The morning of October 28, 2024, we were blessed with the eighth studio album by Tyler, The Creator titled Chromakopia. This is Tyler’s first album release since 2021; his last album was Call Me When You Get Lost. Strategically, Tyler chose to release the album on Monday at 6 a.m. to degrade “passive listening,” an action that tends to take place when an album is released on Friday and folks “passively listen” to the music during the weekend. The roll out for Chromakopia was very deliberate.
ALBUM LAUNCH:
October 16th –
Tyler posts a snippet “St. Chroma,” the first track of the album. The video includes a masked man (presumably Tyler) marching in the desert. A long line of men march into a shipping container, which is later blown up by the masked man. Then, the screen lights up green and the word “Chromakopia” crosses the bright green screen.
October 17th –
Tyler posts the album cover and title, Chromakopia, including the release date of October 28th.
October 21st –
“Noid” is released as the first single from Chromakopia. The song discusses Tyler’s paranoia regarding the intense parasocial relationships of his fans and the stalking he has experienced. The music video included Ayo Edebiri playing a fan that is pursuing Tyler very aggressively.
October 23rd –
Tyler, the Creator announces his “Chromakopia: World Tour.” The 2025 tour includes 64 tour dates and special guests like Lil Yachty and Paris, Texas.
Tyler announces the release time for Chromakopia. The album is set to be released at 6 a.m. on October 28th.
October 26th –
“I Thought I Was Dead” is teased on Tyler’s socials.
Throughout the promotion of the album, green trucks and shipping containers with “Chromakopia” plastered on the sides, could be spotted across the United States.
The night before the album release, Tyler held a listening party at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The morning of the album, Tyler posted a story to his Instagram, @feliciathegoat, that read “make sure you listen in full with no expectations no distractions no checking text or social media letting others paint your thoughts on shit before you get a chance. Thank you.”
https://www.instagram.com/feliciathegoat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Tyler, The Creator is an artist I have followed for several years; my obsession with his music grew at a very young age. My love for his craft made me write one of my college applications about his 2019 album, Igor. His creative style and provocative lyrics always spoke to me, as they speak to many people across the globe.
Chromakopia is similar to Igor in many ways. Both are concept albums that are seamless, meaning if played in order, each song will blend into one another. Although Igor grapples with a love triangle and Tyler’s sexuality, both albums give us a peak into Tyler’s mind.
Chromakopia heals the inner workings of Tyler. He stated that this album reflects a lot of his childhood, growing up in Hawthorne, California. You hear many narration clips of a woman representing Tyler’s mom; the album dwells on the respect he carries for his mother and his adolescent memories.
“St. Chroma”, begins the “Chromakopia” story. St. Chroma is the name of our main character: a masked man in a green military suit. The audience infers that this is Tyler, The Creator himself.
The following tracks paint a picture of St. Chroma’s past, articulating the paranoia eating him up inside. As the album progresses, the mask slowly comes off and St. Chroma’s real self is brought to light.
The album is a beautiful retelling of many true stories about Tyler’s life. Right now, my favorite song is “Like Him,” in which Tyler describes his mother comparing Tyler to his absent father. It is one of his most emotional songs to date.
Overall, the album is stunning and definitely one of his best album releases. Tyler, The Creator shows time and time again that he is a concept album artist. He excels in this theme to take on a persona and tell a raw story that reflects his life.
I am so excited to see him in Charlotte, NC and Raleigh, NC on his tour. I will be reporting on the show in March 2025, so stay tuned.
The link to the full album is down below!