Kanye achieved commercial and critical triumph without apologizing

Evidence

The resulting comeback album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was an incontrovertible triumph. Released on November 22, 2010, it debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and received universal acclaim, including a perfect 10.0 from Pitchfork. Critics hailed it not only as his best work, but as one of the decade’s defining albums. Complex lauded Nicki Minaj’s guest verse on “Monster” as the best rap of 2008–2013. Far from issuing remorseful apologies, Kanye leaned into his villainous image, toasting the world’s “douchebags” and “scumbags” with glee. To promote the album, he directed Runaway, a thirty-four-minute art film shot in the Czech Republic, replete with ballet dancers and references to Greek mythology. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 364