Tyler’s eighth album is a captivating journey. It balances bravado and vulnerability, showcasing his artistic strength and enduring eccentricity.
Genre: Rap
Label: Columbia
Release Date: Oct. 28, 2024
Tyler the Creator’s, Chromokopia is a diverse and polished album, self-produced by Tyler himself. It blends various genres, including hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and soul, creating a fully immersive and cohesive listening experience. The album features unconventional beats, synth-based sounds, and layered vocals, often incorporating voice notes and voicemail samples. The album includes features from Glorilla, Sexyy Redd, Doechii, Daniel Caesar, Teezo Touchdown, Lil Wayne, and Childish Gambino. ScHoolboy Q and Playboi Carti. This list right now shows the diversity of the album. The production has clever lyricism, vocally diverse performances, and seamless transitions between the tracks.
“You are the light. It’s not on you, it’s in you’ is the first word spoken in the intro. Bonita Smith, Tyler’s mother, guides the album’s narrative and is the first voice heard on the album through voice notes and voicemails. She is offering Tyler words of encouragement. Like any mother would do. Tyler, in turn, navigates his journey even if it means confronting his fears and insecurities. It also means that he must confront his complex relationship with his father. Then the song instantly turns into a burst of confidence.
Tyler opens up about his relationship with his father in, “Like Him,” as he repeatedly asks, “Do I look like him.” This is honestly one of the saddest songs on the album. The vulnerability he shows makes it one of my favorites too. His relationship with his father plays a big role in shaping who he is. I also saw his identity explored in “Take Your Mask Off,” where he directly says, “I hope you find yourself”. Then in “Tomorrow”, he talks about aging and growing up. The last track, “I Hope You Find Your Way Back Home,” ties this theme together nicely.
In “I Killed You,” Tyler dives into his identity as a Black man, and that’s another one of my top picks for the album. He talks about the history of Black hair as maps, which is such a powerful metaphor as Black people are the. No matter the struggles, he shows how beautiful Black hair-and by extension, Black people- will always be.
So, it turns out Tyler has a softer side as well, and I am here for it! In his song, “Darling, I,” he sings, “Darling, I keep falling in love’, and it’s just so sweet. I really liked this new vibe he’s showing. He also gets into some deeper topics as in tracks like “Hey Jane” and “Judge Judy”, where he talks about women’s rights and bodies. Who knew he could be poetic? It’s a nice surprise.
Tyler’s vulnerability is balanced out with the amplification of his confidence. “You see me bro,” said “St. Chroma” is very evidence of that. Other lyrics that follow that theme is, “Crib so damn big, I need a diaper and a sippy cup’ said in “Rah Tah Tah”, “You want to take what I got, But yall don't get what it takes” cleverly said in “You Thought I was Dead”. And lastly in Sticky, which is another one of my favorites, which is a long and braggy song with verses from Glorilla, Sexxy Redd, and Lil Wayne.
Speaking of good features, Doechii practically outshined Tyler on, “Balloon”.
She raps, Flyest b---h up in the room, I need a cockpit (Need a cockpit) / “. For those of you who do not know, Doechii is a very fashionable female rapper who deserves all the success given to her, and just like Tyler, she is bragging about her flyness and her rap skills. The two share the love of their famousness in this song. But there could be some downside of fame as Tyler has illustrated on “Noid” he is, ““Triple checking to make sure I lock the door” to ensure that he is safe from crazed fans or stalkers.
Chromokopia is a mixed bag for me. While Tyler’s signature style is present in the production and lyrics. Some of the narratives of the songs either felt disjointed or repetitive. It was some cool storytelling though. On the more positive side, as I stated earlier, Tyler is evolving each time. While I may not hit repeat on a couple of songs, I still think they were solid pieces of work.
Tyler is not afraid to say the quiet parts out loud which makes him more unique than other male rappers. He is quick-witted with his rhymes and references, so I have to give him props for that.
The Metacritic score for this album was 85/100, and I have to say this is a fair review/score for me too. If you would like to follow my playlist for all my favorite songs from the albums I reviewed, click here.
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