CHROMAKOPIA DROP

From Darling, I and Daddy Issues to Dochii and Daniel Caesar, Chromakopia has sparked an overload of opinionated conversation, but here is a (somewhat) more concise review of Chromakopia’s story telling, lyrical vulnerability, and cultural commentary. 

Compliments and Controversy: the Chromakopia Review

Tyler, the Creator’s unexpected announcement of an album, released just days afterwards, broke his tradition of dropping music on uneven years, raising an online storm of conspiracy theories about features and bringing up extensive debates about his music. The album initially faced criticism, such as from the half-asleep ears of Marcus Douge who called it “pretty mid” before listening a second time. But just as Chromakopia grew on Marcus, others began to give the album its deserving acclaim. Tyler, the Creator already had a solid standing in the music world, and this album reaffirms his talent. Chromakopia’s storytelling blends raw dialogue and nuanced lyrics to form a rich, layered soundtrack that includes both the emotional turmoil from realizing the reason for his father’s absence and the one and only Sexyy Red. 

Any invested fan of  Tyler’s music is aware of the interconnectedness of songs within albums, and Chromakopia expands these connections by continuing plot lines and themes from older albums. Although the release of the Chromakopia was seemingly random, there were actually ties from previous albums such as Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale. Tyler foreshadowed Chromakopia’s vulnerability through the Sorry Not Sorry music video that opens on a stage with alter egos of Tyler, in character of previous albums such as Cherry Bomb and Flower Boy, except for one. The only non-album related version of Tyler stood shirtless, potentially symbolizing the emotional exposure of the “era upon us” that he references in the outro. Chromakopia builds recognizable themes of resentment and heritage that ties all the way back to songs from 2013 such as Answer that explores Tyler’s complex “emotional daddy issues” as Sarah McLaughlin eloquently put it. In that song, Tyler expresses discomfort in carrying the features of a man who is nothing but a stranger who fills him with resentment, and from there, Chromakopia moves towards the present day, where Tyler shows the same unease with carrying his father’s features in Like Him. Here, Tyler’s mother reveals that his father wasn’t absent by choice, but forced from Tyler’s life, connecting other songs such as Hey Jane and I Hope You Find Your Way Home to themes of fatherhood and developing emotional availability.

Chromakopia’s exploration of struggles with vulnerability and identity spanned the entire album but certain songs, such as I Killed You, highlighted a history of identity erasure of people of color as Tyler underscores the pressure for Black people to conform their appearance and self-expression to mainstream eurocentric standards. Take Your Mask Off also touches on the suppression of identity in a poignant commentary on appropriation, internalized homophobia, and the erasure of self. Tyler, the Creator has always had a public voice rejecting conformity and embracing personal identity, and Chromakopia perfectly executes the expression of this sentiment by continuing to push limits to an uncomfortable extent.

Unlike previous albums where each song on the album’s list would remain mostly within the same genre or general energy and flow, Chromakopia showcased Tyler’s musical variety and range through a medley of styles that he previously kept separate. Integrating multiple songs with completely different vibes that could easily correlate to different eras of Tyler’s music, this album features songs such as Darling, I that seem on brand for Tyler’s Flower Boy’s more melodic and upbeat songs that are more comfortable in mainstream spaces, and places them alongside with tracks such as Noid and St. Chroma which both call to mind the percussion heavy and intense production of IGOR and Goblin. 

Although the first listen might be off-putting to newer fans, or disappointing to delusional Frank Ocean fans desperately hoping for a feature (myself included), Chromakopia still maintained and elevated Tyler’s trademark experimental and bold style. Through incorporating a wide range of features such as Lil Wayne, Sexxy Red, Daniel Caesar, and Doechii, Tyler blended his own unique style with each artist’s vocals and flow to best compliment each other and give the album a diverse range. Tyler’s music is commonly misunderstood immediately after its release, but it seems that Chromakopia is steadily becoming more appreciated, and even fans who were initially disappointed have grown to believe that it “might be the greatest album of the year” as said by Marcus Douge. More loyal fans, such as Sarah McLaughlin, appreciated the skilled production and composition from the beginning, praising how Tyler “goes through each theme, idea, or concept flawlessly” and maintains an interconnectedness between his various eras of art and life in the powerfully experimental album that is Chromakopia.

Amrita Tromge