Did Taylor Swift just give Kanye West a little inspo on how to pull off a major comeback?
Maybe. Kanye, who now goes by the name Ye, seems to be taking a page straight out of his longtime rival’s playbook before the release of his long-awaited album, Bully.
The American rapper, who earlier this year raised eyebrows with his unfiltered rants on X, controversial red-carpet moment with wife Bianca Censori, and questionable public sightings, has been completely off the grid for months.
While his wife’s been back in the spotlight as she was seen out and about in Australia just last week and has been promoting her new fashion line on social media, the Heartless hitmaker is still MIA.
A calculated silence?
Perhaps Kanye’s disappearance isn’t random at all, instead it’s giving Swift vibes, reminiscent of her strategic vanishing act before dropping her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl.
After wrapping up her record-breaking Eras Tour, Swift gave no interviews, ran zero personal promotions, and was completely off the radar, including no sightings, no social media posts, not even a hint of her whereabouts except her engagement announcement.
The Cruel Summer hitmaker even attended her best friend Selena Gomez’s wedding and fiance Travis Kelce’s game in total secrecy.
Then, when TS12 dropped, it unleashed a flood with the 35-year-old appearing on every other show, interviews and video.
Just as Swift used mystery to create curiosity, Kanye's silence could be doing the same thing, setting the stage for his perfectly orchestrated media takeover that too right before the release of his 12th album.
Kanye might be following in her footsteps, disappearing to amplify anticipation.
The Gold Digger singer's silence is creating serious hype in a way that the lack of content has become content itself with fans wondering Where is Kanye? What is he upto?
In recent months, he has gone completely off the radar: no press, no major social media activity, just an upsetting update on Bully release.
The album’s release date has been pushed back - again. Now, according to an updated countdown on Spotify it will drop on December 12.
For someone who once fed on public attention and headlines, this quietness feels anything but accidental.
If Swift’s approach was all about strategic mystery, Kanye's might be controlled unpredictability, a way of resetting the narrative and letting curiosity carve the path to success.
Interestingly, the saga between the Eras Tour superstar and Kim Kardashian's ex is one of the most legendary pop-culture storylines of the 21st century.
Here’s a quick rundown of how they went from foes to fleeting friends and back to rivals:
2009 MTV Video Music Awards:
Kanye interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video (You Belong With Me) to say that Beyoncé had "one of the best videos of all time." It became a viral controversy and defined both artists’ public images for years.
2010–2015:
They appeared to reconcile publicly as the Stronger vocalist apologised, and by 2015 they were seen talking and even joking together at award shows.
2016:
The feud reignited when the Yeezy founder released Famous, in which he referred to Swifties idol with the lyric "I made that b***h famous."
Swift objected, saying she hadn’t approved the line. Kanye’s then-wife Kim later posted edited clips of a phone call suggesting the Reputation songstress had known about it, leading to huge public backlash against Swift.
2020:
The full, unedited call leaked, proving the Lover singer hadn’t heard the controversial lyric in advance, shifting public opinion back in her favour.
Since then, from reclaiming her masters through her Taylor’s Version albums to breaking records on the Eras Tour, Swift has rebuilt her image.
Meanwhile, Kanye’s career has gone through controversy and plethora public backlash.
Kanye West's recent projects:
Bully, his upcoming 12th album, which has faced multiple delays, is currently scheduled to be released on December 12, 2025.
Several tracks, including Beauty and the Beastand Preacher Man, were released as EPs earlier this year.
In 2024, he and Ty Dolla released the collaborative albums Vultures 1 and Vultures 2.
Donda 2: aka the "lost album," originally from 2022, was officially released to streaming services under the artist name Dondaon April 29, 2025.
Moreover, In Whose Name?: A documentary about Kanye's life and public controversies was released in theaters in September 2025.