"Cause you make my..."

The California native, Tyler, the Creator has always shown that he is a strong contender for one of the greatest artists of our generation but the question at hand is is; how far has he come over the years?

In May 2019 Tyler took to Instagram to release snippets of ‘IGOR’S THEME’ and ‘WHAT’S GOOD’ with their accompanied videos. At that moment fans knew something spectacular was coming soon. It was nearing the two year mark since his critically acclaimed album ‘Flower Boy’ and fans wanted more! More emotion, funk style, all the works of what made that album worth the Grammy nomination. Then came his most recent album, ‘IGOR’

From start to finish, the album follows the slow progression of Tyler’s relationship dying right in front of his eyes. In songs like ‘Earfquake’, you are captivated by his dependency on his partner from start to finish. He refers to his partner’s love as an earthquake, something that is usually destructive depending on severity. We usually don’t see this romantic side of Tyler, well at least in a non-violent manner so this change is admirable.

We see the new blond wigged Tyler go through the stages of grief until he finally comes to the conclusion that he has to let the love of his life be with someone else. His raspy voice mixed in synths and funk of the album drag you into a world of emotion that you can’t escape from which eventually causes you to feel for his broken heart.

Tyler accepts his fate in the more upbeat ‘GONE, GONE/THANK YOU’ featuring CeeLo Green. He knows that he doesn’t have any control in what his lover will do but he knows that either way he’s going to be alright.

During my first play-through in May 2019, I was a bit skeptical of the album such as the meaning behind it, and why it didn’t piece together like some of his projects but I think that’s what makes IGOR such a great album. Even though the album was mainly about love and the feeling of raw emotion, tracks liked ‘NEW MAGIC WAND’ and ‘WHAT’S GOOD’ reminded us of the versatility of Tyler. Features from Playboi Carti in ‘Earfquake’, Kanye West in ‘Puppet’ and Pharrell in ‘ARE WE STILL FRIENDS’ help IGOR surpass its predecessors. What really got my attention was Tyler refraining from stating the features on each track which gave a great element of surprise trying to figure out who was on the album. This aspect kept me coming back for more which makes his albums great! There’s always something to uncover when it comes to Tyler’s music and in this is what makes him a great artist.

Despite IGOR being as far left from a traditional hip hop project, Tyler soared past expectations. From the quirky love story to the new character of the blonde wig wearing Tyler, IGOR leaves its lasting impression on any listener. Similar to 2017’s ‘Flower Boy’, this is an album you can put on during the Summer months and just enjoy. I listen to IGOR at least twice a week now and it’s probably gotten to the point where my neighbors now know the lyrics. Now with a Grammy under his belt, I can’t wait to see how Tyler tops this piece of art!