Welcome to CalTimes’s Album of the Week series! We will be reviewing our favorite albums and artists old and new, across all genres. If you have any suggestions, please email us!
Tyler, The Creator, is one of the biggest rappers of our generation. His music stands out from other rappers’ creative use of genre mixes such as hip-hop, neo-soul, jazz, and funk. He is known for innovation in music and live performances. He even has his music festival called “Camp Flog Gnaw,” which has been going since 2012. Many famous artists, such as SZA, Ice Spice, and Lil Yachty, performed at the festival.
Tyler’s music has drastically changed over time, with his first projects being very profane and hardcore rap. This included his time with the LA-based group, “Odd Future,” a young controversial group that contained a rebellious style of music with some lyrics containing very controversial lines that drew criticism from the media. Other famous artists from this group include Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean, both viewed as innovative artists in their own right. Tyler has drastically branched from his roots, and his recent albums, like Grammy winners “Igor” and “Call Me If You Get Lost,” have exhibited intense storytelling and introspection of Tyler’s life. “Igor” is a concept album telling the story of an intense love triangle, and “Call Me If You Get Lost” is a celebration album from Tyler where he sings about his success and the joys of becoming wealthy.
His newest album, “CHROMAKOPIA,” follows the same level of analysis of a part of Tyler’s life; however, it differs from anything he has done before. It deeply examines Tyler’s mind and views his inner problems. It is one of Tyler’s most honest albums about himself, with the storytelling of his life being so personal. Each track gives a rhythmic and catchy lyricism that makes you attached to each song, with each song being instrumentally produced so distinctly yet feels cohesive in the use of synth and hip-hop, creating an overall appealing album.
A few songs, particularly, have caught my attention the most, and I consider them my favorites. Let’s look at a few of those songs now.
The track “Sticky” is a playful song with features from Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red, and GloRilla as track 8. Throughout the song, the artists sing about their self-worth and acknowledge themselves for all the success they have gained. The song reminds me of a lunch-table-rap-freestyle where all your friends add lines to a beat you make. The artists have some clever lines that create a humouristic appeal to the song, where life can be messy, but they know how to be true to themselves.
Track 9, “Take Your Mask Off,” is a smooth, methodic song with blends of rap and R&B that provides a reflective story about people’s tendency to wear a “mask” to hide their true feelings and lives. With characters, Tyler sings about one being a preacher hiding his queerness to also a single mom hiding her exhaustion of raising children and wanting to be freed from it. It lastly turns to Tyler’s issues where he too wears this “mask” from others. The soulfulness and universal message of people wearing these “masks” created this profound song.
The first single and Track 3 from the album, “Noid,” is an introspective song that dives into Tyler’s paranoia he feels as a famous artist. The song has a rhythm that feels suspenseful and helps portray the tone of being watched. Tyler feels like he constantly has to watch over his shoulder and continuously looks around in public, afraid of being stalked. The song is very relevant to parasocial relationships where fans need to be close to artists, and Tyler is honest about the feeling of paranoia with fandoms.
Rating: 8/10
Tyler’s innovation is in this album, and I feel attached to the narratives he sets out to sing. Each track gives me a different type of melody and instrumentals that provide a diverse sound to the album. The main thing I was not a fan of was that the album’s first half was not as strong as the second half, and some of the songs fell flat on me. The album did not feel as good as “Igor” or “Call Me If You Get Lost,” but it is a solid project that keeps me relistening.
