Searching for bipolar in Kanye’s albums
STUDY: Garrido-Pinzás AE et al, Br J Psychiatry 2026
Kanye West has spoken publicly about his bipolar disorder diagnosis. This essay from the British Journal of Psychiatry reviewed his albums for signs of shifting mood.
West’s first three albums sound broadly optimistic. That changed with 808s & Heartbreak (2008), released after his mother’s death and a broken engagement. The authors hear depression in its slow tempos, sparse sound, and lyrics of loneliness, rumination, and insomnia.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) followed his 2009 outburst at the Video Music Awards. The album swings between euphoria and despair:
- Grandiosity and invulnerability on “POWER,” alongside hints of self-destruction
- Ruminative guilt and self-loathing
- Maximalist production, including a 35-minute music video
Yeezus (2013) sounds like an irritable manic state, with harsh industrial sound, god-like claims, and attacks on critics. Fragmented output and erratic public behavior followed.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
