Tyler, The Creator surprised fans with a Monday release of his new album, "CHROMAKOPIA," on Oct. 28, signifying a new era of his esteemed career. After briefly teasing the project with snippets, the Grammy-winning artist announced a world tour, a vinyl release and more to satisfy his much-anticipating fanbase.
He emphasized that he wanted the album to be listened to throughout the week so his fans were able to digest the lyrics and feel the rhythms in between the words. The purpose of the album is to be an immersive experience, without any expectations or distractions, just to simply be enjoyed for what it is.
"He's meshing certain genres together, like of his favorite artists, and kind of putting something out that everyone could enjoy," said Nasir Rockwell, a sophomore studying kinesiology.
The project includes a diverse list of features from Daniel Caesar and Childish Gambino to Lil Wayne, GloRilla, and Sexyy Red. The songs highlight a sense of vulnerability and closeness and those same elements are shown through his subtle marketing.
Tyler rolled out the album with fans in mind, hosting an on-the-go pop-up shop with a giant lime-green truck that reads "CHROMAKOPIA" and traveles across the states to greet fans with merch and food. Fans were able to leave their mark on the truck with spray paint or paint markers to make it more engaging.
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Rockwell was able to see the CHROMAKOPIA truck in person when it took a pit stop in the Valley at Desert West Park and said the experience made him feel like he was part of the album.
"It creates more conversations around the album whereas other artists just post it on social media to build up the hype, but it does not build that hype because there is not something physical behind it," Rockwell said.
These crafty but distinctive aspects of Tyler's marketing helped build that "word-of-mouth" experience with his fans to develop anticipation around the album.
The album is a two-year project that showcases the new manifestation of who Tyler, The Creator has become, a freer version of himself both mentally and artistically waiting to be unmasked. "CHROMAKOPIA" mixes Tyler's iconic aggressive rapping with melodic, softer vocals, allowing all kinds of fans to enjoy.
Instead of using the characters or personas seen in his previous work, this album solidifies the death of his older style seen in the "SORRY NOT SORRY" music video when Tyler beats those former personas to death.
This album shows a new development in Tyler's maturity toward his identity as an artist and the consequences that come with that maturity. As Tyler advances in his career, he fights to keep that same ambition, color and light he had when he first started.
Throughout the album, Tyler pays homage to his mother, Bonita Smith, who advises him throughout his journey through adulthood. This journey starts with "St. Chroma," where his mom tells Tyler to never let his "light" dim or die out no matter the circumstance.
Some fans found the album's themes around fatherhood and family to elevate the project as a whole.
Aidan Mixon, a junior studying public health, said songs like "Like Him" were his favorite because of the subject matter they explored.
"I feel like it was much more emotional, I really liked how he covered some themes about his experience with fame and how it affected him," Mixon said.
"Take Your Mask Off" featuring Daniel Caesar & Latoiya Williams embodies the main message of the album. Tyler removes his own mask with "CHROMAKOPIA" and unleashes his creativity by embracing his true self while encouraging his fans to do the same.
Antanette Griffith, a sophomore studying psychology, said she resonated with this message, especially as a young Black woman in college who is trying to navigate her way through life.
Griffith said Black women in the world have to portray themselves in a certain way so they are not stereotyped. They are not able to be their most authentic selves without receiving backlash, so they are constantly hiding behind a mask. This can sometimes result in an identity crisis because of the internalized hate they are surrounded by.
As for the future of Tyler, allusions to the dilemma of fatherhood throughout the album call to attention whether he will put his music career on the back burner and start a family of his own. Regardless of his decision, he showed his fans the type of colorful beauty that can only come from being your most authentic self unapologetically.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Braccio, Tiya Talwar and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at atlynch2@asu.edu and follow @alanamentions on X.
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