RAIAN ABEDIN

After the sudden and enigmatic release of a snippet from the opening song of this album, there was a veritable excitement in the air for a new project by Tyler, the Creator. Be it 2017’s Flowerboy , which saw him showcase the more sublime parts of his character, or 2019’s IGOR , which found him desperate and heartbroken, the variety and growth Tyler shows with every new album is, in itself, something to behold.

Chromakopia , his eighth offering so far, had a high bar to climb. Fortunately, the music presented in this album is largely fantastic, albeit with a few duds. More than that, though, it’s Tyler’s songwriting that keeps bringing me back to Chromakopia – as the lyricism on this makes it one of the most open, self-critical, and mature albums he’s put out thus far. Not without an edge though, as Tyler, the Creator is nothing without a little bit of braggadocious energy.

His energy is infectious throughout a considerable chunk of the album and is aided by a West Coast production style that also happens to take inspiration from the likes of The Neptunes and early Kanye West (when he was actually listenable). Inspirations like these are evident in tracks like “Darling, I”, which in itself is a wonderful cut with Tyler speaking about his relationships. In fact, relationships are perhaps the biggest theme in this album – though for Tyler, the relationships he is more concerned with have less to do with romance and more to do with familial love, his love for his art, and the relationship he has with his audience.

What works in this album is Tyler’s vulnerability, and his ability to not always paint himself in the most positive light. The album very neatly caps off with “I Hope You Find Your Way Home”, a beautiful final track that looks back at all his experiences and proceeds to move forward for everything life has to offer. By the end of it all, I am left wanting more.

Raian is a student of Biochemistry, a poet, and a contributor at The Daily Star.