One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Tyler, the Creator is his unwavering commitment to his artistry — to defy every label and expectation placed on him through groundbreaking projects that reinforces a talent not found among today’s mainstream.
In recent years, Tyler’s projects have reflected his various forays into personal avenues — with “Flower Boy” representing a turning point in his maturity and growth, “IGOR” telling his story of love and heartbreak, and “Call Me If You Get Lost” showcasing the rapper at his most braggadocious. Yet, those albums followed a release schedule we’re used to seeing from him: two years apart, with activity scattered throughout. Up until his newest album, fans had felt as though Tyler had stepped away from releasing music for the time being — and his comments that he didn’t intend to didn’t help much.
The first “CHROMAKOPIA” teaser quelled all of those doubts. “ST. CHROMA,” released on Oct. 16, featured a greyscale depiction of a masked man leading troops into a shipping container before exploding into color. Queue the theories: Whether or not Tyler’s return correlated with his recent comments on underground rapper Ian and cookie-cutter, subpar music, what the album was going to feel like, or if the troops in the teaser were secretly the features.
The album didn’t feel that groundbreaking by any measure; but I don’t mean to say that as an indictment. I adore Tyler, the Creator for his production — his ingenious use of jazz and R&B chord theory, his talent in finding and utilizing samples, to his ability to build a world for the listener from the ground up: producing, writing, and displaying his creative mastermind in all the ways it can be seen. Though I liked his last album and would always tune in to anything he was doing, Tyler’s new project feels like a return to who he is, and a return to what makes him great.
Elements of “Cherry Bomb” and “Wolf” find their return in the Pharrell-inspired drum patterns dispersed throughout the entirety of the project, while Tyler’s vulnerability takes the main stage through intimate, storytelling songs like “Take Your Mask Off,” “Like Him,” and “I Hope You Find Your Way Home.” Yet, the project lies within the progression of Tyler as an individual, from the young member of Odd Future, whose talent shone beyond his ways, to the multitalented artist who’s proven his capabilities beyond all measure. He’s remained in the energy of having successfully proven the world wrong by continuing to remain at the forefront of alternative hip-hop through projects that redefine the ways we perceive the genre as a whole.
My first listen of “CHROMAKOPIA” garnered one overarching statement: that Tyler is moving forward by returning to himself. As I continue to replay it throughout the week, I can’t help but feel as though the project embodied Tyler throughout all phases of his career — as an artist who’s believed in his craft so much to always dare to stand against the world. The surprise drops of the teasers, the unabashed visuals, and the album’s release at 6 a.m. on a Monday reflects that once more; and I can’t help but feel reminded by this album of a world in which art is allowed to breathe without the judgment and conformity we’re expected to endure to be accepted. “CHROMAKOPIA” rejects those notions, just as Tyler’s done his entire life.
