Tyler the Creator is an artist who has made a huge impact on the community of Hip-Hop. Recently, he released an album that had fans waiting by their screens and headphones just to get one of the first listens. Chromakopia goes into the adolescent life of Tyler the Creator; his struggles with an absent parent, the shock of an unplanned pregnancy, and the overall lessons he learned in his childhood and adolescence. The album release was very anticipated by fans all over the world. Though, we may not have gotten what some expected we did get a well-done album, as Tyler normally does. 

‘St.Chroma’

Chromakopia was released on October 28th, the album begins with St. Chroma featuring Daniel Caesar. This song opens with Tyler’s mother, as most of the songs on this album do, talking to Tyler. For context, in this album, Tyler’s ‘character’ is Chromas the Great who is the conductor of the color orchestra. This song opens that Tyler is ‘making it out’ and that he is the light. In a sense, when you pay closer attention to the song he is trying to represent that he is attempting to build the courage to be honest and intimate. Later in the album, as we will cover, he talks about a mask which has more to do with this. 

‘Rah Tah Tah’

Rah Tah Tah exhibits Tyler as his most ‘aggressive’ throughout the whole album. Though it is depicted as ‘aggressive’ Tyler is actually at his most confident. In this song, he goes to list all the things that separate him from those he knows. He drops a bar, ‘I could never ride no hellcat…don’t cost enough.” This is only one of the examples which he uses, making him seem almost superior to him. With this, towards the end of the song, he goes very little into the fact he is becoming ‘paranoid’ never letting anyone get close to him. This kind of ties into the next song… 

‘Noid’ 

Noid seems to go into Tyler trying to escape the constant privacy invasion from the media. It’s no secret that with becoming a celebrity comes the negative of not having much privacy. In this song, the Nyanja language is used and when it is used it roughly translates  to: 

“When you come to my house, please be respectful because I don’t like talking too much. Talking too much breeds gossip.”  This of course, only adds to what Tyler is already saying about wanting privacy. 

‘Darling, I’

For insight, Darling, I feature. Teezo Touchdown Darling, I open with Tyler’s mom telling Tyler to never tell a woman he loves her if he does not mean it. On the outside, this song is very light-hearted and romantic, but let’s be honest, when is a Tyler song truly what it seems? Darling, I speak on Tyler’s struggle with commitment issues. He speaks about how ‘forever is too long’. In this song, there seems to be a reference to society’s expectations of sexuality. 

Hey Jane

This song is what seems to be a back-and-forth between Tyler and a Woman who seemingly had a pregnancy scare. He speaks on the fact that this woman he had a pregnancy scare with did not know that much and only really shared pleasure with her. When finding out the woman is pregnant he is attempting to find common grounds and how to navigate this. 

‘I Killed You’

I Killed You speaks on the topic of one identity. Tyler is not unknown to this topic as he has written songs about it before. He speaks about this through hair types, when paying closer attention to the song you realize this. 

‘Judge Judy’

The song is setting up a new love interest for Tyler. Tyler goes into intimate conversations with him and this other person seems to have. It seems as you further explore the song he found someone who matches his energy in a sense leaning him closer to commitment. Then, in this song he receives a letter from his new love interest as she explains, what is believed, that she has an illness and it is not getting better. The reason she was so free-spirited and matched Tyler was because she was faced with her own mortality. 

‘Sticky’ 

Sticky features Glorilla, Sexxy Red, and Lil Wayne. Sticky seems to go back to the confident version of Tyler. Sticky is a much more aggressive and in-your-face type of song. 

Take Your Mask Off

This is one of the most crucial songs on the album. It goes into hiding true feelings and identity behind a hypothetical mask. He speaks of four of these ‘mask characters’, a wannabe gangster, a preacher figure who never came to terms with his sexuality, a woman living the ideal family life but individuality is missing, and lastly, a person stuck in a mundane life. This overall, boils down to being yourself and not hiding behind a mask as these characters are. 

Tomorrow 

This song opens with Tyler’s mother begging Tyler for a grandchild. He states he feels selfish for not having children and prioritizing himself. On ‘Tomorrow’, he seems to be more vulnerable and honest. This coming after ‘Take your mask off’ presents Tyler without the Mask. In this song he speaks about how he doesn’t know if to look forward to tomorrow, and if you know Tyler’s music this is very unlike him. He seems to be realizing he is changing and accepting it. 

Though I was Dead

Though I Was Dead features SchoolBoy Q. Thought I was Dead seems like an attempt to put the mask of who we thought he was back on. That mask was where he was most confident and not want to accept that mask he was changing. This is loud and confident as ‘Sticky’ and ‘Rah Tah Tah’, as again, a last attempt. The bridge is Tyler continuing to say he wants to remain as private in his life as possible, behind that mask.

Like Him

This song is now opening the final vulnerability of Tyler. Behind the mask so to speak. It opens with Tyler’s mother similarities between Tyler and his absent Father. Tyler speaks about his father’s absence a lot but this sheds a new light on the situation. The song ends with Tyler’s mom speaking on the fact that Tyler’s father did, in fact, want to be present in his life but his mother ‘made him leave’. The raw honesty between mother and son in this song is so intimate and indescribable. 

Ballon 

Balloon features Doechii. Balloon speaks on how real and raw Tyler is with his career. How he stays in his career for self-fulfillment. He is implying this version of Tyler is even more Vulnerable.

I Hope you Find Your way Home.

With this, he himself feels still Lost but in that hoping to help someone else find their way. This is a beautiful and amazing outro to this perfectly formed album. We all know, Tyler will someday come back with something so ‘perfect’ again but for now, we will continue to appreciate this beautiful album.