By Miguel Barragan
Tyler, the Creator’s new album “IGOR” is his most pop album while also being his most experimental.
All songs were produced, written and arranged by Tyler himself.
The sounds on the album are eclectic. Tyler wears his musical influences, such as N.E.R.D., on his sleeve. The album does a good job at merging hip hop, indie, pop and rock.
Tyler, the Creator’s new album is expanding on sounds he has been experimenting with since Cherry Bomb in 2015.
Cherry Bomb was the first album that had Tyler singing in a high-pitched voice on songs like “KEEP DA O’S.”
Tyler says he uses this effect because he’s not confident or skilled enough to sing in his normal voice because it is too deep and raspy for the sound he’s going for. Many other acts in recent years have done similar effects like BROCKHAMPTON.
For those that don’t like this effect, the album will be hard to get through.
“EARFQUAKE,” a love song, is a prime example of how Tyler’s high-pitched vocal effect works. The song is one of the catchiest on the album.
Playboi Carti is featured on the song and his baby-like voice fits perfectly with the instrumental. The instrumentation on the album is beautiful. Songs are filled with amazing chord progression.
The album narratively continues from where Flower Boy left off. His last album was him falling in love and this is the heartbreak afterward.
On this album, Tyler opens up about a lover who left him for another person.
“New Magic Wand” is Tyler’s loudest instrumental. The bass and hard hitting drums carry Tyler’s soft spoken melodic delivery on his first two verses and his harsh screams on his third verse.
Tyler threatens to kill his male lover’s ex for keeping him away from Tyler, reminiscent of Tyler’s teenage years rapping about being a serial killer.
“A Boy is a Gun” is a standout track and the dreamiest song on the album.
It samples the soul classic “Bound” by Ponderosa Twins Plus One.
On the track, Tyler compares his lover to a gun. He raps, “You’re a gun ‘cause I like you on my side at all times. You keep me safe.”
On the track “WHATS GOOD,” Tyler oozes confidence breaking away from the vulnerable songwriting in the rest of the songs. He raps, “hard to believe in God when there’s no mirrors around.”
He also raps about his close call with death. He raps, “That car crash couldn’t take me. Green-haired angels all around me.”
Green-haired angels is a reference to Child of Golf, a design he released for his clothing brand Golf Wang.
On “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE,” he shows he will get over the failed relationship.
He raps, “I won’t walk around with my head down like I got beat up. Um, you do you, I’ll do me, I’ll just chuck the peace up.”
As a whole, the album takes the listener through various sounds and moods with efficiency.