Since the beginning of his career, Tyler, the Creator has consistently released his albums biennially. This was up until 2023 when his album following Call Me If You Get Lost was expected.
Many fans were disappointed when December came around that year and all that was released was a deluxe version of his prior album, Call Me If You Get Lost: Estate Sale. While fans were anticipating something musical, Tyler had various other projects in the works, Such as a collaboration with producer, musician, and designer Pharrell Williams. For a spring 2024 capsule collection at Louis Vuitton.
The speculation for a new release came to an end on October 16 when Tyler started the rollout for his new album, Chromakopia. He released a 90-second snippet accompanied by a music video on Instagram.
- St. Chroma
This opening song starts with aggressive marching and chants of the album title “Chromakopia” which then leads into the first verse with Tyler whispering. This intro builds into a choir with Daniel Caesar having standout vocals. This all rises into a climax that at its peak, switches into an aggressive, grimy instrumental contrasting the previous harmonious sound. This song would become the intro track for the album, “St. Chroma.” - Rah Tah Tah
This leading track was a great representation of the wide reach of styles Tyler would pull from his arsenal on this album. The second track on this album, “Rah Tah Tah,” is reminiscent of some trap-adjacent songs from his 2017 release Flower Boy. - Noid
The following track, “Noid,” would have a surprising rock sound with an equally as surprising Zambian vocal sample. On “Judge Judy,” he would use iconic synths that can be traced back to his third studio. - Hey Jane
Tyler explores his future as a potential father after an unplanned pregnancy on “Hey Jane.” He does so by following a dialogue between him and his love interest, Jane. He shows both his and his partner’s fear of having a child through a slightly awkward conversation about plans moving forward. - Sticky
“Sticky” takes great influence from early 2000s Southern hip hop that has previously been equipped by Tyler on “Call Me If You Get Lost;” Tyler gathered features from rappers Glorilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne, all of which have Southern roots. In terms of style, Tyler clearly hoped to create a well-rounded project with its sound. Outside of the sonic attributes, this album possesses many introspective lyrics and profound messages. - Tomorrow
On “Tomorrow,” Tyler shows his anxiety concerning his peers settling down and having children that “they sharin’ pictures of” and says all he has is “photos of my ‘Rari and some silly suits.” - Like Him
This theme of being a father continues throughout the album. Tyler’s mentioned in songs from previous albums about the absence of his father and the resentment he holds against his father.
In “Like Him,” this comes back up when Tyler speaks to his mother about the grievances of never having a father present. He sings grief-stricken lyrics such as “Mama, I’m chasing a ghost” and “How could I ever miss something that I’ve never had?”
His mother then shares life-altering information with Tyler: his dad never wanted to leave him. He was forced out of his life. “You know, it was my fault. Not him ‘cause he always wanted to be there for you … he always wanted to be a father to you,” she confessed on the outro of the track.
“A 10/10”
The album follows a storyline and truly shows Tyler’s experiences and growth as a person from his last album and throughout his career. Overall, this album has encapsulated many of the elements that were present in Tyler’s other works while still remaining fresh and new. The album has a maturity that has only increased throughout his discography. Lyrically and sonically, this release from Tyler, the Creator proves itself as his magnum opus.