California rapper, producer and fashion icon Tyler, the Creator released his seventh studio album, “CHROMAKOPIA,” on Monday.
Since the 2017 release of his album “Flower Boy,” the 33-year-old artist has been known to release albums that have bold aesthetics and genre-fusing musical styles. In “CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler appoints the paranoia associated with fame at the crux of his deteriorating sense of self.
Tyler takes on different personas with each album, ranging from the absurd provocateur of his debut, “Goblin,” to the emotionally bare maniac of his 2019 masterpiece, “IGOR.” “CHROMAKOPIA” is deeply humanistic, as it detours to a world of mirrors reflecting Tyler’s introspections through the lives of ordinary people.
The album opener, “St. Chroma,” featuring American R&B artist Daniel Caesar, begins with a spoken recording of Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, saying “You are the light. It’s not on you, it’s in you.” Among vocal loops repeatedly chanting the album’s title and percussion reminiscent of militaristic stomping, Tyler enters the track with whispering raps and an impassioned flow.
“Noid,” the album’s only single, addresses the barbaric nature of unhinged fans and aggressive approaches from the media. Tyler personifies his paranoia, as he extends it beyond his aggressors and attaches it to his identity in the form of his shadow.
“Someone’s keeping watch / I can feel it in my shadow,” he sings.
While Tyler’s aptitude for colorful instrumentation is less prominent in “Noid,” he vividly portrays the anarchy of living as a celebrity.
Tyler’s anxiety travels from the spotlight to the bedroom on the somber, jazz-tinged track “Hey Jane.” Organized in two lyrical halves, Tyler and a romantic partner discuss their fears of having a child.
“Wow, I’m disappointed in me, this ain’t like me / How could I be reckless? / This ain’t my lifestyle /
Never had no scare in my life ’til now” he sings.
Tyler takes on the role of Jane in the second verse as he details their mutual distress but also echoes their shared endearment for each other. The dialogue between the two is so vulnerable that it seems wrong to eavesdrop.
“Sticky,” featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and hip-hop legend Lil Wayne, is an outlier in the “CHROMAKOPIA” universe. Each featured artist projects playful and at times goofy vocal deliveries atop beats with pitchy horns and stomp-clap percussion. While “Sticky” lacks the rather dense subject matter resonant throughout “CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler finds enough space to shed his past alter-egos and proclaim self-assurance and unabashed pride.
The album’s centerpiece is “Take Your Mask Off,” featuring Caesar and LaToiya Williams. Tyler shares tales of diverse individuals experiencing similar emotions as himself. Euphoric gospel choir vocals conjoin each story with a sense of hope as they sing, “I hope you find yourself / I hope you take your mask off.”
“Like Him” seems so desperate for answers that Tyler replaces his resentment with an emotionally dense pursuit for meaning, only to feel like he is “chasing a ghost.”
While “CHROMAKOPIA” focuses less on the musical excitement of his recent works, Tyler’s cathartic testimony is admirably bare and invitational.
