We live in a digital age where new music is being released every day for us to stream. Of all the music we have access to, the wait for music that is both new and unique can be daunting. 

On Oct. 28, 2024, Tyler Okonma, better known as Tyler, the Creator, released his 14-track album, “CHROMAKOPIA,” which features many popular artists, including Daniel Caesar, Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red and Childish Gambino. 

After a three year break following his last full album release, “Call Me If You Get Lost,” the announcement of “CHROMAKOPIA” attracted the attention of the music community. 

This album touches on topics that have been explored in some of Tyler’s previous albums, such as the absence of his father throughout his adolescence and adulthood, the anxiety emerging with seeing himself and his loved ones getting older, the overall theme of mortality, and various other topics that fans continue to speculate on. 

Throughout this seamlessly flowing album, Tyler produces unique beats while simultaneously speaking openly and honestly about his personal struggles throughout his life. With such a solid album, it’s hard to narrow down the songs down to just a few favorites, but here are my top five:

• St. Chroma (feat. Daniel Caesar)

Track one, “St. Chroma,” opens with a heartfelt voice recording from Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, telling Tyler that he is “the light,” and that he shouldn’t dim that light for anyone. Similar voice recordings from Smith are featured multiple times throughout this album, which helps reflect many of the sentimental values Tyler includes in this album. Following Smith’s recording is over a minute of whisper vocals, something that is executed poorly by many other artists, but is done surprisingly very well by Tyler. 

Daniel Caesar provides beautiful vocals and harmonies, displaying Tyler’s central  theme of mixing multiple different musical styles into his songs.Tyler then transitions into his first verse, which exhibits his talent for writing. Some outstanding lyrics from this section include: “I don’t like the way that this is looking… Do I keep the light on, or do I bow gracefully out?” These lyrics highlight Tyler’s confusion regarding where he was in life at the time this song takes place. Overall, “St. Chroma” is an amazing album opener. The variety of styles in this single song gives listeners a taste of what they will be hearing throughout the rest of the album. 

• Noid

Tyler has been known for including satisfying and seamless transitions between his songs, and the transition between track two, “Rah Tah Tah,” to track three, “Noid,” displays this perfectly, immediately grabbing the attention of listeners. 

Noid samples a song called “Nizakupanga Ngozi” by Ngozi Family, a Zambian band, which adds a unique touch as it is incorporated flawlessly withTyler’s style. Throughout this track, Tyler goes into depth about the unease and paranoia that comes with being in the public eye, expressing that his fame has caused him to feel like a target. He mentions how he always feels as though he’s being watched by people who don’t even know who he really is. 

This track gives Tyler’s listeners a bit of personal insight on how he feels about his fame, and how this “paranoia” has affected his everyday life. It also displays the vulnerability that Tyler continues to show throughout the entirety of the album.

• Take Your Mask Off (feat. Daniel Caesar & Latoiya Williams)

In track number nine, “Take Your Mask Off,” Tyler addresses individuals who mask their true selves, or change parts of themselves to conform with others. Through his lyrics, Tyler calls these types of people out, but he also encourages them to face their fears and be who they truly are. He expresses that people who try to hide who they are will never be truly happy with themselves. 

The overall message of this song resonates with many of his listeners, furthering this album’s recurring theme of honesty. This track also features Daniel Caesar and Latoiya Williams, adding to Tyler’s unique sound as they echo his message in well blended harmonies.

• Tomorrow

Track ten, “Tomorrow,” adopts a more mellow tone compared to other songs in this album. Tyler relates to many of his listeners as he openly expresses the anxiety that emerges from seeing himself and his loved ones aging and changing. He details the changing of his and his mother’s physical features, along with the pressure he feels from the changes happening around him. He mentions seeing his friends getting married and having children and how that makes him feel stressed and rushed to settle down. 

This song, similar to “Noid,” gives more insight to how Tyler has been feeling during this middle-age stage of his life. 

• Like Him (feat. Lola Young)

Track twelve, “Like Him,” is about the absence of Tyler’s father, a topic that he has made a theme in a lot of his other music. In some of his older albums, such as “Bastard” (2009) and “Goblin” (2011), Tyler paints his father in a very negative light. “Like Him,” on the other hand, describes Tyler’s personal growth regarding how he’s dealt with the absence of his father throughout his life. He describes the physical features he shares with his father and how his mother sees his father in Tyler. His lyrics also explain how he has been able to have a very successful career and support himself throughout his life, showing his listeners the change of perspective Tyler has adopted regarding the lack of his father. 

This track ends with another powerful voicemail from his mother, explaining that his father always wanted to be there for him and that it was her fault he wasn’t there. It ends with her asking for Tyler’s forgiveness.

Overall, “CHROMAKOPIA” is a well-developed album that reflects Tyler, the Creator’s growth: not only as an artist, but also as a person. Throughout the album, he uses his incredible writing to allow himself to be honest with his audience about the ups and downs of his life and how he’s chosen to deal with them. 

Tyler openly shares these close to home topics, all while creating a new sound unique to him. In borrowing features from his previous albums, he manages to appeal to all parts of his fan base, while still drawing in new listeners.