A Full review of Tyler, The Creator’s New Album ‘CHROMAKOPIA’

My Review of Tyler, the Creator’s New Album, ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ 

In his 8th album, the confident, brilliant and astronomically influential Tyler, The Creator provides us an immersive glimpse of what rests behind his masked persona. Through his reflective lyrics that discuss his dwindling chances of becoming a father, to his horror-like chants and tribal beats, we become enveloped into T’s mind, and ultimately emerge more whole in our perspectives regarding cultural struggles, fatherhood, and the detriments of fame. In this piece, I will be discussing 5 influential songs from the album, and how I interpreted their meaning in regards to Tyler’s life as well as their larger social implications. 

1. “St Chroma” 

The album opens strong with the electric statement from his very own mother, Bonita Smith, “you are the light. It’s not on you, it’s in you.” She ignites the torch for the eternal flame that burns throughout the album, illuminating the darkest parts of Tyler’s psyche. In floods, the stentorian and grounded chants of “Chromakopia,” which juxtapose Tyler’s steady and monotone whispers, collectively beckon us deeper and deeper into the innermost tunnels of his mind. Suddenly, the beat starts to build on top of its primal foundation into a sound that we can identify, resonating heavily with previous sounds of the artist. The rawness is scorched and his mask comes back on. Finally, the whispering is met with a raise in tone through Daniel Caesar’s voice asking us, “can you feel the light inside? Can you feel that fire?” As the synth builds and the layers intensify, we are introduced to a world of the artist that we have not previously explored. This opening song not only introduces us into the album beautifully, but it reminds us of all of the light we store within ourselves, almost urging us to harness and hold onto it tightly as we explore deeper into the darker themes ahead of us. 

2. “Noid” 

It is safe to say that the transition between the song “Rah Tah Tah” and “Noid” is heavenly. “Rah Tah Tah” was bustling and intense, causing a surge of energy and urgency to pulse through our veins—compelling us to run. And run is what we do, right into the warm haven of “Noid.” The song unfurls softly and is more illuminated than “Rah Tah Tah,” providing us sanction from the dark. However, we still remain paranoid. Though the song maintains a sense of Tyler’s grooviness and Flower Boy-esque sound, there is something resting in the back of the song, building a stable anxiety that we feel deep within our stomachs. Sampling the bright, electric guitar and cultural sound from Zamrock legends, the Ngozi Family’s “Nizakupanga Ngozi,” “Noid” speaks for itself in its message and sound. The song sampled is partially about removing negative energies from one’s life. Not only does it provide a more meaningful context to the album, but it also pairs seamlessly with the modern beats used throughout the song. As a single that was released to promote the album, it is safe to say that “Noid” encapsulates its purpose beautifully. “Someone’s keeping watch” repeating throughout the song, coupled with the familiar sounds of the artist creates a unified effect, allowing the listener to feel as though they are resting behind the scenes with him. It almost emulates this feeling of “yes, we have heard this side of him before,” but there is something deeper that has been hiding underneath his music the entire time, an anxiety brewing underneath his mask. 

3. “Hey Jane” 

The song opens once again with the voice of Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, reminding us to “always, always, always wear a condom,” introducing us to a new aspect of Tyler’s struggle which we will explore at large throughout the next few songs. “Hey Jane” tells its story beautifully, broken into two parts: the man’s perspective and the woman’s perspective regarding pregnancy. Even though the men feel the stress of having to deal with the child, Tyler expresses to Jane how, “you gotta deal with all the mental and physical change, all the heaviest emotions, and the physical pain, just to give the kid the man’s last name?” This song, however, seems to extend its message much farther than a simple dialogue between Tyler and Jane. This song encapsulates the unfortunate reality that exists in such omnipresence throughout our world. Many women in their lifetimes will be met with the dilemma of childbirth; whether or not they are ready, if they truly want it, if they can afford it or if they even had a say in its occurrence. Of course, the song doesn’t explicitly state this dilemma, however, through the quick and unsure banter, we can sense a general anxiety throughout the song which ultimately connects once again to the mood of the album. In its second half, “Hey Jane” gives voice to Jane and effectively every woman who has been affected by pregnancy and all of its implications. With issues like Roe v. Wade very heavy and apparent in our current society, it is very necessary that we tell stories and step into the perspectives of individuals who must deal with these issues in their immediate realities. This song allows us to step into the shoes of Jane and understand how society has failed her and how she has been stripped of an opportunity of motherhood, even when the chance is resting in her very womb. It gives us an opportunity to understand the complexities within modern relationships, careers, politics and quickly-moving time and how this refuses to offer conditions where we can foster a meaningful and flourishing environment to raise our children. 

4. “I Killed You” 

This song is a very immersive blend of cultural experience, black identity, beauty standards, and musical experimentation. Starting off relatively simple with a playful acoustic guitar, we are quickly met with the intense beat of African drums that seem cohesive to the cultural sound prevalent throughout the album. The song is unpredictable and intense, and ultimately leaves the listeners on edge, as we are not sure what sound we will be met with next. The message seems to speak on a very personal aspect of Tyler and his own self esteem. The repetition of the phrase “I killed you” represents this idea of killing one’s cultural identity in order to be reborn into a more socially acceptable form of outward expression. Childish Gambino appears in the song as a more soft and introspective background which juxtaposes Tyler’s intense and angry perspective about the change that he has had to go through to fit into society. Although this song can be viewed more generally as a commentary on how tapping into our own individuality is often frowned upon, it has a very large black influence and seems to fit more specifically within the black experience in America. In essence, it discusses how societal standards have tried to strip African Americans of their identity. As a result, we are met with an intense critique on the unfair standards that our society places on black people and, more specifically, black women. Touching on ideas of hair care and how their cultural identities cannot be housed in the tight spaces of American/Eurocentric standards, we emerge from this song with a more profound understanding of how societal standards limit black men and women and how this theme fits into Tyler’s multifaceted struggle.  

5. “Like Him”

“Like Him,” aside from “Noid,” is one of my personal favorite songs on the album. I feel as though it represents the child inside of Tyler and as a result, this song goes even deeper than what’s underneath the mask—it tells us what’s underneath the skin. It opens with a soft piano, coupled with Tyler singing in a meek and fragile voice, probing his mother on whether or not he resembles his absent father. With the calm beat of the song, it seems as though we are coming face to face with the soft flesh that rests inside of his hard outer shell. This song shows introspection, then abruptly builds into Tyler feeling more mature, but still uncertain, in his relationship with his father. There is a sense of pressure that builds towards the end of the song for Tyler to find out whether or not he looks “like him.” However, this pressure is only partially resolved with a sorrowful voice memo from his mother at the end. Parts of this song are intense and almost ominous, with the voice of his mother repeating “like what” and the eerie sounds that play when Tyler expresses how he feels as though he is “chasing a ghost.” “Like Him” represents the detriments of growing up without a father and the dysphoria it produces in regards to self esteem and ideas about building one’s own family one day. Ultimately, I feel as though the song encapsulates the root of Tyler’s hiding and disillusionment when it comes to his identity. Additionally, this song ties well into the themes seen in “Hey Jane” and “Judge Judy” as they all seem to represent this idea of parenthood and its profound impacts on the individual parents as well as the child.
It is in times like now we must strive to become more multifaceted in our perspectives and understanding the experiences of others, especially of minorities. We exist in a constant fight towards justice and it is through the voices of profound artists like Tyler, The Creator that we can open the minds of the public and provide stories that could resonate with anyone. Tyler’s discussion of topics like race, motherhood, societal standards, and public personas speaks to all of us. Through his experimental style, blending cultural sound to modern music, we grow a deeper understanding of his experience as a black artist in America and how this has influenced his psyche. CHROMAKOPIA is somewhat chaotic and elusive, and yet remains entirely cohesive in its message of Tyler’s inner world. Some of it is inaccessible as it is so personal, but it is through trying to understand these personal forms of expression that we can come closer to identifying our own mask and ultimately traverse through its oppressive, limiting facade.