A masked man eerily stomps to a dull noir background. When American rapper Tyler, the Creator, released his seventh studio album “Chromakopia,” his first in three years, it instantly hit the Billboards. The highly awaited record hit streaming services on an unusual Monday, Oct 28, 2024.
A vibrant green truck painted CHROMAKOPIA, a genius marketing strategy, drove around the United States and attracted new listeners. They were spotted in various locations: Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Tyler’s hometown, Hawthorne, California. Ardent fans tracked the truck and awaited its arrival to their town. The truck, characterized by its signature font, is also featured on the album cover.
“Chromakopia” delved into Tyler’s personal struggles: paranoia from intense public attention and the dichotomy between his Nigerian heritage and estranged dad. The title track “Noid” — derived from the word paranoid — features his anxiety from nosy neighbors to paparazzi. The lyrics, “I think my neighbors want me dead […] triple checkin’ if I locked the door” reveal Tyler’s social anxiety and skepticism of others and their intent. Additionally, the piece’s music video starts with the masked protagonist St. Chroma, and three profiles in traditional Nigerian attire — a touch of his hometown.
Frankly, I completely forgot about the album drop on the day of its release. 30 minutes later, after notice from a friend, I took a first run through “Chromakopia.” Surprisingly, not many tracks met my high expectations. On the first listen, I only found three emotive tracks: “Darling, I,” “Take Your Mask Off” and “Tomorrow.” I spent time with “Darling, I” which initially met me with an easy tune about the romantic bliss of falling in love. On repeat, the song revealed its hidden message: Tyler’s doubt about monogamous relationships and societal pressure to conform to such partnerships. He recognizes that exclusivity may not fulfill all of his desires. The taboo subject of polygamy took me aback and had me shift uncomfortably in my seat. Despite my familiarity with his quirky persona and angsty content, “Darling, I” proved to be an eye-opener to new subjects.
However, contradictory to the controversial content, the track flaunts a characteristically smooth production with soft electronic notes and kicks sampled from 90s classic producer Q-Tip’s “Vivrant Things.”
As I progressed further, “Take Your Mask Off” made a vivid impression. Track nine unveils the reality of individuals who hide behind false facades. Many, if not all, conceal their true thoughts for conformity. The track blended a variety of anecdotes including those of a criminal who committed illicit behaviors for ‘coolness,’ a queer preacher, and a worn-out mother. The album cover, furthermore, quite literally displays Tyler, the Creator ‘wearing a mask.’ The teaser, for example, features him with a gray mask which he later takes off.
Half of Tyler’s audience came for his lyrical masterpiece — including me. The others stay for his encapsulating beat. Long-term fans recognize Tyler’s funky electronic notes and iconic samples in “Take Your Mask Off” and “Darling, I” from Tyler’s 5th album, “IGOR.” When inverted, the album cover of “IGOR” is a near-perfect match to the cover of “Chromakopia.” Just a coincidence? I doubt it.
If the previously mentioned tracks sport a catchy beat with contradictory messages, “Tomorrow” takes on a melodic and dark tone. Instead of a sample, the song starts with a voice message from Tyler’s mother, who expects him to start a family. He ponders standing at the crossroads to his future — succumbing to his mother’s expectations or follow his ambitions.
The engineering behind this gentle track evokes “IGOR” once again, with high-key vocals and ornate instrumentals. The piano graces the solemn substance of the song, with a soft jazzy trumpet to fade out.
After countless binges through these three masterpieces, I opted for others: “Balloon,” “Judge Judy,” “Hey Jane” and “Noid.” Despite having incredible storytelling, they weren’t as eye-catching as the first three. Maybe the third time’s the charm, but the remainder, including the Tik-Tok viral, “Like Him,” landed flat compared to my favorites.
As the days passed for the album, various theories completely overwhelmed my feed. One of the biggest, yet somewhat plausible, conspiracies alleged a Frank Ocean feature. Ocean, renowned for his albums “Channel Orange” and “Blonde”, had frequent collaborations with Tyler, the Creator leading eager fans to envision a possible collab, and finally escape his eight-year hiatus.
When the initial teaser for the title track “Noid” released, fans detected a familiar backing vocal. Moreover, the “Noid” music video hinted at a white Ferrari, a supposed allusion to Ocean’s “White Ferrari.” Not to mention the release coincided with the birthday of the reclusive artist.
As a die-hard Frank Ocean fan, I completely fell for the hype. On release day, I eagerly opened Apple Music and anticipated Ocean’s name as one of the crossover artists. My hopes? Crushed. The voice on “Noid” belonged to fellow R&B artist Daniel Caesar, and others were simply pure coincidence.
In its entirety, “Chromakopia” is an anthology of Tyler, the Creator’s introspections. From hooky choruses to noir melodramas — it has it all. If his debut album “Goblin” represented one end of the spectrum, embodying the culmination of edgy teenage angst, then “IGOR” would be on the other, offering a mainstream take on jovial heartbreak songs. “Chromakopia” lands perfectly in the middle. I would rate the album an 8/10: amazing storyline and genius production but “Chromakopia” pales in comparison to his previous productions like “IGOR.”
