US Music Business

Tyler, the Creator Just Made the Most Grown Up Album of His Career with 'CHROMAKOPIA.' Here Are Our Takeaways.

Author: Editors Desk Source: Complex

October 28, 2024 at 18:06

Tyler, the Creator has just released 'CHROMAKOPIA' his most introspective and endearing album yt. Here are some immediate takeaways.

Moments after debuting his seventh solo album, CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler, the Creator grabbed a mic and contextualized what 17,000 fans inside of the Inuit Dome in inglewood, Los Angeles just heard.

“I’m not the guy I was at 20. People are getting older…Folks having kids and families. All I’ve got is a new Ferrari. And it feels kind of weird. I’m gaining weight, I’ve got gray hair on my chest. Life is life-ing…I just wanted to write about what I think about when I’m dolo.”

This moment perfectly encapsulates this new, more mature era of Tyler, which bloomed with Flower Boy, reached max commercial success with Igor, and soared to new creative heights with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.

Now we have CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler’s most introspective and at times endearing album yet. The album is 4:44 for the aging millennial, with Tyler unpacking what it’s like to have all of the success and accolades one dreams of, without establishing the familial roots. The album is driven by his mother, Bonita Smith, who functions as a spiritual guide and a shining light for Tyler, who is trying to navigate this phase of his life, one that has its blessing—like a $4 million Ferrari—but also clear tradeoffs.

As always, Tyler wrote and produced every song, and also took lead on the creative direction. This also means there’s mostly likely a treasure trove of easter eggs—including what Chromakopia actually means—which we will get to later. In the meantime here are some more immediate takeaways from Tyler's new album CHROMAKOPIA.

Tyler has entered a new mature phase

It can sometimes be a strange reminder, considering Tyler, the Creator has been in the public spotlight since he was a teenager, but the dude is in his early 30s. Sure, he is one of the most famous rappers on the planet, but he still deals with all the same questions that plague your regular 30-something. Is life satisfying? Is work satisfying? Am I already too old to have kids? Throughout CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler tries to reckon with his place in the world, balancing his own wants and desires with those of the people he’s closest to.

Bonita’s presence is all over this album, advising him at different moments. She tells him gems like, “never tell a woman he loves her if he doesn’t mean it” and “to always wear a condom.” Elsewhere, though, she guilts him for not having children, begging him to make her a grandmother before it’s too late. She also tells him how much he looks like his father.

On CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler sounds more mature than ever before, mostly because he admits that being an adult is confusing as hell. He wants to make his mother happy and to honor all the sacrifices she’s made—he’s often spoken about how close they are— while still living the life he wants to live. All that shit feels easy when you’re 16 and your parents seem closer to childhood than old age. When you reach your 30s, though, something changes. —Will Schube

This is easily, Tyler’s most personal record yet

Tyler has become increasingly vulnerable on record over the years, but on CHROMAKOPIA he rarely holds back. This is an album of raw emotion and uncontrollable energy. Sure, he still retains some of that boyish charm and shit-talking charisma, but it’s often sublimated by moments of turmoil and confusion. “Noid” is dedicated to all the ways his celebrity makes him feel unsafe, and “Darling, I” finds T imagining getting all the way to the altar before admitting to himself and his lover that forever seems like a mighty long time.

Tyler sees the way society places a premium on safety and security, how traditional adherences to “family” is rewarded. Tyler isn’t sure what he wants. During one moment, he refers to himself as a “bonafide face seat.” On the next song, he longs for love but admits: “I love this girl though, I hit the gold mine/ I am thinkin' new crib, I'm thinkin' two kids/ Until I get infatuated with a new bitch.” On CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler is unabashed in expressing exactly how he feels at all times. It’s refreshing, and a reminder of his humanity, that this often means feeling multiple ways at once. —Will Schube

Is “Take Your Mask Off” the thematic center of the album rollout?

When Tyler first began the rollout for CHROMAKOPIA earlier this month, the visual signifiers were striking. He was sporting the mask that ended up on the album cover, showcasing sepia-toned promotional clips with militaristic themes. There’s a metallic sheen to the promotion and the cover, a glossiness that appears in the clips before eventually exploding with green color. It’s this shift from black and white to color that reveals itself to be a key tenet of the album. (There's even the title—chroma represents the intensity of color.)

On “St. Chroma,” Tyler’s mom says: “You are the light/ It's not on you, it's in you.” Later on in the song, Daniel Caesar asks: “Can you feel the light inside?”

It perhaps simplifies the unique imagery that populated the promotional campaign, but it’s hard not to draw parallels between the masks that came before the album and the album’s ninth track, “Take Your Mask Off.” On the song, he begins by describing the various “masks” people wear, the things we rock and sport to project the identities we want to be associated with. He raps:

“A good kid, fine home, mom and dad in the pic/ A little middle class money, every Christmas legit/ Family trips, Ivy-bound, and one day, hit the switch/ You ain't wanna be seen as a bitch.”

The situation escalates, the person gets face tats and five to 10 in jail. The chorus?

“And I hope you find yourself/ And I hope you find yourself/ And I hope you take your mask off.”

As the verses progress, he takes aim at various conceptual people like a preacher and a housewife. It’s not explicitly clear, but the fourth verse seems to be Tyler speaking to himself. He raps:

“Boy, you selfish as fuck, that's really why you scared of bein' a parent/ Boy, that therapy needed, I dare you to seek it, but I'll lose a bet.” He concludes with: “Take that mask off and tell 'em the truth, let's talk about it, nigga.”

On CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler spends the album working up the courage to reveal what’s under that mask. ——Will Schube

“Thought I Was Dead” has old Tyler energy

Tyler teased three songs before dropping CHROMAKOPIA: the intro, “ST. Chroma,” “Noid,” and “Thought I was Dead.” Among these, the last song stands out as the most confrontational on the album.

On “Thought I was Dead,” a collaboration with ScHoolboy Q, Tyler addresses Ian, again, expanding on his comments about the polarizing rapper. (I should note he never mentions him by name.)

Interestingly, Tyler not only confronts Ian but also the fans who called him out for being hypocritical, considering the reckless beginnings that engulfed the early parts of his career.

“White boys mockin' this shit and y'all mad at me? Y'all can suck my dick/Pull up old tweets, pull up old t-shirts, all that, I moonwalk over that bitch"

Tyler, then finds a way to bring in the overall theme of the album, which is about growth and maturity, rapping

“T-T changed like the fit got dirty I was young man, then a nigga hit 30.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Tyler remixes his musical palette

Tyler has long been considered one of the most interesting producers in rap, an auteur-like figure who places a premium on each sonic nook and cranny in each of his songs. With Igor and CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler showed a penchant for buzzing synths with heavy-low end and crunching, stadium-rattling drums. The tension between beauty (melody) and power (rhythm) was at the heart of his productions. That trend continues at times on CHROMAKOPIA, but it might be his most innovative and restlessly exploratory collection of beats to date.

“Noid” takes cues from Kanye West’s “Power,” turning a fuzz-heavy jam into a head-nodding rap beat. On “Darling, I,” he pays homage to his hero, Pharrell Williams, with an interpolation of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” which was produced by The Neptunes. “Tomorrow” is a tender acoustic guitar ballad that never drifts towards corniness, and “Like Him” blends the sugary sweet melodies of Flower Boy with a rhythmic shuffle that gives the song a tumbling chaos. “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” floats along with pleasant strings before Tyler twists the screws and ups the tension. It’s a subtle shift, but emblematic of his emphasis on CHROMAKOPIA's small moments. It’s in these little decisions that Tyler showcases his talent as an exacting and precise yet freewheeling and daring producer. —Will Schube

GloRilla! Sexy!! Doechii!!!

Tyler, The Creator confirms no features on 'CHROMAKOPIA' 👀 https://t.co/o4mZdD8PDI pic.twitter.com/2AxfE4gtej
— NFR Podcast (@nfr_podcast) October 26, 2024

Days before the release of CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler teased on social media that the album would have no features. This was either a troll or a misdirect, as more than half the album features collaborators like Daniel Caesar, Teezo Touchdown, and Childish Gambino—an artist Tyler once admitted he hated.

However, the most interesting aspect is how the album is a showcase for some of the brightest women in rap today. The album continues Tyler's tradition of getting the best out of rappers who live on the fringes. “Sticky” is a posse cut featuring GloRilla, Sexxy Red, and Lil Wayne—one of Tyler’s favorite collaborators—and It’s a monster—catchy, riotous, and a little silly. It elicited one of the loudest reactions at the playback last night. Then there’s “Balloon,” which features some of the best rapping on the album, courtesy of Doechii, who has openly expressed her desire to work with Tyler. These tracks are among the daffiest on the album—a compliment—taking unexpected pivots, like when the beat on “Sticky” transforms into Young Buck’s “Get Buck.”—Dimas Sanfiorenzo

"Hey Jane" might become a career highlight

Igor is commonly remembered as Tyler, the Creator’s breakup album, particularly due to the remarkable run of tracks like “Gone, Gone / Thank You,” "I Don't Love You Anymore," and "Are We Still Friends." In contrast, on CHROMAKOPIA, heartbreak largely feels behind him, although he remains introspective. One notable exception is the stunning “Hey Jane,” where he candidly addresses the anxiety surrounding unplanned pregnancy.

The song’s genius lies in its shifting perspectives. In the first verse, Tyler expresses complicated and fearful views about fatherhood, concluding with the line, “Look Jane, it's your choice at the end of the day. Just know I support either way, no pressure.”

The second verse shifts to Jane’s perspective, revealing her own fears as she reflects on aging and the ticking clock of motherhood: “My mom did it, your mom did it, this ain't a pride thing / This a more ‘I prefer to have peace of mind’ thing.”

Moreover, the song exemplifies how the personal can intersect with the political. With the election days away, reproductive rights are at the forefront of many voters’ minds. It’s genuinely affecting to hear Tyler—who typically avoids political themes—enter this conversation in such a detailed, vulnerable way, with clear emotional stakes at its core. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo