Kanye West is once again making headlines—this time with the surprise release of his short film Bully and a potential new album on the way. However, as with many of his recent projects, the rollout has been anything but smooth, marred by controversy and heated reactions.

Late Tuesday night (March 18), West took to X (formerly Twitter) to unveil Bully, a short film that shares its title with his upcoming album. The project, which features new music, arrives just weeks after he sparked outrage with a series of inflammatory posts and public spats.

One of the biggest controversies leading up to Bully’s release was West’s decision to include his daughter, North West, in a track—despite reported objections from her mother, Kim Kardashian. Additionally, rapper Iggy Azalea was left fuming when West allegedly attempted to feature her and Playboi Carti’s son in the visuals.

But the drama didn’t stop there. Ahead of the film’s debut, West took aim at several high-profile artists, including Beyoncé, Cardi B, and Kendrick Lamar—even making comments about Beyoncé’s children, which infuriated fans.

Despite the backlash, West remains focused on his business moves. In February, he admitted that his previous string of controversial statements had driven up sales of his merchandise, leading many to speculate whether this latest round of drama is yet another calculated publicity stunt.

However, West has already confirmed that Bully will likely not be available on streaming services, a decision that could hurt its Billboard chart performance and limit its reach.

For fans disappointed by Bully’s exclusivity, West offered an unexpected consolation prize: hints that work on ‘Donda 3’ has begun. The album would serve as a follow-up to 2022’s ‘Donda 2’, which was also released in an unconventional manner, initially available only through his Stem Player device.

Whether Bully succeeds in capturing the attention West is hoping for—or whether Donda 3 materializes in the near future—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Kanye West knows how to keep people talking.