Kanye West misses new album release amid mental health crisis

Rapper Kanye West has missed his date for his new album release, leaving many fans of the American artist worried about his well-being amidst a mental health crisis.

Earlier this week, following a series of bizarre tweets, West’s wife, reality star Kim Kardashian West, took to Instagram to share details of his bipolar diagnosis, asking for “compassion” from the public and media as the famous family battled his mental health crisis.

Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness characterised by unusual mood swings between extreme energy and activity and depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While it can be treated with medication and therapy, West has stated in the past that he feels medication stifles his creativity.

In a series of tweets earlier this week, West stated the Kardashian family wanted him institutionalised, while separately posting a photograph with his four kids and saying they would never “do Playboy.”

“I put my life on my God that Norths mom would never photograph her doing playboy and that’s on God I’m at the ranch … come and get me,” he tweeted.

Those tweets were deleted swiftly, however, West continued to speak of his music, saying that he would “focus on the music now” and reiterating that ‘Donda: With Child’, his new album dedicated to his late mother, was coming this Friday. However, the album never met deadline and no further news has come from the West camp on the reason behind the delay or a new date.

Meanwhile, the delay also meant that West did not clash with singer Taylor Swift who dropped a surprise album on Friday, titled ‘Folklore’. West and Swift share a history, with a 11-year feud that started when he stepped up on stage while she was picking up an award at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 and went on to say that Beyonce was a better artist and deserved the trophy.

Kardashian West seeks compassion

West is currently holed up at his ranch in Wyoming, according to his latest social media posts, with several of his celebrity friends, including Dave Chappelle, flying down to be with the rapper as a show of support during his health issues.

On July 22, Kardashian West made a rare statement about her husband bipolar disorder, following the rapper’s behaviour, which included a rambling speech when he launched his presidential campaign that ended in tears, as he revealed he had wanted to abort his now seven-year-old daughter North.

Kardashian West stated she previously didn’t speak up about West’s illness “because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”

“People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try,” she further added, saying: “Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions.”