Fatherhood, paranoia, love and fame are at the heart of Tyler, the Creator’s eighth studio album, Chromakopia. The Los Angeles rapper’s album explores changes in attitude, morals, values and maturity over the background of a beautiful mix of modern R&B and old school lyricism. The heavy bass, drums and synth accompany an unconventional sampling of jazz, soul, funk and rock.
Announced via his Instagram on October 16, Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia quickly took the internet by storm with a teaser trailer of the album’s first song “St. Chroma,” leaving many fans speculating about who the albums various features were, the musical and linguistic style that Tyler would take on and the most important question of all: “Is that Frank Ocean on vocals?” While Ocean unfortunately did not make a return on the album, there is still lots to love and appreciate on Chromakopia.
On October 31, only four days after Chromakopia was released, Tyler, the Creator had a surprise pop-up concert in Boston at Converse’s flagship store a few blocks from North Station. The setup of the concert was simple: a green shipping container with the word “Chromakopia” transcribed onto it. This container was placed on top of the small Converse store in front of the headquarters.
“The energy was crazy,” says Belmont High School student Amir Mollineau, who was in attendance, “just great vibes all around.” Tyler performed 12 of the album’s 14 tracks to an audience of Boston fans. This concert was one of four Converse-sponsored shows that also took place in London, Atlanta and New York.
Tyler starts off the album with the lead single “St. Chroma,” working alongside the talented Daniel Caesar to create a track that captivates the audience on the first listen. The song begins with Tyler’s mother, who contributes quotes to tracks throughout the album, reminding Tyler to never “dim [his] light for nobody.” In the first half of the song, Tyler raps in a whispered tone, which creates a rapport with the listener, whereas the second half is explosive, showing Tyler accepting his chaotic nature. Caesar compliments the song with his angelic singing, establishing the tone for the rest of the album.
The fourth track is named “Darling I” and expands on the themes of introspection and confusion found in Tyler’s previous album, Call Me if You Get Lost. Tyler reunites with Teezo Touchdown, who he collaborated with on his 2021 song “RUNITUP,” who gives the track an R&B feel. In the song, Tyler reveals to his partner that he doesn’t feel he can commit to one person. The song is both slow and upbeat, giving it an unapologetic sound and showing the listener Tyler has no regrets about this aspect of himself. The song also shows a bit of a new side to the Creator, as Xavier Chodkowski (II) remarks, “I liked his vocals on the song […] I thought it was a little different from what he normally does as an artist.”
Halfway through the album, Tyler showcases his heavy lyricism and storytelling ability over a steady and consistent beat on “Hey Jane” which mirrors his previous work in “WILSHIRE” from Call Me if You Get Lost. In the track, Tyler takes a deep dive into two sides of a relationship and conversation after he had gotten a woman pregnant. In the first half of the song, Tyler talks from his own perspective of the event, explaining the foundation of their relationship and his own thoughts on the woman and the pregnancy. He heavily hints throughout the track that he is either not ready or unwilling to be a father at this point in his life, but at the end of the first verse, he accepts that it is the woman’s choice whether to keep the child or not.
The second verse explores the woman’s perspective on the pregnancy as she goes into detail about her feelings about motherhood. Tyler himself worries due to her age, suggesting this might be her last chance to have a child. The track ends uncertain of the fate of the child and the pair but shows off how Tyler can make both R&B hits as well as storytelling masterpieces.
On Chromakopia’s 12th track “Like Him,” Tyler once again gets extremely personal and intimate with the audience. In the song, Tyler narrates his own struggle and experience of having an absent father. The listener gets a glimpse into the musician’s mind as he is constantly compared and contrasted to a man he never knew, met and would ultimately never understand. This is presented to the listener through a repeating question in the instrumentals which asks the audience and himself “do I look like him?” Similarly, this track shares a strong connection to the song “Answer” on Tyler’s 2013 album Wolf, which also analyzes the relationship with his dad ten years prior. The first half of the track is fit with soft instrumentals and a simple chorus. In the second half, however, as Andy Tran (II) puts it, “the instrumental and music really take over,” as beautiful vocals and melodies from Lola Young take control and lead the song into an emotional intense finish.
Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia is a great addition to the artist’s discography. Channeling past styles and themes while creating new worlds and experiences, Chromakopia is a phenomenal album that takes us further into the mind of Tyler. Fans eager for more of his content can watch his Camp Flog Gnaw performances while waiting for the Chromakopia World Tour in 2025.
