Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Tyler, the Creator (“Call Me If You Get Lost”) returns after three years with his new album “CHROMAKOPIA,” where he takes listeners on a very personal journey that covers mature, and sometimes even dark, topics.

Fans have been eager for a new Tyler album for a while now, as each of his album releases have all been within only two years of each other. Finally, their wish was granted as Tyler, the Creator released his single “Noid” last month. Upon release, some fans were taken back by the new single, as Tyler dives into the paranoia he feels in his day-to-day life, stemming from his own fame. Although fans saw a much more mature side of Tyler on his 2019 album “IGOR,” this new single really put into perspective that Tyler cannot live a normal life and be able to do normal things like going out without the fear of being harassed or not even having the ability to feel safe in his own home. “I got a cannon underneath the bed / Triple checkin’ if I locked the doors / I know every creak that’s in the floors / Motherf****er, I am paranoid.”

The album opens up with the track “St. Chroma”, which sets up the tone of the album perfectly with its eerie chanting of the album title, followed by Daniel Ceaser’s (“Never Enough”) gospel-esque harmonies. As the track builds up, it jumps right into “Rah Tah Tah”, a song that takes an aggressive, energetic turn, with intense use of percussion and vocals. This gives fans a feel of something that would be on Tyler’s early work and presents itself as a standout on the project. The track also serves as a segue into the aforementioned “Noid”.

Tyler introduces another recurring theme on this album: his perspective on love and relationships with the track “Darling, I” which is the best song on the entire project. The song is a reflection of Tyler’s appreciation for love while also highlighting his struggles with commitment, as throughout the song he reiterates the phrase “Forever is too long.” Musically, the track is a very lush listen, with Teezo Touchdown (“How Do You Sleep At Night?”) offering soulful background vocals that pair very well with Tyler’s rapping. The concept of relationships is scattered throughout, with songs like “Judge Judy,” which is a story about Tyler pursuing a girl while not judging her pleasures, and “Like Him,” a very personal entry about Tyler wanting to know more about his father, who had been absent in his early life.

Although, up to this point, the album has a very consistent low-fi, emotional tone, it does not stray away from any fun, with the anthemic track “Sticky,” which features a star-studded cast of Glorilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne, who bring in great energy to go along with Tyler’s intensity.

Despite being released on a Monday morning, the album ascended to the very top of the Billboard Top 200, making it his third album to do so along with “Igor” and 2017’s “Flower Boy.” According to Billboard, “Chromakopia” sold an album equivalent of 299,500 units, making it the no.1 rap album of 2024, beating out Eminem’s “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) which sold 281,000 units.

“CHROMAKOPIA” sees Tyler being as open and honest as ever about his personal struggles, presenting it through many great tracks that only push the agenda of Tyler, the Creator being one of the best rappers today.

Image from YouTube via Tyler, the Creator