Tyler The Creator – IGOR

Hip hop contributor COOPER NEWCOMBE looks at the new Tyler The Creator album.

From the overly aggressive, borderline violent synths that we’re all familiar with from ‘Cherry Bomb’ all the way to the glittery guitar from ‘Flower Boy’. Honestly, the best way to describe this album is a collection all of Tyler’s different sounds throughout his discography as well as sounds of those who have influenced him for example, Kanye and Pharell.

After 17 days of Tyler teasing the album finally, we were blessed with what can only be described as velvet for the ears. Starting off, instantly welcomed with probably the most confusing but soothing instrumental from the album. “IGOR’S THEME” features a hard-hitting dirty synth that slowly leads into surprisingly Lil Uzi Vert’s enchanting singing which then carries you through the rest of the song like Aladdin’s rug.

This then beautifully transports you into probably the best love song of the 21st century “EARFQUAKE”, with its very subtle retro synths and twinkles, almost undeniably Tyler’s piano playing and audio tuned ad-libs to even the surprising feature of PlayBoi Carti, literally the last person you’d expect to feature on a piece which is why it surprisingly works.

The song ends and we’re stopped by a sampled vocal of someone saying “4” which is repeated a couple of times until the listener is bomb rushed with an undeniably catchy and body moving drum sample from Nkono Teles 1982 “Get Down” which repeats through most of the song which its commended by another poppy synth which would make a love-jaded elder blush.

The song “I THINK” is by far my favourite song of this album, from the drum sample to a sampled chorus (“Special Lady” by Bibi Mascel) so catchy that you can’t help but sing along no matter what you’re doing or where you are. Speaking of attention-grabbing samples, “A BOY IS A GUN” probably has one of the prettiest and underused samples, in my opinion, the sample being from “Bound” by Ponderosa Twins Plus One (which was also sampled in Kanye’s “Bound 2”).

This sample is sprinkled throughout “A BOY IS A GUN” and it still didn’t feel like enough. After you hear the sample repeat one last time in the break, the song changes to “PUPPET”, you’re then welcomed with a very awkward bass synth that leads in with abare verse that talks about his need to talk be around this someone which is shortly joined by a couple of different types of synths which continue to complement the twinkly comments. It’s not until a minute into the song does the “It’s Alright With Me” by Part Time sample starts and holds your hand until the very quiet and emotional verse by Kanye.

The album itself follows a narrative of a relationship and the ups and downs of the relationship. For example, songs like “EARFQUAKE” and “I THINK” talk very specifically on very real moments that you’ll experience in similar relationships, but then again, the whole is pretty much going over the trial and tribulations of young love.

To summarise this 39 minutes emotional rollercoaster of an album, this piece is an astronomical leap from the edgy, offensive and grungy songs earlier on in his discography. Don’t get me wrong, everyone including myself enjoyed that side of Tyler but many other people including myself are also very into this new and very open Tyler.