4.5 out of 5 stars
In his most introspective album to date, Tyler, The Creator addresses the foundations of his identity in the sincerely enjoyable “CHROMAKOPIA.” The project explores the ways his father’s absence affected his identity, gives listeners several playlist-worthy upbeat songs and tells stories true to Tyler’s life.
“CHROMAKOPIA” was released on Monday, Oct. 28 at 6 a.m. through Columbia Records, breaking the traditional Friday midnight release date most modern artists use. All songs on the album were written, produced and arranged by The Creator, and the album features Daniel Caesar, GloRilla and Lil Wayne, among others.
My sister has always been a huge fan of Tyler, and I consider myself a fan by proxy. I usually listen to his albums when I get around to it, not the day they release. However, the surprise release and song previews drew me into “CHROMAKOPIA” right away.
There are so many outstanding things about this album, starting with the announcement and rollout. Historically, Tyler, The Creator has only released albums every other year and done an extensive album rollout, complete with a color palette and thorough characterization.
For example, he wore a pink bellboy outfit and carried a briefcase at the 2020 Grammys following his album “IGOR,” alluding to the globe trotter theme of his 2021 release “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.”
“CHROMAKOPIA” was different. Tyler, The Creator announced the album on Oct. 16, just 12 days before the album’s release date. The visuals recall a classic Hollywood noir style in greyscale with pops of washed green, evoking a militaristic aura. The character is just Tyler with a V-shaped afro, a suit fit for a general and his face set in an emotionless mask.
The military theme continues throughout the album, with sounds of marching feet being one of the first rhythms in “St. Chroma.” This character seems to represent Tyler being stuck behind a mask and feeling forced to conform, as though he was serving in the military.
“Take Your Mask Off” with Daniel Caesar and Latoiya Williams builds on the idea that this Tyler character is hiding his truth. The song’s last half is a note-to-self from Tyler to Tyler, voicing his insecurities in the music world and his personal life. His lyrics beg him to reveal his truth and talk about the vulnerability he experiences, something everyone can relate to.
The album addresses Tyler’s lifelong struggles from growing up without a father. On a more meta-level, “Darling, I” with Teezo Touchdown discusses his issues with monogamy and commitment. “Hey Jane” features his hesitancy towards fatherhood when a woman became pregnant with his child.
More overtly, “Like Him” with Lola Young is a tear-jerking homage to Tyler wondering about who his father is and if he shares similarities with the absent man. “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” symbolizes Tyler’s yearning for the return of his father, so he can finally be emotionally complete.
Throughout the album, there are spoken interludes from a woman, presumably his mother or another female family member. In “Like Him” the woman says that Tyler bears physical similarities to his father, and the song ends with the woman taking responsibility for his father not being around, saying, “It was my fault, not yours, not his … And I’m sorry I was young, but he always wanted to be a father to you.”
“CHROMAKOPIA” has other emotional pieces outside of Tyler’s exploration into his experience with fatherhood. In “Judge Judy,” Tyler reflects on his relationship with a free-spirited woman who died young, presumably from cancer. “Noid” is about his struggles with paranoia, especially as a music star who desires a private life.
Tyler also served up some bangers along with his journey of self-discovery. “Sticky” with Glorilla, Sexxy Red and Lil Wayne is an upbeat, club-worthy collab, although I wish the features were longer. “Rah Tah Tah” displays Tyler’s hubris, while “Balloon” with Doechii is more feminine and empowering, exploring Tyler’s bisexuality and meeting Doechii in style.
“Thought I Was Dead” with Schoolboy Q and Santigold seems to be Tyler’s shoutout to his haters. Now that he’s received backlash from Swifties after dethroning Taylor Swift as the number one global artist on Spotify, this song sounds like a preemptive response to the haters.
In his verse, he raps, “Pull up old Tweets, pull up old t-shirts, I’ll moonwalk over that b—-,” and “I’ma crash s— out ‘til my hair white,” indicating his commitment to being himself and clapping back to haters.
I always think an album is more enjoyable when it features Easter eggs from other works, almost as if musicians are citing their sources, which “CHROMAKOPIA” does. “Balloon” samples “Don’t Stop” by Luke, and “Darling, I” subtly samples Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” “Sticky” has some girls yelling “whoop that trick” between verses, a shout-out to the 2005 movie “Hustle and Flow.”
The Creator even includes allusions to his previous albums. A couple songs seem to be a continuation of “DOGTOOTH” from “CMIYGL.” “Noid” acts as a part two to “if you don’t know my grandma name, then we ain’t really dogs,” and “Judge Judy” has two bars that “DOGTOOTH” repeats in its chorus.
“CHROMAKOPIA” is the most personal and authentic album I have heard since Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Artists rarely create top-to-bottom enjoyable albums that dive as deeply into their own psyches as Tyler did with this one. “CHROMAKOPIA” is as relatable as it is personal to Tyler, and I thank him for sharing such a vulnerable project with the world.
“CHROMAKOPIA.” Graphic by Lillian Davis.