On CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler, The Creator’s latest project, it seems that Tyler is maturing drastically. It shows through almost all of the songs on this album, as he often favors provocative and sometimes existential lyricism instead of the often face-value and boyish emotional experiences heavily written about on previous albums. In my eyes, he is all the better for it. 

This is an incredibly dense album listeners will be unpacking for years to come, and it prioritizes rock-solid storytelling along with a plethora of memorable songs that stand among his finest.

    The opener, “St. Chroma”, practically acts as a mission statement for the rest of the album. The chanting of “Can you feel the light inside? Can you feel that fire?” on the chorus particularly hints at a freer side of Tyler’s persona that we will see in many other songs throughout the album. 

     The tone becomes much more chaotic and brash in the next song “Rah Tah Tah”, a catchy track calling back to his aggressiveness displayed on earlier projects like his debut album “Goblin.” 

   The next track, “Noid”, sees Tyler confessing his paranoia surrounding his fame and the attention it brings. Noid’s production stands out as stellar and thematically similar to the other songs. 

   A lighter sound returns in the next song “Darling, I”, where Tyler discusses his experiences with love in a much different way compared to his other projects, most notably 2019’s “Igor” (ironic considering the song’s production is done in such a way that would make it right at home on that album). However, he is now much more critical and self-aware while still admitting that he cannot really change this aspect of himself. 

    Tyler’s signature sound continues through “Hey Jane”, a wonderfully-written song about transparency, before returning to the newer production style for “I Killed You”. A persistent, tribal drum beat gives the song a unique and even addictive quality, and the backing vocals from Childish Gambino in the latter half close out the listen beautifully as it segues into “Judge Judy”. Tyler tells the story of a distant relationship with a woman that has since fallen by the wayside. It is yet another showcase of Tyler’s ability to create concise yet fascinating stories (as seen beforehand on “Hey Jane”) and the laid-back, almost sludgy beat puts you in the right mood. 

   The following track, “Sticky”, is one of the few quite weak songs despite featuring a stacked list of features that most notably includes Lil Wayne among others. The verses provided by the features are far too short to leave any lasting impression, and the constant repetition of what is a somewhat annoying chorus leaves a poor taste. 

   Thankfully, Tyler rebounds with the next track, “Take Your Mask Off”, which is likely my pick for the strongest song on the entire record. It, through three separate stories, talks about how people must not mask their true thoughts and feelings for the sake of fitting in, and Tyler raps with such urgency on this song that one can easily tell how important it is to him that this message is brought to the forefront. Gorgeous harmonies and sampling highlight and compliment the lead vocals as well. 

   The last verse, however, sees Tyler being uncomfortably harsh and critical of his own decisions, and it creates a decently somber feeling that becomes even more prominent in the next song, “Tomorrow”, where Tyler wrestles with the idea of retiring and starting a family life. 

     After this contemplation, Tyler returns to a chaotic style with “Thought I Was Dead”, another catchy song that features an excellent and perfectly-used ScHoolboy Q feature. The song’s bold sound gets completely contrasted in the track “Like Him”, a ballad that discusses Tyler’s feelings toward his absent father in a soulful manner. This is another top highlight production-wise, as it builds and builds as the emotion increases. 

   The penultimate track, “Balloon”, offers little in what is such a thematically dense project. As a song it works just fine, but it seems quite out of place on this record, dampening its impact as a result despite featuring another great feature from up-and-coming rapper Doechii. 

     The themes of self-belief and individualistic pride from “St. Chroma” return on the final song, titled “I Hope You Find Your Way Home”. Tender production helps the thoughtful lyricism shine, and Tyler once again implores the listener to stick to their true selves rather than confiding into what others want you to be.

By the end of the record it is clear that Tyler, The Creator has once again lived up to astronomical expectations. Almost every song has so much for the listener to unpack, and it is because of this quality that I can certainly see this aging fantastically as time goes by. In my eyes Tyler’s creative efforts here are only matched by Igor when referring to his musical catalog. As someone who was familiar with Tyler’s work before this (but not a superfan by any means), I eagerly await his next project, knowing well that it will be drastically different yet still immensely satisfactory.