On Monday, October 28, Tyler, the Creator released his eighth album, Chromakopia, an even further exploration of his creativity and experimentation in his music. His most recent project previously had been Call Me If You Get Lost, released in 2021, excluding the then deluxe version released a year later–Chromakopia broke his 2+ music hiatus, as fans across the world were ecstatic to listen to his new sound. Tyler, the Creator is well known for writing and producing most of his own work, and his talent is not only in music but in fashion design, performance, and all other artistic means.
Though he only announced the release with a week’s notice, many were quick to begin rumors about the album’s contents regarding which style he would approach next and potential artist features on the album. As the artist has received more and more recognition over the past few years, rumors and predictions soon became out of control, and Tyler, the Creator took it upon himself to dispel the rumors, confirming “no features” shortly after his announcement. On the day of the 28th, fans were shocked to hear many familiar voices like Daniel Caesar, Lil Wayne, and Doechii, as most were convinced he was telling the truth.
When asked about his predictions prior to the release, SHS junior Will Larson said he was expecting what “everyone else was expecting, an experimental sound mixed with traditional rap.” Especially when talking about his previous albums, this was the theme he seemed to follow, as he clearly enjoys breaking the boundaries of rap music and exploring never-before styles.
SHS senior Alayna Medugno commented, “Between each album, you can really see how he develops as an artist and grows into himself.” After his previous album, Call Me If You Get Lost, this project explores some more melodic beats along with creative samples and additions of new instruments and synths. However, not all of the album consists of melodic tracks, and songs like “Sticky” and “Balloon” come out with a bang and feature aggressive yet powerful verses from versatile artists.
After a few weeks of listening, fans are seemingly very receptive to the album. Larson cited the album as “a top 3 Tyler, the Creator project” alongside some other albums from his extensive discography. However, critics don’t seem to follow the same trend as his fans, as the famous and trusted music website Pitchfork only rated the album 7.6/10. Regardless, multiple songs on the album remain in the top 10 streams weekly on Spotify, proving its success.
To capitalize on this success, Tyler, the Creator will be performing an arena tour across the United States, as he is set to kick off on February 4th in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Medugno bought tickets for the event, and other SHS students have expressed their excitement about the tour.
Not only will concert-goers be able to see a long, extensive performance from Tyler, the Creator himself–as he is partly famous for his exceptional shows–he will also be joined by another huge artist in the hip-hop industry, Lil Yachty, and another opener, Paris Texas. Fans are more than excited to see this album come to life alongside some of their other favorite artists, as Tyler, the Creator and his fans are currently riding off a high. Many will be thrilled to see how Tyler, the Creator continues this era of his music, and they are eager for what’s next from the rapper.