'Can you feel the light?' Tyler, the Creator shines on 'CHROMAKOPIA'
Tyler Okonma, better known as Tyler, the Creator, does it all, to say the least.
In the past few years alone, Tyler has released multiple fashion lines with his high-end brand GOLF le FLEUR*, opened stores in NYC and London for his streetwear brand Golf Wang, headlined Coachella and was recently announced to be a part of Timothée Chalamet's upcoming film, "Marty Supreme". He topped it all off with his seventh studio album, "CHROMAKOPIA," released Monday morning.
The "CHROMAKOPIA" era began on October 16, after Tyler released an ominous teaser titled "St. Chroma" — the album's opening track. Sonically stressful, visually eerie and slightly reminiscent of Jordan Peele's "Us," the video finds Tyler in a new world confined to black and white.
As the track ends, longtime friend and first-time collaborator Daniel Caesar is invited to sing euphoric backing vocals before a booming instrumental is presented, and the video turns to color before fading to black.
Along with "St. Chroma," the third track, "Noid," was released before the album. "Noid" is nothing like Tyler's past work. Even his bizarre third album, "Cherry Bomb," does not touch this track's level of explosiveness and angsty lyrical approach.
Led by a sample of the Ngozi Family's "Nizakupanga Ngozi," Tyler attacks pervasive fans and paparazzi as he discusses his disdain for notoriety and the ever-present idea that someone is looking over his shoulder. The music video for the song includes actress Ayo Edebiri as an alarmingly obsessive fan, and its filming proves Tyler has left his creative mark on visual media once again.
The album's theme quickly shifts from Tyler's avoidance of fame after the third track. A recurring theme throughout "CHROMAKOPIA" is an unplanned pregnancy.
Tyler introduces this issue in "Hey Jane." In a conversational format, Tyler discusses how he navigates the news in the first two-minute verse. He then assumes the mother of the child's voice in the second verse, echoing Tyler's scared feelings. He paints a scene of a new couple contemplating their fears and how neither is prepared for a child.
"Hey Jane" is overly honest, directly discussing his issues in every line — this is one of Tyler's most intimate songs ever. The rest of the album embraces Tyler's worry about having a child and not being on the same wavelength as the crowd he surrounds himself with.
At the "CHROMAKOPIA" Listening Event hosted in Los Angeles, Tyler described his outlook when recording the album: "People are getting older. Folks having kids and families. And all I got is a new Ferrari, and it does feel kind of weird after a while ... Life is life-ing, and I don't know, I just wanted to kind of just write about stuff that I think about when I'm dolo."
Tyler finds himself lost and alone in his extravagant life, pouring his fears and anxieties into 14 tracks. But, like all Tyler albums, he also knows how to have fun.
On tracks "Thought I Was Dead (feat. ScHoolboy Q & Santigold)," "Rah Tah Tah" and "Sticky (feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne)," he avoids the harsh realities the majority of the album tackles. The first of these tracks, which was one of the few songs teased before the drop, features LA rapper Schoolboy Q and discusses Tyler's position in hip-hop culture, proving how he stays ahead of the game. "Rah Tah Tah" is a rambunctious track with lyrics about his Odd Future and LA roots.
When "Sticky" isn't overflowing with Sexyy Red and GloRilla's energy, it leaves listeners in awe of Lil Wayne and Tyler's boisterous verses. If Tyler were ever to have a song played in the club, this is the one.
Any early fans remember the ever-present theme of Tyler finding his way without a father figure. It's one of the main focuses of his first two albums, but it doesn't reappear until track 12, "Like Him (feat. Lola Young)."
Tyler is once again getting personal, not about love like on "IGOR" or sexuality like on "Flower Boy," but his family. The album follows Tyler's reflection on starting a family and his relationship with his mother, and here, Tyler comes to terms with the truth about his father.
With an arrangement of beautiful synths, Tyler says to his mother, "Mama, I'm chasin' a ghost" and asks himself, "Do I look like him?" Tyler does not get the answer he was searching for, instead, his mother, Bonita Smith, tells him that she takes ownership and not to blame his father.
If "CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST," was enjoying the thrills of fame and adulthood, "CHROMAKOPIA" is Tyler dealing with the troubles of exiting your youth and accepting your place in the adult world. His rapping has never been more confident and comprehensive, as he holds on to his luxurious and glamorous persona while understanding it's okay to be uncomfortable with his place in the world. Tyler is celebrated for his world-building, and "CHROMAKOPIA" invites everyone into his intimate state of mind.
In February, Tyler will embark with openers Lil Yachty and rap-duo Paris Texas on CHROMAKOPIA: The World Tour, starting in the U.S., heading to Europe and returning to the U.S. in the summer.
With four shows in the tri-state area, seeing him this summer is a must for any Tyler fan. The "CHROMAKOPIA" live show will separate itself from every other era of Tyler's, the album celebrating a theme of acceptance.
The clock was winding down, but with two months to go in 2024, Tyler dropped the unmistakable album of the year.
