Joshua Burrell, Staff Writer 

Tyler, the Creator has come a long way since he entered notoriety through the Odd Future group in 2011. On Friday, May 17, 2019. Tyler, the Creator released his fifth studio album, “IGOR”, in line with his biennial release schedule. “IGOR” slides from song to song with smooth transitions, love-laced lyrics that show a more vulnerable side, but has constant energy that makes the saddest songs bops regardless. Tyler’s discography shows a masterful transition from a troubled youth to actualized auteur and multi-talented artist. His artistic development has guided distressed teens, myself included, through trauma and maturity.

Growing up in Columbia, Maryland my life was quiet unless I was bickering with my older brother or watching TV before working with my parents. They didn’t listen to music and I often avoided my brother’s music taste. Everything I knew came from television, films, and commercials; that all changed in middle school. When I was introduced to Tyler’s sophomore album “Wolf” in 2013.

“Wolf” was the first album that guided me toward self-realization. I’d skip school to listen to “Wolf” to take jaunts on forest paths overlooking the slow walking Patuxent river. “Wolf” fostered my love for Tyler, the Creator, fostering an appreciation for nature and showed me what individualism looked like. From there, I had a better sense of self-worth and didn’t mind being different from my peers, because of “Wolf” I am who I am today.

Tyler, the Creator’s music has done the same for many. His impact is shown through his relevance in pop culture, fashion, and his prominence in other industries. From “Goblin” to “IGOR”,  Tyler, the Creator’s sound and personality have matured and guided countless people, myself included, along paths of self-exploration and acceptance.

His albums allow me to unpack bits about myself and develop as a person. Tyler’s first studio album, “Goblin”, let out adolescent anger with raw, dynamic and damn-near demonic lyrics that couldn’t be played out loud. This paved my path to friendships with Odd Future fans and other people who felt isolated and alone. “Goblin” gave that same urge to scream obscenities, yet this album’s lyrics had direction buttressed by a greater variety of sounds.

“Goblin” and “Wolf” seemed like two sides of the same story. Tyler’s first album flushed out furry directed at the past in songs like “Yonkers”, arguably his claim to fame, and “Steak Sauce”. “Golden” shows reservation of Tyler’s then blossoming lifestyle that resulted in changed relationships. His old formula lingered on “Wolf”, yet songs like “Lone”, taking an instrumental of Wilson Das Nevas “Jornada”, “Answer”, and “Treehome” featuring Coco Owino and Erykah Badu, all showed maturation and a fresher production style.

Wolf, Tyler, the creator

“Wolf” was taking a longer look at that flowers that grew from how he dealt with childhood distress. His sophomore album not only showed the appreciation of his new path but also acceptance of his past and a showed constructive uses of trauma to positively move forward. “Wolf” was the album that changed everything; Tyler was tired of appearing childish and took the art to heart.

First listens of “Cherry Bomb” let me know my life needed something new. I needed to get away from everything I’d known and experiment. Unfortunately, my parents are strict so that never happened until college. The idea and feeling “Cherry Bomb” translated, helped me through feelings of complicity and boredom with the status quo.

“Cherry Bomb” was a feeling as much as it was an experience because it was equally an experiment. Album opener, “DEATHCAMP” throws fans directly into a sample of “Why Can’t There Be Love” by Dee Edwards. Features include Charlie Wilson, Chaz Bundick, Syd, and Kali Uchis on “FUCKING YOUNG/ PERFECT”. Then, “SMUCKERS” features both Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne all on top of a sample of “Metropolis Notte” by Freedom Power. Tyler’s junior album saw more samples than he’d ever used before, strayed away from raunchy rapping, and showed greater attention to musicality through production and timbre.

I remember “Flower Boy” dropping the Summer I graduated from high school. I kept the album on repeat for the 11-hour drive from Maryland to Atlanta, Georgia for Morehouse’s New Student Orientation. My optimism for college and the positivity of “Flower Boy” sat with me on the drive, helped me unpack my bags, and was even there for support when I felt alone in a new state.

“Flower Boy”, Tyler, the Creator’s fourth studio album and the soundtrack for Summer 2017, gave him an entirely new look. “Flower Boy” was Tyler’s decision to openly express himself. The cover art and aura of this album are colorful, warm, bright and confident. There’s a surge of enthusiasm that blankets every song. Why? Because “Flower Boy” is a stamp of mastery. Not only of sound and production quality but of Tyler’s aesthetic and agency. It’s also one of the clearest expressions of his queerness through music. Tyler tweeted about it in 2015 and hinted in interviews and songs, but Flower Boy made a direct message with “I been kissing white boys since 2004”, in “I Ain’t Got Time”.

Flower Boy, Tyler, the creator

“IGOR” has been buzzing around social media since early May. In the past two weeks, Tyler has dropped sound bites and short videos to the hype of fans for the album release.

Tyler, the Creator made it clear via Instagram that each of his albums is unique and holding any albums to the expectation of others takes away from the art’s beauty. Playboy Carti’ feature on “Earfquake” was unexpected but exciting to hear on first listen. Although “IGOR” is steeped in energy, nearly every song seemed steeped in tears.

Themes of the album include heartbreak, love loss, and miscommunication resulting from emotional distress. Somber tones in songs like “PUPPET”, “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE”, “I THINK”, and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” signal ‘IGOR” as a break-up album. Tyler’s vulnerability and aesthetic have a uniquely different energy than fans have seen before. Knowing Tyler, the Creator he’s probably up to something and using the “IGOR” as a window for fans to look into his life.

Within thirteen listens in,  I expect “IGOR” to match the impact of “Flower Boy” but in nuance that I can’t put my finger on. Reflective themes in Tyler’s albums were manifestations to unpack trauma and be honest with himself. In the six years as a Tyler, the Creator fan, I’ve learned lessons on self-love, inner peace, individuality and distancing myself from outgrown relationships. I’ve grown to develop artistically and find my voice, and wings. In 2019, I know what it feels like to be an artist and my truest self. I wouldn’t be who I am without Tyler, the Creator. His actualization, agency, and honesty translated through his deep raspy voice, avant-garde aesthetic and careful articulation of emotions. If you haven’t streamed “IGOR” by Tyler, the Creator, the play button for this album is definitely worth putting your finger on.