Tyler, the Creator raps about having kids, phonies, and the scary passage of time on his brand-new album “Chromakopia,” which dropped early Monday morning and was first heard at a listening party at the Intuit Dome.
The listening party format is new for Tyler. It’s a trend that was pioneered during the release of infamous rapper Ye’s 2021 ”Donda” album.
Fans have had mixed reactions to Tyler’s album. USC environmental science junior Rowan Mukhtar shared her thoughts with Annenberg Media.
“It’s definitely very unique, It reminded me of his last album so far,” Mukhtar said.
Tyler’s last album, “Call Me if You Get Lost,” detailed The Creator’s travel adventures and a messy love triangle where he took on the persona of “Sir Baudelaire.” A new alter ego emerged for this album: The rapper traded his brightly-colored shirt and furry hat for a soldier’s uniform with a gray face mask.
Chromakopia’s release came as a surprise for fans, as Tyler broke his pattern of releasing a project every two years. The rapper has also been vocal in interviews about his lack of plans to release new music.
Junior communications major Sophia Cortez attended last night’s listening event and was pleasantly surprised.
“I wasn’t his biggest or number one fan. He wasn’t in my top five ... but after seeing him perform, after listening to this album... he’s amazing,” Cortez said.
Tyler’s choice to drop the album at 3 a.m. on a Monday was also noteworthy: Fans expected a typical album rollout format, which would have began on midnight Thursday for the East Coast.
The Creator’s message to fans: “You can listen to it when you wake up, you don’t have to deprive yourself of sleep for something that is going to be there when you wake up.”
Many fans feel that this new take on an album rollout could set Tyler, The Creator apart from other artists. Annenberg Media spoke with P.H.D. musicology student Adrianna Mirabal about the choice.
“Kind of say what your art means, I think, to the industry, like, ‘I’m not just going to do a generic Friday roll out. I’m going to do a Monday, I’m going to be different.’ The art is gonna speak to itself,” Maribal said.
In addition to the new album, Tyler announced the launch of a worldwide tour for “Chromakopia.” The rapper will appear in Los Angeles next February with special guests Lil Yachty and Paris, Texas.
The announcement has produced mixed reactions, with some fans already discouraged with the listening party ticket experience. Mukhtar wondered if she’d be able to get tickets for any of The Creator’s live shows.
“I actually wanted to go to the listening party yesterday, but the queue was over 30,000 people. I was like, I don’t know if tickets are gonna go too well... think I might be giving up,” Mukhtar said.