In his first full-length album since 2021, Tyler, The Creator released his most introspective album yet, “CHROMAKOPIA,” on Oct. 28.
While much of Tyler’s career has focused on interesting sounds on the production side, “CHROMAKOPIA” marks his most well-written project to date while maintaining the exhilarating instrumentation seen throughout most of his discography.
The opening song, “St. Chroma” starts with a whispered verse from Tyler that’s backed by a stomping percussion arrangement. As the track crescendos, vocals from Daniel Caesar add layers to the build before the song explodes into piano and synth lines, with Caesar continuing to add his vocal talents.
Following is “Rah Tah Tah,” a track reminiscent of Tyler’s previous work, “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.” It features a pounding beat highlighted by scathing synths and Tyler’s passionate rapping. It’s a classic Tyler, The Creator banger, giving the audience an easier time transitioning into the new sound of the record.
The third track, “Noid,” was the record’s lead single. Across the five-minute track, Tyler grapples with his fame and paranoia surrounding his fans. From a production standpoint, the track features pulsing guitar licks accompanied by sweeping synths and soaring vocal melodies.
“Darling, I” is one of Tyler’s best melodic performances, with layered production and bright instrumentation. Lyrically, Tyler grapples with his inability to find love before finally realizing he will never be satisfied by any person like he is with his art.
Tyler then sequences three lyrical tracks in a row. “Hey Jane” tells the story of an unexpected pregnancy from two perspectives, examining the intricacies of the opinions of the mother and father. “I Killed You” is one of Tyler’s most conceptually dense tracks. He uses his treatment of his hair as an allegory for how he interacts with his heritage.
“Judge Judy” is another storytelling masterclass. Tyler gives an anecdote about a person named Judy, with whom he had a brief relationship. The track closes by revealing Judy has passed away, on a verse telling the contents of a letter from Judy to Tyler. One of the saddest moments on the record, lines like “I wasn’t living right until they told me what was left” highlight Tyler’s growth as a songwriter.
Following these tracks, Tyler returns to hard-hitting rap production with “Sticky.” Featuring short verses from GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne, the pounding percussion returns as well as a constantly escalating brass arrangement.
“Thought I Was Dead” is another Tyler banger, including a feature on the front end by fellow Los Angeles native ScHoolboy Q. Tyler’s final verse has one of his best rapping performances ever, highlighted by an engaging delivery that constantly shifts depending on the lyrics.
“Like Him” begins with a simple piano melody before exploding into a massive arrangement of synth, percussion and vocals. Tyler voices his desire to meet his father before closing on a recording of his mother expressing her guilt for forcing Tyler’s father out of their life.
The album closes on another personal track, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home.” Tyler grapples with the struggles he’s experienced in his career thus far before shedding all of his burdens and continuing to affirm himself. In doing so, he doesn’t neglect all of his personal issues; rather, he accepts them as parts of himself and acknowledges that he wouldn’t be as successful without them.
This latest effort displays a massive growth in maturity for Tyler. While there isn’t much development of sound from his previous albums to his newest, the subject matter of his songs has grown, as has his ability to write. “CHROMAKOPIA” doesn’t just mark a new step in Tyler, The Creator’s evolution, it signals a new path in his artistic career.
