Tyler, The Creator’s eighth studio album Chromakopia solidifies the artist as an enigma and a relatable character. His face is masked on the album cover, but the album’s content is raw and honest, with tracks like “Take Your Mask Off” being a direct message about owning your truth. From the top, we are immediately pulled into Tyler’s world, a place of almost no musical boundaries and limited predictability. The first track opens with his mother’s voice before entering into a military-style chant of the album’s title; we are then swept up in a whirlwind of barks, stomps, and a spine-chilling, scream-like synth. It kind of sets you on edge a little, but there is comfort in knowing that Tyler is about to deliver something right from his heart, unfiltered.
Thematically, Tyler opens himself up on this record in a refreshing way. He divulges skepticism regarding his fame; on “NOID” he talks about his constant paranoia that someone is going to break into his house, and on “Thought I Was Dead” he repeats “I’m over this shit” and talks of wanting a simpler life and a house in Atlanta. He also reflects on his relationship with his father. His 2013 song, “Answer” was an unabashed hate track addressing his dad, who abandoned his family when he was young.
On Chromakopia we have tracks like “Hey Jane,” in which he tells a story of impregnating a girl; he is scared to give up his freedom and disappointed in himself for following in his father’s footsteps. And on “Like Him,” we hear a voice memo from Tyler’s mother saying that she is sorry for the way Tyler’s father behaved, they were both young and he wanted to be a part of his son’s life. It fleshes out our understanding of Tyler’s familial relationships and brings his dad-lore full circle. The production is not too far from what we’ve heard in earlier works; “Rah Tah Tah” is a hard-driving, confrontational number, very reminiscent of Cherry Bomb’s “THE BROWN STAINS OF DARKEESE LATIFAH,” while “Darling, I” would not be out of place on Flower Boy. I don’t think there is anything extremely groundbreaking or different from previous works on this album, but, Tyler’s persona continues to evolve, moving from the brash, rebellious figure of his earlier days to a more refined, multifaceted artist.
