**From Business Insider’s Callie Ahlgrim:**
If you’ve only been reading the headlines about Ye over the past few years (Sexual assault allegations! Antisemitic tirades! A shocking number of explicit references to Hitler!) you might assume his career is dead in the water.
But if you were at SoFi Stadium last week during one of his sold-out concerts, you’d have witnessed a man who’s not only dry and alive, but defiantly perched on top of the world.
Literally: When the artist formerly known as Kanye West returned to the stage last week to commemorate the release of his album, “Bully,” he performed atop a massive globe-like mound designed to resemble our rotating Earth. The set list was packed with hits from across Ye’s career, from the prophetic noughties single “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” to “Heartless,” “Power,” and newer additions to his catalog. He reportedly grossed $33 million in two nights, breaking a record for the Los Angeles venue.
Ye is hoping to continue that financial success abroad, though he’s already facing institutional resistance. He’s booked to headline all three nights of London’s Wireless Festival in July, which UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “deeply concerning,” citing the rapper’s “antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.” The day after Starmer spoke out, Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship of the event, followed quickly by the beverage company Diageo, which owns brands like Guinness, Ciroc, Captain Morgan, and Johnnie Walker. The British charity Campaign Against Antisemitism has urged the UK government to ban Ye from entering the country.
And yet, Ye’s latest appearances stateside prove that even gatekeepers who wield their ad dollars don’t hold the power they once did in show business. Ye is a multimillion-dollar brand unto himself, and there are hordes of fans who are happy to put money in his pocket, whether by seeing him live or supporting his music. Indeed, “Bully” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after selling 56,000 physical copies and amassing over 98 million on-demand streams in its first week. Not bad for a man who seems to generate negative press with every breath.
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**From Business Insider’s Callie Ahlgrim:**
If you’ve only been reading the headlines about Ye over the past few years (Sexual assault allegations! Antisemitic tirades! A shocking number of explicit references to Hitler!) you might assume his career is dead in the water.
But if you were at SoFi Stadium last week during one of his sold-out concerts, you’d have witnessed a man who’s not only dry and alive, but defiantly perched on top of the world.
Literally: When the artist formerly known as Kanye West returned to the stage last week to commemorate the release of his album, “Bully,” he performed atop a massive globe-like mound designed to resemble our rotating Earth. The set list was packed with hits from across Ye’s career, from the prophetic noughties single “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” to “Heartless,” “Power,” and newer additions to his catalog. He reportedly grossed $33 million in two nights, breaking a record for the Los Angeles venue.
Ye is hoping to continue that financial success abroad, though he’s already facing institutional resistance. He’s booked to headline all three nights of London’s Wireless Festival in July, which UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “deeply concerning,” citing the rapper’s “antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.” The day after Starmer spoke out, Pepsi withdrew its sponsorship of the event, followed quickly by the beverage company Diageo, which owns brands like Guinness, Ciroc, Captain Morgan, and Johnnie Walker. The British charity Campaign Against Antisemitism has urged the UK government to ban Ye from entering the country.
And yet, Ye’s latest appearances stateside prove that even gatekeepers who wield their ad dollars don’t hold the power they once did in show business. Ye is a multimillion-dollar brand unto himself, and there are hordes of fans who are happy to put money in his pocket, whether by seeing him live or supporting his music. Indeed, “Bully” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 after selling 56,000 physical copies and amassing over 98 million on-demand streams in its first week. Not bad for a man who seems to generate negative press with every breath.
[Read the rest of Ahlgrim’s analysis. ](https://www.businessinsider.com/kanye-west-comeback-sofi-bully-album-backlash-reactions-analysis-2026-4?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=insider-entertainment-sub-post)
People still like to listen to some of the biggest bangers of the last 25 years
Despite all his problems, EVERYBODY gets nodding as soon as they hear “na, na na na wait till I get my money right”
Proof you can pretty much get away with anything if you have a solid fanbase. Insane.
He’s the most successful black, white supremacist to ever live.
Just proves that cancel culture is largely a placebo.
Yeah, Kanye fans just have low standards and zero morals.
People flock to see if the dumpster fire will explode or just smolder and fizzle out.
just to show cancel culture isn’t real but on the side that people will never be held accountable for what they did especially this big name celebs
He’s such a talented musician, it’s a damn shame he ended up crashing out so hard. But we have to let him go. He’s toxic to society.