Every odd numbered year marks the beginning of the anticipation for a new Tyler the Creator album. Known for his wildly successful albums such as Flower Boy (2017), Igor (2019), and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021), Tyler the Creator fans were at a loss when he didn’t release a new one in 2023. But, as we now know, there was nothing to worry about because on October 28th, 2024, Tyler the Creator released his next work, Chromakopia.
While half the tracks are sung by Tyler himself, the other half includes exciting features such as Canadian singer/songwriter, Daniel Caesar; American singer/songwriter, Teezo Touchdown; and rappers GloRilla, Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne, LaToiya Williams, ScHoolboy Q, Santigold, Lola Young, and Doechii. For an album with so many features, it would be hard to miss the fact that each feature truly adds to the composition of each song and continues the narrative Tyler weaved throughout this album.
The album itself is deeply thought out and well put together. Songs such as Like Him, which featured Lola Young, is about the relationship, or lack thereof, Tyler has with his father. Certain lyrics like “She said that I make expressions like him” really ties into the fact that the only thing he has of his father are his mothers faded memories. By the end of the song, we realize through an audio clip voiced by his mother that his father never wanted to be absent from his life, in fact, she takes full accountability for what happened.
“His [Tyler’s] mom telling him that his dad wanted to be there for him really affects everything he’s put out until today,” Junior Ariel Gray said. “There’s been a lot of his songs where he’s expressing his hatred for his dad, and now that’s changed.”
When listening closely to the lyrics, it’s evident through the entire piece that Tyler’s view of his mother has changed when he says things such as, “I would never judge you,” and “Cause everything worked out without him,” which really put into perspective his feelings on the situation. The entire song builds up to the reveal at the end, which, for anyone who has listened to his music and many of the rants about his absent father, is quite the shock, and elicits a feeling many creators aren’t able to capture.
However shock isn’t the only thing Tyler has been able to hit his listeners with. The structure of Chromakopia should be awarded high praise for its creativity. One of the most notable aspects of the album were the transitions between certain songs, some which may be hard to catch. For example, the transition between the second and third tracks, Rah Tah Tah into Noid, cannot go without mention. The second track ends with the word “I’m” which goes into the third track which begins with the word “paranoid” after the phrase “I’m paranoid” was repeated towards the end of Rah Tah Tah. However, this is far from the only instance on the album where Tyler does this. He uses this tactic as well during most other songs, often using similar back tracks in order to pursue a smooth layover into the next song.
It’s interesting to be able to see the tremendous amount of thought and emotion Tyler the Creator put into this piece. He did a very thorough job of highlighting different emotions and moods throughout this album, as well as incorporating a central narrative about navigating adulthood and redefining who you are in your life. With tracks ranging from Sticky, a song that is upbeat and catchy, to St. Chroma, which starts the album off, to something introspective and powerful, such as Like Him, and rounding it all out with I Hope You Find Your Way Home. It has been more than a honor to be able to sit and listen to this, appreciating the artist for creating what I believe is a masterpiece.
