Chromakopia is the eighth studio album written, arranged and produced by Tyler Okonma, or professionally known as Tyler, the Creator. The album includes fourteen tracks with hits such as ‘Sticky’ with artists such as GloRilla, Sexxyy Redd, and Lil Wayne; ‘Like Him’ with background vocals from aspiring artist, Lola Young; and ‘St. Chroma’ with a collaboration from Daniel Caesar. There was some speculation that Frank Ocean would appear on the album, but to fans’ dismay, the track was Ocean-less. Chromakopia was claimed to be a ‘personal project’ by Tyler himself, in which he explores and expresses his experiences through music.
Since the album’s release there has been a lot of lore circulating online about the true meaning of the album. At the time, the meaning of the album was not announced by Tyler, leading his fans to start these mind-boggling theories. One theory claimed that Chromakopia and Igor (another album by Tyler, the Creator) were similar, as when the albums were inverted, they shared the same color scheme, hinting at a possible relation. Another theory claimed that Chromakopia was from the point of view of Igor’s love interest, telling his story about the crazed lover, and what he had to do to stay away. The majority of the fans online seemed to accept this theory, and even added onto it. The addition of this theory was supported by the actual word itself; Chromakopia. Chromakopia is derived from ‘chroma’ meaning color, and ‘kopia’ meaning abundance. The album itself is full of a variety of styles that change as each song is played.
The opener of the album is titled ‘St. Chroma’ begins with inspirational words from his mother, loud, boisterous marching and shouts of “Chromakopia!” This created the sense that destiny awaits the listener and gives the feeling of hope, and a philosophical message of “what that will be we don’t know yet.” The song has an uplifting theme that carries high through the rest of the song until the mystifying vocals and intertwined melodies of Daniel Caesar that crash into the brashness of ‘Rah Tah Tah.’
‘Rah Tah Tah’ feels like a blast from the past, as this song feels like the embodiment of the old Tyler. The song details his rise to fame, throwing a reference at Kendrick Lamar inspiring some of his projects. The general feel of the song comes across like Tyler is submerged in his riches, and doesn’t have a care in the world, but the lyrics completely contrast the feel. The lyrics are paranoia – induced, making Tyler feel like there is something building up that he cannot control, or put an end to, which perfectly leads to the next song on the album, ‘Noid.’
‘Noid’ details the paranoia that Tyler experiences due to his fame. The melody that comes before the lyrics is a head- nodding hit that sounds joyful with its guitar riffs and gospelly backup vocals sourced from a sample of the Ngozi Family. The lyrics are more memorable than the opening melodies as the song becomes a nightmarish chase between his fans, and Tyler himself. Tyler has created a sense of panic without hope for peace with the following lyrics; “someone’s keepin watch/I can feel it, I can feel it.” The meaning of the song is very similar to the song “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. The two songs have the sense and feel of paranoia that there is someone alway watching, tracking moves and waiting for the right time to strike.
The next song on the album is titled ‘Darling, I’, in which Tyler explores his inner workings and past relationships. Tyler has realized that if he continues down his path of loving and leaving, he will one day find himself alone with nothing but his rusted Grammy awards to keep him company. The melody of the song is very somber and lonesome, foreshadowing how lonely Tyler will become if he does not emotionally mature, and love someone enough to not develop the urge to leave them.
Skipping across a few songs, ‘I Killed You’ was supplemented by the recognizable vocals of Santigold’s mesmerizing voice, although she was not listed as a feature on the track. When collaborating with artists, some of them do not want the recognition that comes along with sharing a track, as they are happy to do what they love and share their passion with the world. Towards the end of the track there is the recognizable ad libbing of Childish Gambino, urging Tyler to show his inner self. Daniel Caesar also makes another appearance on this song, urging Tyler to come out of his shell and show the world the true Tyler, encouraging him with the lyrics, “I hope you find yourself,”
‘Like Him’ is one of the more emotional songs in the album, and is one of the most popular, going head to head with “Sticky.” ‘Like Him’ reveals the truth about the estrangement between Tyler and his father, touching listeners who have gone, or are going through the same thing. Tyler has blamed his father for his absence throughout his life, trying to discover who this ‘ghost’ was and how Tyler and his father were so similar. At the beginning of the song there is a melodic piano, and comparisons made between Tyler and his father, noticing some of the similar features shared between the two. The song is a large crescendo that leads to the climax of the song where Tyler pleads with himself and his father. At the end of the song, Tyler’s mother reveals why his father isn’t a part of his life, closing out the song, and the feeling of forgiveness and long-awaited peace floats the reader to the next song.
Closing the album, Tyler used the same marches and shouts that he had used in his opener, ‘St. Chroma’ giving the audience a full – circle moment, perfectly closing out the album. Chromakopia was a different album than expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are many touching themes, and party rock songs that can touch every listener in different ways.
