Black. Gray. Chrome. And now, chromakopia—the best color of them all. Tyler, the Creator released his seventh studio album titled Chromakopia on Oct. 28, here’s what we have to say about it:
The album starts off with “St. Chroma”, a track focusing slightly on Tyler’s backstory. Shortly after comes “Rah Tah Tah”, a ditty that, already just several minutes in, really showcases the artist’s signature style; a unique blend of Tyler’s catchy beats, renowned rapping manner, and truly unique lyricizing ability. A better one among the rest on the album, “Rah Tah Tah” is definitely worth giving a listen.
The rest of the album 12 other songs further build on this. In fact, this is our biggest takeaway from the blockbuster album. Introducing different song structures, lyrical compositions, and melodic forms, the LP clearly reflects so much of Tyler’s past work—IGOR, Call Me If You Get Lost, etc. Old, yet new; reflective, yet entirely and unarguably original; this is the genius of Tyler’s Chromakopia, regardless of the cultural blowback it has unfortunately faced since its release.
Specifically, there have been many hateful remarks from around the United States and larger world about Tyler’s Sticky track, which features GloRilla and Sexyy Red. In complete honesty, this song is overhated. Many people don’t like this song’s unique features, yet hearing GloRilla and Sexyy collaborate with Tyler was, in our points of view, an interesting change from the rest of the album, and definitely something to look forward to in the future.
On top of this, Chromakopia feels more personal than any of Tyler’s other works. His mother is featured on some of the tracks, and the artist’s in depth deep-dives on some of today’s notable cultural issues is notable, especially to such fans of his previous works as us. Issues concerning his father, paranoia about the lack of privacy that comes with fame, and growing older—all addressed, and in a way both wholly appropriate and deeply revealing of Tyler’s own views.
Overall, the album certainly leaves an impression. A musical amalgamation of so many of Tyler’s signature styles from his past albums, the song collection is one to remember. Album of the year? Perhaps not. But a niche addition to our favorite playlists? Certainly.
