After much anticipation, Tyler The Creator has released ‘”CHROMAKOPIA”, his eighth studio album. Dropped on October 28, he subsequently posted “make sure you listen in full with no expectations, no distractions, no checking texts or social media, no letting others paint your thoughts on shit before you get a chance. thank you,” to his Instagram story. In the spirit of this message, I have not listened to much of Tyler’s previous discography to understand “CHROMAKOPIA” as the wonderfully produced, great standalone work of art it deserves to be recognized as.
I admit, I don’t often listen to rap, hip-hop, or R&B. However, Tyler the Creator and his peers within the industry hold my interest in their influence on popular music. There is an advantage to being unfamiliar with Tyler’s music style, as it adds a fresh perspective to a review otherwise tainted by expectations of his discography.
Finishing at 53 minutes, this 14-track odyssey is an impressive addition to Tyler’s repertoire and I enjoyed every second of listening. The black, white, and green aesthetics of “CHROMAKOPIA” align with Tyler’s fashionable eye as he usually creates a visual world surrounding a new release. It is speculated that the masked character he plays is Chroma the Great, inspired by “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster. I commend the theatrical circumstances surrounding the album’s announcement, as Tyler placed green trucks and shipping containers around major cities as well as hand-delivering the vinyl to a fan to promote the album. From its inception, Tyler set “CHROMAKOPIA” up for conversation and hype.
Musically, “CHROMAKOPIA” is cohesive and exciting. The way Tyler utilizes synth, almost-aggressive percussion, sampling from his mother, and military cadences provides a unique listening experience singular to this album. My favorite songs are ‘Balloon (feat. Doechii)’, ‘Sticky (feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red, & Lil Wayne)’, ‘Judge Judy ‘and ‘I Killed You’. Every feature on this album adds something irreplaceable to the song, something I often struggle to feel in music with multiple artists. The transitions are smoothly phenomenal, specifically from ‘Rah Tah Tah’ to ‘Noid’ and from ‘I Killed You’ to ‘Judge Judy.’ While some fans feel underwhelmed or taken off-guard by this stylistically ambitious album, it comes with no surprise as Tyler continually reasserts himself as an experienced producer and talented mixer for creative content.
The conceptual aspects and themes behind the album exude raw energy, giving that categorical vulnerability that Tyler is known for. His lyrics touch on unexpected pregnancies, motherhood, love, upbringing and paranoia. Many of the songs reflect his innermost world, the secretive aspects of Tyler’s persona that he doesn’t often share with fans. An example is ‘Hey Jane’, with the lyrics being a striking conversation between Tyler and an anonymous woman discussing an unplanned pregnancy, “I don’t need the stress, I can do this alone. My mom did it, your mom did it, this ain’t a pride thing. This a more ‘I’d prefer to have peace of mind’ thing. I got my own bread, I don’t need you to buy things, ’cause my needs don’t include your money or status.” The poignant metaphors and melancholy undertone of this song alongside others prove how lyrically gifted Tyler is, imbuing the album with some of his best song-writing to date. His touchingly personal confessions in the tracks add incredible depth to it, almost as if he made this album as a diary rather than to be consumed, with the musical composition being only a bonus to its poetic magnitude.
As an entire work, “CHROMAKOPIA” is the result of Tyler The Creator’s years of artistry and dedication to his craft. It is something new, experimental, and successfully moving. He starts the world tour for “CHROMAKOPIA” in February and is coming to Chicago on June 30. Hopefully, major cities give him the flowers he deserves for this standout album.
