DAMN Lyrics – Ye | from “BULLY”

This one’s Ye at his most stripped-back alchemist: ethereal keys and echoing ad-libs building to that mantra-like chorus, blending gospel-tinged hip-hop with ambient haze for a sound that’s less bombast, more confessional drift. Clocking under four minutes, it’s all about the wreckage of giving everything—ruining plans with unfiltered feelings, praying against the crash while time slips like a “magic hourglass.”

Themes hit hard on regret’s permanence (“Today will always last / We’re the ones that pass away”), that fragile ask if you made ’em laugh amid the chaos. Self-produced by Ye, it leaked early as one of five BULLY previews uploaded to streamers (ISRC codes and all), sparking frenzy before the official drop. No features; just his voice fracturing over minimal beats, a creative pivot toward vulnerability after the Vultures trilogy’s sprawl.

BULLY itself? It’s a 13-track gut-check inspired by Larry Clark’s brutal ’01 film about teen revenge on an abuser—Ye flipping it into his own bully takedown, nodding to ditching Adidas’ grip and a playground scrap with son Saint that forced a mirror stare. Tracks like the fiery “PREACHER MAN,” the brooding “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,” and closer “LOSING YOUR MIND” promise that signature chaos: experimental soul traps, with one lone guest in Tony Williams on “MISSION CONTROL.” Recorded in Saudi studios and beyond, it’s Ye reclaiming the solo lane—cover art by Daidō Moriyama, merch drops since October ’24. Delays piled up (July ’25 pre-save vibes to now), but those five early leaks, including this, kept the fire lit on X and TikTok, fans dissecting bars like scripture.

Ye’s in full phoenix mode at 48, post-’24 storms and Vultures’ billion-stream flex—he’s the provocateur turned poet, touring Japan teases and therapy arcs sharpening his edge. BULLY feels like the exhale: less rage, more residue, proving he’s still rap’s restless architect, building from the ruins.