put it in the number two spot.
1. “Burn”
“Burn” gives the shortest, but most memorable, performance overall on Vultures. The chorus and opening half of Burn are very catchy and Ty completely carries it. I catch myself singing it on repeat for hours after this song comes on. Kanye’s entrance into the song is masterful with the line, “Are you not entertained’ repeating into his short but powerful verse creating a perfect transition. I see this song being the best-selling on radio charts shortly with its catchy melody. Ty Dolla $ign shined with his vocals, it was a stark contrast from other songs on the album with a memorable melody, and that’s why I place it as the best and most well-made song on “Vultures”.
Overall I think “Vultures” is a great release and a solid comeback album for Kanye. I am excited to see what he brings next with Vultures 2 and 3 set to release soon.
