After what felt like a decade (when it was actually 3 years – longer than his typical 2-year gap), Tyler the Creator released a new album titled Chromakopia. His preview video on YouTube, “St. Chroma,” got people off of their seats waiting for the album to drop, and their expectations were certainly met on October 18.
The album features a variety of genres of songs – catchy raps like “Sticky” and “Rah Tah Tah,” the typical songs you would expect from Tyler. However, other songs feature his mother speaking at the beginning and singing in a high-pitched voice, bringing out a different side of his style that has not really been seen before. Tyler’s slow songs, including “Tomorrow” and “Darling, I” make the songs feel more intimate than his typical repertoire.
In multiple songs on this album, Tyler’s mother chimes in at the beginning, telling him to be himself – which is exactly what he does through his lyrics. He tells listeners about his successes, references how he didn’t release music after 2 years (and how people “Thought [He] Was Dead”), and even speaks out about his significant other being pregnant with his child in “Hey Jane.” One of his songs, “Take Your Mask Off,” signifies how people should be true to themselves rather than pretending to be someone else – which he clearly does in Chromakopia (Medium).
So what do people think about the album? Senior Landon Maneau shared, “I think if I had to rate it out of 10 I would give it a 7.5,” says senior Landon Manteau. “I liked ‘Hey Jane,’ ‘Darling, I,’ ‘Tomorrow,’ and ‘Judge Judy.’ I thought it could have been better, but it was still a very good listen.” Senior Matt Ostrovky also agrees: “I think the album was really good and really well put together. The features on the album, the way he released it and got everyone hyped, and the actual songs all made it my favorite album of the year.” He also agrees, though, that there were aspects that could have made it a less well-liked album for some of Tyler’s listeners. “I think his style was really experimental on some of the songs so there are people that definitely don’t like a few of them.”
It is, unfortunately, going to be at least another two years – but hopefully not three like this time – for Tyler, the Creator to release another album. However, the songs that makeup Chromakopia can definitely keep us occupied and entertained until then.
