A review of Chromakopia
By Aaron Fair
Tyler, the Creator provided by Creative Commons
On the 28th of October, Tyler, The Creator released the highly anticipated album “Chromokopia,” and opinions are controversial to say the least. It debuted at number one on Billboard's top 200 with 212.55 million streams and 299,500 equivalent units (album sales) in four days. Tyler, The Creator is one of the most beloved artists of this generation; his vulgar lyrics and delinquent behavior give a rebellious voice to young people around the world—Chromakopia is no exception. He uses tracks like “I Killed You” or “Sticky” to further his persona of rebellion; however, tracks like “Noid” or “Take Your Mask Off” show a newer, more vulnerable side to the rapper.
Note: This album review is purely based on opinion, and this is in no way me trying to tell anyone to like or dislike any of the songs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I encourage everyone to go listen to the album before reading this review.
“St. Chroma”
“St. Chroma” is the first track on the album. It features Daniel Caesar and is a strong start. It takes a look back at the traditional Tyler, The Creator sound as it mixes unsettling whispers, vulgar lyrics and booming percussion with the silky voice of Daniel Caesar, who introduces a newer, more calm Tyler, The Creator sound.
“Rah Tah Tah”
Put simply, “Rah Tah Tah” is terrible. A deafening drone drills into the listener’s ears and scrambles any thought that comes to mind. The instrumental is a repetitive mix of echoey snapping and exploding bass which sounds mediocre in the first half of the song, but in the second half, it is overdone to the point that it physically hurts, along with every other aspect of the track.
“Noid”
The first 15 seconds of “Noid” is sent straight from heaven, and after “Rah Tah Tah,” it’s one of the most palatable and best moments in the album. The song, originally written Nyanja, is a look into Tyler’s feelings of paranoia using the chorus from the song “Nizakupanga Ngozi” by the Ngozi Family to express his anxiety. When translated to English, it roughly means, “When you come into my house, be respectful. I do not like talking, talking breeds gossip.” It addresses Tyler’s feelings of the press; he feels as though he cannot speak (even in his private life) without his words being misconstrued or villainized. Noid is four and a half minutes of genius in aspects of lyricism and musicality. The loud, roaring bass and guitar chords, blended with luscious sounds of keyboard represent his emotions beautifully, and his bold statements against paparazzi speak levels in such a short amount of time. This is by far my favorite song in the album.
“I Killed You” and “Thought I Was Dead”
The first ten seconds of “I Killed You” is inspired by the nursery rhyme “The Wheels on the Bus” yet it quickly transitions to blaring trumpets and the signature booming percussion of Tyler, The Creator. The last third of the song is slow and matches the previous mood of “Darling, I” and “Hey Jane.” I actually enjoy the lack of consistency in this song, though there are aspects (like the nursery rhyme) that feel weird to listen to in full context of the piece, but it’s not necessarily bad. There is no lack of originality and, overall, it is a really energetic and fun song to listen to.
“Thought I Was Dead” is similar to “I Killed You” in the fact that it’s an energetic song and is pretty good. It features ScHoolboy Q and Santigold who honestly don’t do much for the song at all. If they weren’t in the song, it would quite literally, sound the exact same. It’s kind of a mindlessly loud song that’s somehow fun to listen to, and I’m a fan of it.
“Sticky”
“Sticky” is easily one of the worst Tyler, The Creator songs I have ever heard. The whistle at the beginning reminds me of a sounding alarm; it is a warning to the listener saying, “something horrendous is about to happen, escape while you still can.” But if you’re like me, you must endure the four minutes and 15 seconds of what I can only describe as a garbage dump. This song is littered with the agitating voices of Sexyy Red, GloRilla and Lil Wayne repeatedly chanting the word “sticky” in the background. The features take up three of the four minutes in the song and Tyler’s verses are by far the only bearable parts. This song had potential to be good but outside artists completely trashed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if this song was a money grab, because it is nowhere near the standards of the rest of Tyler’s discography.
“Tomorrow”
“Tomorrow” is compositionally genius. It creates a soundscape of guitars, synthesizers, bass guitars and surprisingly, a lack of percussion compared to traditional Tyler, The Creator songs. This track speaks on concerns of the future, specifically in regards to family. He notes that everyone around him is starting to have families and is moving on from the fast paced, monetary life that he has become accustomed to, saying, “They sharin’ pictures of these moments … and all I got is photos of my Rari' and some silly suits.”
The lack of percussion in this song explains that Tyler has to come to terms with the fact that he is maturing as he ages. There is an aspect of Tyler’s soundscape that is missing in this song and it represents his missing adolescence. We are deprived of the loud booms, taps and crashes that we are accustomed to hearing, thus Tyler is deprived of his delinquent lifestyle that he is used to living. This song is on par with “Noid” in terms of lyricism andis by far one of the most impressive tracks Tyler has ever produced.