With this fall season, comes another album release from one of the most influential rap artists in recent history; Tyler, The Creator. Chromokopia has only just been released, and already it’s racking up plenty of praise and insistent cries that it should be named album of the year. While I have no authority to give that title away, I can confidently say that Chromokopia is another fantastic piece of art that Tyler has produced and it will go down as a cornerstone of his discography. Before we dive into what makes this album great, however, be advised that the entire album is rated explicit. This album isn’t for everyone, and of course all explicit content will be completely omitted from this review.

While I believe this album is an immediate classic, there are some issues I have with it, which I need to get out of the way first. The album starts off with a bang, as “St. Chroma” is the best intro an album of this style could have. However, after a great start, we hit a bit of a drop in quality, in my opinion. “Rah Tah Tah” and “Noid” are not bad songs by any means, but they don’t stick out like the intro before them nor the entrancing “Darling, I” that follows them. To their credit, though, the transition into “Noid” is the exact momentum the album needed to keep going, and almost saves the pacing entirely. I feel the same about “Hey Jane” and “Judge Judy.” While these aren’t bad, they’re frankly overshadowed by the rest of the tracks on the album, which just seem to have a lot more going for them. And, now that we’ve talked about the small areas where Tyler went wrong, let’s talk about everything he did right.

Chromokopia takes us through Tyler’s worries as an artist and his experience with love throughout his life. All of this is translated through Tyler’s signature style of course. “Take Your Mask Off” sounds the most familiar, with the iconic synths and harmonies coming in during the chorus that should make any Tyler fan feel right at home. And if that wasn’t enough, I noticed multiple references to past Tyler songs and even lyrics directly from them throughout the album. Callbacks like this make the songs being referenced feel more familiar as well as making it easier to ease into the new album. Most songs on the album are upbeat and lively, but Tyler isn’t afraid to throw you for a loop. Tyler uses a piano throughout the album more and more frequently until you arrive at his third to last song, “Like Him.” It truly is whiplash going from the loud and in-your-face “Thought I Was Dead” into “Like Him,” having a piano solo with a sample that sets up for the song that the listener now realizes is a ballad. The build up for the first third of this song is nothing short of beautiful as Tyler shares a familiar feeling of comparing oneself to someone else.

I don’t think it’s odd to say that the last three songs of this album are the greatest it has to offer. “Like Him” is an incredible and expressive piece of art that goes straight into “Balloon,” which will stay stuck in your head all day. The looping motif that starts the song sounds like it’s out of a video game, and sets the tone for the track which turns into an incredibly satisfying feel-good jam that has high energy all the way to the end. And finally, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” finishes off the album the way Tyler always ends albums: with a bang. The instrumental in the background is present for the entire song, becoming more overpowering until Tyler steps back and gives it the rest of the song, slowly winding down until the end of the album fades out as a sample from the very first track on the album plays.

Overall, I find this new album from Tyler, The Creator to be an incredible collection that showcased what Tyler does best. Chromokopia is a culmination of Tyler’s work so far, and while it may not be my favorite album he’s produced, it’s hard to argue the quality and the charm that Tyler has once again brought to the industry.