When Kanye West wrote an apology letter and shared it on the Wall Street Journal, there were lots of mixed feelings. Some people could sense an earnest remorse behind his words. Moreover, there was sympathy and empathy towards his grief, bipolar disorder, and general mental well-being. But others feel his apology doesn’t quite make up for the extensive damage he’s caused over the years. They feel like an ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t immediately rectify everything and assume forgiveness.
However, there’s one other notion that didn’t quite sit right with Kanye West. Some feel that this is a sinister attempt to win back his fans after driving them away for years. He has his album Bully coming out soon, something he’s likening to the iconic Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Naturally, given the timing, there was a lot of skepticism that this was just Ye’s way of trying to drum up some good PR after his previous edgy ways.
However, there’s one thing Ye wants to make absolutely clear: there were no ulterior motives in his apology. When speaking to Vanity Fair in the aftermath of the letter, he stressed that he didn’t need to regain his popularity. Instead, this was an honest attempt to achieve forgiveness from the people he let down.
Kanye West Says His Apology Letter Wasn’t Just to Make Him Look Better
“It’s my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened-to artists overall in the US on Spotify in 2025, and last week and most days as well,” Ye explained. “My upcoming album, Bully, is currently one of the most anticipated pre-saves of any album on Spotify, too. My 2007 album, Graduation, was also the most listened-to and streamed hip-hop album of 2025. This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isn’t about reviving my commerciality.”
Then, Kanye West doubled down on his intentionality behind his lengthy apology. “These remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit. I owe a huge apology once again for everything that I said that hurt the Jewish and Black communities in particular. All of it went too far,” Kanye West admitted.
“I look at wreckage of my episode and realize that this isn’t who I am. As a public figure, so many people follow and listen to my every word. It’s important that they realize and understand what side of history that I want to stand on. And that is one of love and positivity.”
The post Kanye West Shuts Down Idea That His Lengthy Public Apology Was Just a PR Move Ahead of New Album appeared first on VICE.
