Tyler, The Creator – Igor

The multi-talented Tyler, The Creator follows up his critically acclaimed Flower Boy album with a self-produced project titled IGOR. The album begins with a surprising vocal performance from Lil Uzi on IGOR’S THEME, and it’s all uphill from there. While the vocal mixing on EARFQUAKE leaves much to be desired, I THINK makes up for whatever the previous song lacks, as Tyler raps with a Kanye-esque flow over a bouncy trap beat with intermittent R&B vocals and beautiful, synth-filled bridge. Additionally, the beat breakdown halfway through RUNNING OUT OF TIME is god-tier and reminds us of Tyler’s growing production ability.  NEW MAGIC WAND is a standout track, with a dark, distorted bassline driving the song. WHAT’S GOOD, another standout track, kicks the energy up to 10 with a fast-paced beat and fiery line delivery. This is followed by the vastly different GONE,GONE/THANK YOU with a catchy refrain reminiscent of 70’s soul. The track switches up twice, first to a vibey slow jam with a verse delivered in Tyler’s signature style, and then to a harmonic, arpeggio-filled outro. This project is significantly different than anything the Odd Future alum has released before and speaks to how diverse Tyler can be.