2024 has been the year of hit music with album releases from Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and many more; however Tyler, The Creators’ “CHROMAKOPIA” might take the cake. 

“CHROMAKOPIA” was released the morning of Oct. 28 and quickly climbed the Spotify charts for Top 50 songs in the U.S. as well as surpassing 85 million first-day streams on the global Spotify chart, making it the biggest hip-hop album debut of 2024. While Frank Ocean did not make an appearance on the album as anticipated, many artists did: Doechii, GloRilla, Daniel Caesar and more. The album features 14 songs totaling in 53 minutes. 

Opening with “St. Chroma,” Tyler introduces many themes, one being his relationship with his mom, Bonita Smith. She has played a huge part in his fame and her guidance through life has helped him to achieve everything that he has. Listeners hear her voice multiple times throughout this track and the album, narrating the story that “CHROMAKOPIA” overall displays. 

“You are the light / It’s not on you, it’s in you / Don’t you ever in your motherfucking life dim your light for nobody.”

“St. Chroma” additionally reflects on Tyler’s ‘alternate personality’ as he sings about his juxtaposed personas before and after fame referencing his hometown and aspects of his life throughout childhood into adulthood. 

The album features flawless and seamless transitions from one track to another. Once one ends, the following track picks up on the same beat, note, chord or lyric, carrying the storytelling aspect that is common among all of Tyler’s albums. 

Track three, “Noid,” was released on Oct. 21 as a single. “Noid” is used as a shortened version of ‘paranoid,’ which is the main motif of this song. Throughout the track, Tyler strategically explains the struggle of being famous and not feeling safe and secure in public. He sings about valuing his space and the discomfort of being swarmed by fans, which he has also talked about in past interviews. 

“Living between cameras and recorders, ah, yeah (Woo, woo)/ Loop around the block, eyes glued to the rearview, Rather double back than regret hearin’, ‘Pew, pew.’”

Jumping ahead to track five, “Hey Jane” tells the story of Tyler seemingly being involved in the accidental pregnancy of a woman he refers to as ‘Jane.’ Once again at the beginning of this song, we hear his mother ironically mention how important it is to wear a condom. 

“Always, always, always wear a condom, Don’t trust—/ Hey, Jane, we got the news and I ain’t know what to do / Time blockin’ the driveway, I cannot pull out now, I didn’t pull out, Wow, I’m disappointed in me, this ain’t like me, How could I be reckless? This ain’t my lifestyle”

Throughout this track, Tyler sings about the ups and downs of this situation and how he will be there for Jane no matter what she chooses to do. He references his dad and how he does not want to follow in his footsteps of bailing on his child, though this becomes controversial later in the album when Tylers mom addresses things about Tyler’s dad that were unknown. 

Track eight, “Sticky,”  had my jaw on the floor the first time I listened. In four minutes and 15 seconds, Sexyy Red, GloRilla and Lil Wayne all make an appearance, in addition to the flawless bars that Tyler serves. The beat of this song paired with the whistling and trumpets makes it impossible to not dance to. Tyler boasts about how he is the ‘best’ with continuously mentioning his car and wealth.

Track 10, “Tomorrow,” is one of the more calmer songs on the album with a soft melody and humming heard in the back throughout the track. In this song, Tyler reflects on how everyone in his life is settling down and starting families, while not knowing if that life is for him. Again, the voice of his mother makes an appearance at the beginning of the song, saying how it would be nice to have a grandson. 

“I’m gettin’ old and I need a grandchild, please (Give it up), Just one, please, all I need is one (Give it— Give it up), We need a little Ty-Ty walkin’ around here, okay? / The thought of children, it brings me stress, Because time is changing.”

Track 12, “Like Him,” is where things start to get controversial in reference to Tyler’s father. It is widely known among fans that Tyler’s dad left him and his mom when he was a child. In Tyler’s third studio album, “Wolf,” the sixth track, “Answer,” dives into his non-existent relationship with his father. 

However, “Like Him” tells a different story. The song opens with Tyler’s mom talking about how much Tyler resembles his dad, from his looks to his personality. This leads Tyler into singing about how he wishes he could have gotten to know his dad, it feels like he’s chasing a ghost. The real shock comes during the outro when we hear his mother talk again, confessing that Tyler’s dad did want to be a part of his life but she kept him away. She closes the song by apologizing and asking for forgiveness. 

“It was my fault, Not him, ’cause he always wanted to be there for you, And I’m sorry I was young, But he’s always wanted to be a father to you.”

Tyler carries a storytelling style throughout the whole album, making it easy and enjoyable to listen to. All the different beats and styles that Tyler plays with throughout this album make it unique but not unusual for him, as he is always experimenting with different artists, beats and much more. As the album continues to climb and hold places on the Spotify charts, “CHROMAKOPIA” is deserving of many awards. 

Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Stella Thrift and Natalie Kientzy | nkientzy@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com