On Oct. 17, Tyler, The Creator announced his eighth studio album CHROMAKOPIA. This rollout and record came as a complete surprise to fans, especially after Tyler said at Camp Flog Gnaw in 2023, “Y’all want some new music huh? Awe … and I wanted a father, you don’t get everything,” hinting that fans should not expect any new music any time soon. This news disappointed some fans, as it indicated the possibility of straying from his tradition of releasing new music every two years. However, it had not been two years after the release of 2023 deluxe album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale when Tyler came out with CHROMAKOPIA. A standout from the 2023 project is the music video for the song “SORRY NOT SORRY,” in which Tyler goes and kills each of his old album eras. He does this to show that whatever happens from then on will be Tyler as his fullest self with no alter egos. 

Then came a surprise video titled “ST. CHROMA” on Oct. 16, 2024 showing Tyler marching awkwardly with a mask on and his hair parted into two vertical spikes. His attire is like that of a general, and he’s leading a group of masked individuals in what seems like the middle of the desert. The video is filmed in sepia up until the final seconds, and the music offers a steady four- on-the-floor marching feeling as Tyler whispers a verse into our ears, like he’s telling us a secret. At the end of the verse comes a line which he has more than doubled down on throughout his career: “I ain’t never had a doubt inside me / and if I ever told you that I did, I’m f***ing lying.” Tyler’s confidence cannot be overstated.

While the music in this video does not sound like a completely new Tyler, it does sound like a more refined version of his past music. It was very clear from the beginning that this would be a sound reminiscent of his Wolf and Cherry Bomb days. The crashing of the drum fills along with the harmonies and aggressive synth bass provided the grittiness of Wolf or Cherry Bomb with the maturity of a man who is going into his mid-thirties and isn’t a young adult in the industry anymore.

Tyler uses this album — officially released Oct. 28 breaking the industry norm of dropping on Friday at midnight to tackle a multitude of issues from his own insecurities about his self-perception, his viewpoints on love, and how he has to come to terms with the possibility of never settling down or healing wounds left from the absence of his father. Throughout the album, his mother has snippets of her voice that act as a guide to Tyler and the listener. Every time her voice appears in a song, it perfectly summarizes the message that Tyler was trying to convey. For example, in “Hey Jane,” Tyler talks about a pregnancy scare he had with one of his companions, and the song starts out with his mother telling him to always wear a condom. Tyler didn’t heed her words, but that is the common story for a lot of children with their parents. The opposite happens in “Darling, I,” where Tyler takes his mother’s advice and makes sure not to tell anyone that he loves them unless he means it. However, the issue then becomes that he falls in love with many different people for various reasons.

Although Tyler’s mom gives him advice to steer him straight, she is not without her own flaws. The biggest is shown in the standout track “Like Him,” where she admits to Tyler that she purposefully kept him away from his father even though he wanted to be a present parent. In this track, Tyler expresses all of his sadness but forgives his mother. At the end of the day, she was the one who was around for him and took care of him. Even though he chases this ghost of a father, he still loves, respects, and cares for the parent he did have in his life. 

This is an album that will only get better with more listening and time. Tyler’s vulnerability is more than admirable, as he comes to terms with what life has become now that he’s at such a high level of success. He even states that this album was so vulnerable to him that that’s why he wore the mask. It was the only way he could spill his heart out without fear. One can only imagine what will come next.