Reviewing “Chromakopia”
By: Jordan Sarver-Bontrager
Media Writer
Tyler, the Creator is one of my favorite artists. His blending of hip hop, jazz and R&B throughout his discography is one of my favorite aspects of him as a musician. “Chromakopia” is a follow up to his 2021 release “Call Me If You Get Lost”, which, while a good album, I didn’t feel was as strong as his previous output. “Flower Boy” and “IGOR” are my two favorite albums by Tyler.
“Flower Boy” had very honest lyricism, as did “IGOR”. The latter stands out to me the most – I believe it is Tyler’s opus. The creativity on the record, the lyricism, production, – it’s a near-perfect album.
“Chromakopia” feels a lot like a wounded-dog album, which is a kind of record artists will put out after a period of depression or a traumatic event. Think of albums like Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”, Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago “, Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and my favorite album from last year, “Javelin” by Sufjan Stevens.
The album’s main theme is the anxiety of being an adult. It features voice recordings of Tyler’s mother giving him pieces of advice. The album’s lead single is “Noid”, a song about Tyler’s paranoia about being famous and the feeling of always looking over his shoulder, as his level of fame restricts his privacy.
“Darling” is the follow-up to “Noid”, and it’s about Tyler’s desire to fall in love. It starts with wispy acoustic guitars and transitions into a thumpy R&B track with an excellent feature from Teezo Touchdown. “Hey Jane” is about an incident where he had a pregnancy scare with an older woman and didn’t feel mentally prepared to have a child. It’s a very honest track where Tyler’s anxiety is on full display.
“Judge Judy” is about the complexities of love, told through the story of one of Tyler’s relationships. The girl in the song tragically dies, and there’s speculation as to whether it was from suicide or a brain tumor. I don’t quite know how to interpret it yet. It’s a fantastic song, though, and Steve Lacy (of “Bad Habit” fame) plays guitar on it!
“Take Your Mask Off” is a beautiful song about the masks that people show to the outside world and the pain that comes from not being able to be yourself. “Tomorrow” is about how everyone is changing and acclimating to adult life, and how even though Tyler doesn’t feel like he’s changed much, some of his friends are having children, getting married and moving away, leaving him feeling behind the curve.
The album cruises to its finisher with the defiant “Thought I Was Dead”, the contemplative “Like Him” and the triumphant “Balloon”. We finally arrive at “I Hope You Find Your Way Home”, which feels like an extension of “Hey Jane” where he continues explaining why he doesn’t want children, but feels like at his age – 33 – he should have one. It’s an excellent closing track, and it wraps up the themes of the album in a nice bow.
Overall, I don’t think this is Tyler’s strongest output – that still goes to “IGOR” – but this feels like Tyler at his most honest. The way he expressed himself on this record is commendable, and lyrical honesty is always a mark I look for in an album. The production was great too; every single sound popped out. The album had great features, too; my favorite was probably Doechii’s on “Balloon”. Her screaming on the track is what really stood out to me, and her vocal performance was top notch.
This album has a lot of good going for it, and I think it will be remembered as one of Tyler, the Creator’s best works. With that, I’m feeling an 8/10 on this record.
