Tyler, The Creator - CHROMAKOPIA (Album)
Just like that, we get a new body of work from one of the most prolific artists of our generation (yes, I’m aging myself).
Tyler, The Creator said he wasn’t going to drop any new music … just as he was about to drop new music. Not only that, he banned the industry standard of dropping Thursday nights to the shadow realm by dropping his latest album, “CHROMAKOPIA”, at 6 AM on a Monday. Tyler stated he’s tired of music dropping late and right as the weekend sets in. Why not drop early in the week so people can listen at their leisure, on the way to work, or class and all that? Bringing it back to when music would drop Tuesdays. And honestly, I’m not mad at it.
Not only is he catching uncontested ears, I get to sit with it at the end of my work day (my leisure). And best believe I needed to hear “Take Your Mask Off” and “Hey Jane” after the long and productive Monday I’ve had. “Noid” has new life for me here too as I’ve ignored it for the most part. The unlisted features are a fun surprise too ‘cus now I get to hear a Tyler x GloRilla x Sexyy Red x Lil Wayne song sampling Young Buck in 2024.
Ending with “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” as I … head home, is a nice audio hug. And it loops back up to square one beautifully with “St. Chroma”.
Tyler just gets it. “It” being that he can appease fans while pushing himself musically and cranking out projects he seems to love no matter the reception. None of this sounds like a brand new space for him but really many shades of his past and present coalescing into more good music. There’s some rapping over hard-hitting beats like on “Rah Tah Tah”. There’s some vocalizing over cute ballad-esque and airy soundscapes like on “Tomorrow”. And the set-up to it with the aforementioned “Take Your Mask Off” has him hitting three verses of some sincere storytelling before landing on a fourth verse about himself (but also maybe others in similar positions that need to hear it) and taking his own mask off.
I don’t know about y’all but I won’t take him for granted while he’s here. Surely I’ll keep pulling new things with more listens but the first few listens have me sitting happy.
Oh, and I get more ScHoolboy Q so like … yeah … fire … word … go listen to “CHROMAKOPIA”.