Tyler, The Creator has always been classified as an eccentric in the rap industry, so there is no surprise his latest album would spike controversy yet again. Tyler announced that his newest album would be released on Oct. 28, on a Monday morning opposed to most artists who release on the weekends at midnight. 

Tyler stated in an interview with Nardward that he believes releasing music on weekdays is far superior to dropping music on weekends because when people are listening to music on weekends, they are just passively listening and not paying attention to the art and lyrics. 

So, on Oct. 28 I put on my soundproof headphones and listened to “Chromakopia” from start to finish for the whole 53 minutes. “Chromakopia” contains 14 songs with a variety of musical styles like rapping and singing, a surprise because Tyler rarely sings in his songs. With features like Sexyy Red, GloRilla, Daniel Caesar, and a hidden feature of Playboi Carti on “Thought I Was Dead” only exclusive on vinyl, this album is composed of many hit artists and underground artists as well. 

The opening track “St. Chroma” starts with a woman urging listeners to never dim their light for others. An important message of the album as a whole with songs referring to expressing the true you without fear of judgment. “St. Chroma” urges the listener to have faith in themselves and feel the light from inside them. Featuring other artists like Caesar, the track has an overall peaceful and pleasant feel before fading into Rah Tah Tah– A more upbeat and “rap-like” song.

 My personal favorite was “Judge Judy,” holding references to Tyler’s older song “DOGTOOTH.” It held a more calming vibe while still showing Tyler’s comedic flair to his music. The ironic themes and smooth transitions between different beats make this song an easy listen. The song that comes after “Judge Judy” is “Sticky” featuring the amazing artists Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne, and GloRilla. The song boosts the romantic mood of “Judge Judy” perfectly to a song that enhances the vibe to hype the listener. Sticky has a great combination of metaphors and humor among artists like Lil Wayne and Tyler, expressing the creative outlets of each artist featured in this track. 

The concluding track, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” is filled with emotional messages pulling at the heartstrings of the listener with smooth seriation. Tyler is “slipping” and is lost in his ways confused about which path to take. With messages of materialism, he tells the story of the life he lived growing up as an aspiring rapper, especially with women. It ends with him finally accepting who he is, embarrassing his talents which make him unique. 

Overall themes I take away from this album are to live the authentic you– don’t try to conform to the social norms of society to fit in. Be who you want to be and don’t diminish yourself or dim your light for anyone. Personally, I enjoyed this album for its combination of different themes, unique beats, and displays of personality among the artists. 

4/5 paws