One thing that every Tyler, the Creator fan loves about him is that his marketing campaigns are short, sweet, and honest. So when he teased “St. Chroma (ft. Daniel Caesar)” on Oct. 16 with a short video and no other context besides the word “Chromakopia” at the end, fans became very excited for new music. The next day, he officially announced Chromakopia was set to release on Oct. 28, teasing merch and singles up until then. For fans like me, even waiting the short 11 days up until the record came out felt like waiting for the light to arrive after sitting in darkness for nearly three years. It’s safe to say that I went to heaven when the record finally dropped.
Tyler, the Creator is an innovative artist. If you have listened to any of his previous work—whether it’s from his edgelord teenage years or his grown–up melodramatic pop phase—it’s apparent that Tyler has been evolving exponentially in his musical identity. He has crossed genres, played with different themes, and switched between narrative fiction and personal anecdotes on each of his records. Chromakopia is the culmination of all his prior projects, something long–time fans will love, and a good introductory album for newcomers who want to understand the hype.
“St. Chroma” could be Tyler’s best intro track in his entire discography. Tyler starts the track with an inspirational monologue from his mother, saying “You are the light. It’s not on you, it’s in you. Don’t you ever in your motherfucking life dim your light for nobody.” This is followed by a marching sound, the word “Chromakopia” being chanted in the background, and Tyler whisper–rapping as angelic choirs start singing. Daniel Caesar’s feature in the song also creates a heavenly feeling in the chorus. When the motivational chorus finishes, the bass drops and the beat switches; here comes classic Tyler, with his synths and 808s and chaotic beats. The church–like beginning and upbeat middle section combine to let listeners know that the rest of the record is going to be similar: down–to–earth, sing–song hits alongside a few hype songs that will put you in a mood to break shit.
As Tyler hits a senile 33 years of age, he uses Chromakopia to travel back in time and pay homage to his older music; he even gives shoutouts to his old rap group Odd Future on “Rah Tah Tah” and “Thought I Was Dead (ft. ScHoolboy Q & Santigold).” These songs, along with tracks like “Sticky (ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red, & Lil Wayne)” showcase his ability to make dance–worthy, alternative hip–hop that will surely have crowds getting hyped up during his tour. The production is similar to something you would hear on Wolf or The OF Tape Vol. 2, full of lyrics about hating on people, becoming both monetarily and sexually successful, and hyping himself up.
The album as a whole is much more introspective, however. The cover for Chromakopia shows Tyler wearing a mask, and the reasoning for this was revealed in a live performance where he said that “this is the first album where like everything I said is true … it’s so honest, that I think I had to wear a mask of my own face to get some of that shit out.” This is where we see Tyler’s newfound maturity in other tracks off the album. He sings about dealing with an unexpected pregnancy from both his point of view and the woman’s in “Hey Jane.” It deals with the scariness of unplanned pregnancy, the difficult choice of keeping the baby or having an abortion, and the ultimate choice the woman made to raise the child by herself (not that Tyler wanted to be out of the picture). So, there might be a mini Tyler running around out there somewhere!
In “Like Him (ft. Lola Young)” Tyler reflects on his relationship with his mother, specifically noting how she would compare Tyler to his father (who was not present in Tyler’s childhood) when she was mad at him. The twist in this song, however, is Tyler finding out that his father wanted to be a part of his life, but his mom wouldn’t allow it. Tyler’s dad not being in the picture helped motivate Tyler to become the star he is today, and many tracks throughout his discography feature disses on his father. Both new and old fans were shocked by this track, and it holds as one of the most memorable songs on the album due to its raw emotion.
Tyler also keeps a healthy balance between rapping and singing throughout the album. The switch between genres came later in his career when he dropped Igor, a stunning experimental pop record featuring one of his most popular hits, “EARFQUAKE.” While this is a rap–heavy album, tracks like “Judge Judy” and “Tomorrow” exemplify Tyler’s range in musical talent by standing in contrast to the heavier rap tracks on the project.
In short, Chromakopia is a masterpiece in Tyler, the Creator’s discography. A journey through the ages, the album uses sampling from older, international tracks to create a unique production that’s still recognizably Tyler. From tracks that will have you shaking ass to those that will leave you shaking and crying on the floor, the record has something for everybody, no matter which era of Tyler is your favorite.
