Tyler the Creator, or Tyler Okonma, announced his eighth album on Oct. 17. His latest studio album since his first in 2011, ‘Goblin.’
‘CHROMAKOPIA’ released his album on Oct. 28 after dropping a single from the piece, ‘Noid’. This is the first time in Okonma’s career that he took three years to release an album instead of two.
The album focuses on self-exploration and discovering one’s identity through life experiences. Okonma examines life through the lenses of money, fame and parenthood. His mom, Bonita Smith, provides life advice throughout the album.
The first song- “St. Chroma”- mixes many familiar elements from him. In his usual style, he introduces his character, St. Chroma. The first minute of the song features Okonma’s mom and moves into a whispered and eerie piece. This then moves into a choral procession-like section. The first song sets the album up for success. Favorite Lyric: “I just need this time for myself to figure me out. Do I keep the light on or do I gracefully bow out?”
“Rah Tah Tah” is a huge pace change from earlier. It is two minutes and forty-four seconds of a beat that can’t lose. Lyrically he is putting small verses in between his repeated chorus, “She ain’t never met no one who talk like that And if you hang up on a [expletive], [expletive] I call right back.” “Rah Tah Tah” is about him being recognized as good as, or better, than the world’s best. He says that the world is now recognizing that he is the “biggest out the city after Kenny, that’s a fact now,” about Kendrick Lamar. The song ends by leading into the next: “I’m paranoid now ’cause [expletive] weird and bums.” Favorite Lyric: “If my exes spillin’ tea about me, don’t you drink that, and don’t you call me brother, I just met you, you can keep that.”
“Noid” was released as a standalone single before the album’s release. It fits better within the album than as a standalone. A choral procession opens the song. This song is about Okonma’s lack of privacy when living in the spotlight, mentioning when he bought a mansion and it got leaked. The song switches tempos throughout the track. Okonma sings about his lack of privacy, evident by the repeated lyric: “Leave me alone, what you want?” Favorite Lyric: “Her, him, they, them, or anybody, I don’t trust ’em at— At all.”
“Darling, I” starts with advice from Okonma’s mother about love. This is a nice pop song that’s lighter than the earlier three. He is singing about how he’s in love with someone. He raps about how their relationship is more than physical to him. Teezo Touchdown is featured in the refrain. Favorite Lyric: “Darling, I keep falling in love. Forever is too long.”
“Hey Jane” is similar to Darling, I. It’s about what he loves about this person and what he can offer them. Later in the song, he reveals that it’s a hookup that ends in pregnancy. He is offering his support and the choice to keep the kid either way. The second verse is about how the hookup is saying they can raise the child by themself. This experience shines a light on real conversations relationships can have. Favorite Lyric: “Look, Jane, it’s your choice at the end of the day. Just know I support, either way, no pressure”
“I Killed You” is different from what we’ve heard so far, it has a jazzy and tribal underscore. This one is about the way that people outside judge his relationship with his identity and culture. “I Killed You” is about “killing” your authentic self to become more digestible for society. Childish Gambino can be heard in the background vocals and adlibs about combing your hair. Favorite lyric: “We don’t match they images, So it led to damages, ah, to kill you.”
“Judge Judy” is about the fleeting nature of childish love and infatuation. The music in the song sets a mellow tone with its shimmering guitar riffs that take you back to a reminiscent time. This song makes a call back to Okonma’s earlier album “Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale” in the song Dogtooth. That is an easter egg for avid listeners. Childish Gambino is featured in this song. Favorite lyric: “Thank you for the moments I could grab before I left/ I hope you live your life, your truest self with no regrets/I wasn’t living right until they told me what was left/ I’m wishing you the best, P.S. Thank you for not judging, Judy, damn”
“Sticky”- Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne- is a fusion of styles, interchanging between rap and experimental sounds. Okonma’s musical landscape is on full display here, bringing together distinct voices that each give something to the mix. Okonma gets into different subjects, from dissing pronoun politics to jumping to money power and fame. Favorite lyric: “Better find a mop, it’s getting sticky in this [expletive].”
“Take your mask off” is a theme of self-exploration and figuring out who you are. It can be perceived as a diss on someone, but it could be Okonma talking to his younger self. He highlights the destabilization between one’s upbringing and the masks people wear to fit in. The choral procession helps bring this warm feel to the track. Favorite Lyric: “And I hope you find yourself (Yeah) / And I hope you take your mask off”
“Tomorrow” is a softer song about growing up and change. It follows the theme of parenthood. Raising a kid in a world like ours is scary and Okonma addresses that. He compares who he was versus who he is now and his fear of the lack of independence. Favorite Lyric: “Don’t you wait on me / I’ll be fine.”
“Thought I was Dead” is about how he rejects societal norms and will do what he wants. It shows through an almost angry track. The style of rap and beat is reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar. Okonma has received backlash over this due to perpetuating black stereotypes. Favorite Lyric: “Everything I said I’d do, I did (True story)”
“Like Him” is about Okonma’s father. He starts with soft vocals about his resemblance to his father. The song pushes the theme of grief and the search for identity. Self-exploration is a large piece of this song.
Favorite lyric: “I’m everything that I strive to be / So do I look like him?”
“Balloon” contrasts lighthearted patterns with reflections on authenticity and societal expectations, letting listeners into Okonma’s unapologetic self. Featuring Doechii, the song puts together pieces of confidence, vulnerability, and a celebration of individuality.
Favorite lyric: “I’ve been flyin’ high, where’s the pavement? Enough of me, can I get an amen?”
“I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” the end of the album, feels like the end of a party and the lights are low. This is a continuation of the ‘Hey Jane’ story, he’s rapping about grappling with fatherhood and his longing to be better. The theme of trials and triumphs is heavily implied in this ending track. It wraps the album up nice and neat with the ending repeating “Chromakopia.”
Favorite lyric: “I’m slippin’, I’m slippin’, I’m slippin’, I’m slippin’, I need a hand”
“CHROMAKOPIA” is a masterpiece of an album. The album earned over 85 million first-day streams on the global Spotify chart according to Spotify. It has put Tyler, the Creator ahead of Taylor Swift on the global Spotify Top Artists charts for the number one spot.
Okonma has announced world tour dates and locations for “CHROMAKOPIA.” The tour begins on Feb. 4, 2025 and runs until Sep. 4, 2025. Okonma will perform with openers Lil Yachty and Paris Texas. The show will visit 79 locations in the United States and Europe. Fans can visit chromakopia.com for more information.
