Dropped March 28, 2026, Kanye (Ye) West released his twelfth studio album “BULLY.” Relatively silent since “Donda 2,” listeners were ecstatic for his return. Along with the release of the album, West returned to the stage as a headliner on April 1, 2026, at Sofi Stadium. West has not headlined a concert since 2016, and his homecoming (pun intended) was long anticipated.
The setlist consisted of the tracklist from “BULLY” as well as other key tracks from “Graduation,” “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” “The College Dropout” and others. West has brought onstage Don Toliver, Travis Scott and Lauryn Hill. There’s speculation that Peso Pluma will make an appearance due to their collaboration on the song “LAST BREATH” from the album.
Jackson Boyles, a second-year Communications: Journalism major, attended the concert on April 1, 2026, at the Sofi Stadium.
“I found Kanye West in 2020. I literally didn’t know music at all. I like his old stuff, but heard he got banned from the U.S., checked out his new stuff and it was terrible… [buying the tickets] was more of a last-minute decision,” Boyles explained.
West has made an enemy of the public due to antisemitic remarks and a problematic media presence riddled with hurtful rhetoric against the Jewish people and foolish claims surrounding slavery and the Black Lives Matter movement. Regardless of West’s controversy in past years, which Boyles states he does not support, the low prices of the tickets made attending the concert a no-brainer.
“It was probably the best concert of my entire life, genuinely. A lot of nostalgic songs from my high school years, and to hear him live was just [unbelievable],” he said. “He brought out Don Toliver and performed the top song from Toliver’s new album ‘E85,’ which was my top song over the last two months. He also brought out his daughter, North West.”
Though Boyles was thankful to experience the concert, he expressed a bit of jealousy in missing the following performance.
“But compared to the Friday concert, it was not as good… The next day, he brought out Travis Scott, Lauryn Hill, and YG Marley. We should have seen that,” he said.
If you’re not familiar with the music artist Kanye West, use these key albums and songs suggested by Boyles to introduce yourself: the album “Graduation” and the songs “ALL THE LOVE” and “All Falls Down.” However, there is an obligation to point out the Christian responsibility to possibly abstain from this artist and his music. As followers of Christ are called to set their minds above (Colossians 3:2) and to abhor evil (Romans 12:9), to what extent does this translate to the music consumed on an individual level?
Chris Bloedow, a self-proclaimed listener of Kanye for a while, shared how he has phased out of rap.
“[Kanye West] and rap in general has been something I’ve phased out of, mostly because of the themes and the lyrics. I have some friends who say they don’t listen to the lyrics, but I’ve seen it affect me,” Bloedow explained.
In regard to frequency, Bloedow acknowledged the balance he attempts to seek.
“I’ll come back to it from time to time, but I try to make it something I’m not actively listening to or keeping up with,” he said.
As is normal in the pilgrim’s walk with Christ, so much of our behavior is determined by conviction of the Holy Spirit. Unless we’re talking about the explicit nature of the Ten Commandments, the Christian’s discernment is heavily dependent on a living relationship with Jesus Christ and consistent engagement in conversation. If you feel confused or unsure when pursuing music, seek guidance because God is not a God of confusion.
