On his eighth studio album, “Chromakopia,” released Oct. 28, Tyler, the Creator has once again proved his incredibly unique identity as a deeply multifaceted artist, showing off his singing, rapping, producing and songwriting skills.
There’s been much discourse online about this album being overhyped and “just not that good.” I disagree so strongly. I loved “Chromakopia” so much. The biggest reason for that is I haven’t heard anything close to it before. It’s just so different and new.
Something I love so much about Tyler, the Creator is how truly individual he is. His quirky production and lyricism make him stand out among a crowd of nearly identical rap/hip-hop artists. “Chromakopia” couldn’t show off his delightful quirkiness any better.
My absolute favorite part of this album, by far, is the instrumentals. You will not listen to a Tyler song with some simple, mediocre bass line in the back. No, with Tyler, you will hear everything from tongue clicks to saxophone to step team style stomping. This is an album full of instrumentals that make me want to crank up the volume and bass all the way in my earbuds just to bop my head to the incredibly catchy backtracks.
On top of instrumentals, no album is complete without lyrics, and Tyler sure has some killer lyricism. One of my favorite things about Tyler, the Creator is his ability to be deeply honest and self-reflective in his music, something missing from most modern rap and hip-hop music. This talent is seen more prominent than ever in “Chromakopia.”
On “Noid,” Tyler sings and raps about his struggles with paranoia from fame. On “Like Him,” he sings to his mother about dealing with having an absent father. On “Tomorrow” he sings about the ticking clock to have children and the pressure from family members along with it.
I was constantly blown away by Tyler’s vulnerability, often delivering it through a beautiful and underappreciated falsetto singing voice. Tyler possesses the incredible ability to both sing and rap, something that brings a stunning diversity to his music.
Speaking of diversity, that is another enormous highlight of this album. “Chromakopia” ranges from all-out rap songs like “Rah Tah Tah” and “Sticky” to piano or acoustic guitar-filled heart wrenches such as “Like Him” and “Tomorrow.” Each song is deeply different from the next, something I tend to miss in a lot of modern music.
Tyler also took a quite different approach to the marketing of “Chromakopia.” In an album filled with features from artists such as Lil Wayne and Daniel Caesar, Tyler released the songs without displaying the featured artist, giving the illusion of a solo album.
In a trailer prior to the album’s release, Tyler is followed by multiple men, whose faces were hidden in shadows. This didn’t stop fans from deciphering who the men were, assuming they would be featured on the album. The big standout name was Frank Ocean, who has collaborated with Tyler multiple times in the past. Frank has largely fallen off the face of the earth, rarely being seen. This trailer excited many fans into believing that there would be a Tyler/Frank collab on the album.
Fans were initially deeply disappointed when the album first appeared to be a completely solo album. However, even after the features were updated in the song names, Frank Ocean remained missing, infuriating many fans. It’s saddening how upset the fans are with Tyler at not working Frank into the album. There was clearly a message behind him not originally releasing the features – he wants himself as a solo artist to shine. It’s disheartening to see him constantly be praised or criticized simply based on his work with other artists. Some of my favorites on the album like “Noid” and “Rah Tah Tah” are solo songs. It’s time he is more regarded for his solo work.
Tyler’s weird and quirky lyrics and production are shown bright and clear in “Chromakopia.” He sure knows how to keep it interesting. Whether he’s including samples from his mom, barking or huffing in the background or singing overtop a strangely bouncy electronic beat, Tyler works well with weird.
The quirkiness, diversity and just delightfully catchy songs set this album above many others as one of my favorites so far of 2024. I know I will be blasting this for many months to come. Tyler, the Creator is doing his own thing and I love it.
