OKOKOKOKOKO
Tyler has a new album, dudes.
It's been out for a minute (long ass minute wtf), I've listened to this plenty of times, only because it took me a few listens to really take in what Tyler was doing on this album. It's no Bastard, in which the lyrical emotion hits you like a ton of bricks (mostly because the production was very simple and amateur), it didn't have the hits Goblin did, and it didn't have the cool concept that was Wolf. I don't even know what Cherry Bomb was.
But you know what, this is Tyler's best album to date. It has his best songs, his best moments, and the most mature Tyler has been to date.
First of all, this is his best produced album. All the soul and R&B influences that Tyler has been teasing since Goblin, even a little bit in Bastard is at full force here. It almost blurs the line between R&B and rap, and it's astounding. Tyler raps about his new life in the opener "Foreword", and how even with a brand new lavish lifestyle (with the production reflecting these emotions very well, a nice little keyboard bop with a gorgeous orchestral section laying down the internal emotions Tyler is likely feeling), Tyler still ultimately feels empty and even depressed, especially with the hook, sung beautifully by artist Rex Orange County, "and if I drown and don't come back/ who's gunna know?". It sets up the album pretty nicely.
The next track displays an alternate view of Tyler's come up, "Where This Flower Blooms", where he lyrically breaks down where he comes from, and instead of going back to the amateur style Odd Future production, Tyler shows us how he's improved since then, and offering a more mature look at his youth, along with how far he's come. Along with Mr. Frank Ocean coming in and killing the chorus like always.
Then, we get into probably the best track on the album. "See You Again" is the kind of track that always has me coming back to Tyler's music. It's the song in each album in which I always see a progression of his lyrics, production, maturity, and themes. This was "Yonkers" in Goblin, "Answer" in Wolf, and... well nothing from Cherry Bomb was crazy, except maybe "Fucking Young"... yeah sure, we'll go with that.
Okay so, first of all, this is Tyler's best produced track. How he leads off with the piano and synth, lyrics of thinking about this person. The horns come in, giving emotions of want, lust, and almost lost love. The strings accompany in, along with the magnificent Kali Uchis, the theme of love and wanting of a person continues, Kali delivers and performs perfectly, like always. THEN. THE SWITCH UP. BOI. The drums come in, and Tyler goes in. Lyrics of a soulmate it seems he's never even met yet, (or claims to never met) but gives a good description of this person (it's them rose-tinted cheeks/it's them dirt colored eyes). He describes this love as it's the main thing on his mind and the feeling that keeps his blood running through his veins. The horns and strings give a happy and warm feeling, the drums driving the beat along up until the end. It's easily of the best tracks of the year.
After that, is the first single to come from Tyler, "Who Dat Boy". An absolute banger. Rather than a quick trendy beat that would go perfect with a Migos flow, this track is reminiscent of a 90's banger track. All it starts with is a synth lead, then builds slowly into an a monster. Tyler and A$AP ride the beat like butter, man. The music video is just as great as well. With a nice look into a later track "911/Mr. Lonely".
But you know what, this is Tyler's best album to date. It has his best songs, his best moments, and the most mature Tyler has been to date.
First of all, this is his best produced album. All the soul and R&B influences that Tyler has been teasing since Goblin, even a little bit in Bastard is at full force here. It almost blurs the line between R&B and rap, and it's astounding. Tyler raps about his new life in the opener "Foreword", and how even with a brand new lavish lifestyle (with the production reflecting these emotions very well, a nice little keyboard bop with a gorgeous orchestral section laying down the internal emotions Tyler is likely feeling), Tyler still ultimately feels empty and even depressed, especially with the hook, sung beautifully by artist Rex Orange County, "and if I drown and don't come back/ who's gunna know?". It sets up the album pretty nicely.
The next track displays an alternate view of Tyler's come up, "Where This Flower Blooms", where he lyrically breaks down where he comes from, and instead of going back to the amateur style Odd Future production, Tyler shows us how he's improved since then, and offering a more mature look at his youth, along with how far he's come. Along with Mr. Frank Ocean coming in and killing the chorus like always.
Then, we get into probably the best track on the album. "See You Again" is the kind of track that always has me coming back to Tyler's music. It's the song in each album in which I always see a progression of his lyrics, production, maturity, and themes. This was "Yonkers" in Goblin, "Answer" in Wolf, and... well nothing from Cherry Bomb was crazy, except maybe "Fucking Young"... yeah sure, we'll go with that.
Okay so, first of all, this is Tyler's best produced track. How he leads off with the piano and synth, lyrics of thinking about this person. The horns come in, giving emotions of want, lust, and almost lost love. The strings accompany in, along with the magnificent Kali Uchis, the theme of love and wanting of a person continues, Kali delivers and performs perfectly, like always. THEN. THE SWITCH UP. BOI. The drums come in, and Tyler goes in. Lyrics of a soulmate it seems he's never even met yet, (or claims to never met) but gives a good description of this person (it's them rose-tinted cheeks/it's them dirt colored eyes). He describes this love as it's the main thing on his mind and the feeling that keeps his blood running through his veins. The horns and strings give a happy and warm feeling, the drums driving the beat along up until the end. It's easily of the best tracks of the year.
After that, is the first single to come from Tyler, "Who Dat Boy". An absolute banger. Rather than a quick trendy beat that would go perfect with a Migos flow, this track is reminiscent of a 90's banger track. All it starts with is a synth lead, then builds slowly into an a monster. Tyler and A$AP ride the beat like butter, man. The music video is just as great as well. With a nice look into a later track "911/Mr. Lonely".
But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. The track "Pothole" follows this right up. Which is features one of the better Jaden Smith features I have ever heard, honestly. It's very brief, but I think he ride on the beautiful beat very well. The track has a huge R&B vibe, but has no singing, just Tyler rapping about obstacles Tyler had to encounter on his come up, but using a driving metaphor to make his point. (As foreshadowed on his previous track, which you can hear Tyler driving and cursing because he hit the pothole.)
Now. "Garden Shed" is probably the most revealing Tyler track I've ever heard. Basically revealing that Tyler has had homosexual relations in the past. It's a beautiful track, man. The beat feels like a blanket covering a forbidden love, like him and him in that garden shed. It's not like it's the first time he's done this on this album. I mean, in the interlude "Sometimes...", the radio DJ asked what they wanted him to play, and the caller (a dude) said, "play the one about me", then "See You Again" plays.
Estelle's voice compliments this feeling well, her voice isn't demanding, but it fills the room with a mood. The track is so damn sad, but it's definitely a high point on the album.
Right after that beauty, we stumble into the next one, "Boredom", featuring Rex Orange County again, Anna of the North, and Corinne Bailey Rae. This one digs deep into the loneliness that comes with boredom, as many of the tracks here do. Where you just get tired of being in your house, the redundancy of having nothing to do, to where you can almost feel time killing you, yeah, this song captures that well. Even though the instrumentation can make it seem very happy, it's mostly encapsulates the summer feel, rather than the lonely feel.
Then, we have another banger, "I Ain't Got Time!". The first half his this huge uptempo track where I can imagine Tyler running around the room recording. Reminds me of "Tamale" from Wolf, then the second half is this super lyrical Tyler, I can imagine Tyler stopping, and going as hard as possible on the mic. It's so wonderful.
Then, we have the lovely "911/Mr. Lonely", probably the "loneliest" sounding song on the album. The first half is basically 90's R&B revivalism, in it's most pure form, of course. It has the smoothest sounding Tyler I've heard, then, a spotlight appears and lands on Frank Ocean, who provides my second favorite feature on here. Then this second track showcases Tyler's loneliness over 808's and synths. If "Boredom" didn't give you a feel for the lonely, then this definitely will.
Last track I'll probably talk about today is "November", in which Tyler cuts open deep about a time where he last felt truly happy, which was November. And like "Garden Shed" (a track he mentions on here), it's a very personal track. He talks about his insecurities, his feelings, wishing he could go back to the old times. Even in the track, there's a few artists talking about their "November", some of them simple as getting a record, some of them is a love lost. For Tyler, it looks like it's either right now, or back in that garden shed.
This is easily one of the best albums of the year. It's Tyler's best album by a lot. The only thing I wish was for more harder tracks, ya know, some more "Scum Fuck" to the "Flower Boy". But hey, this album is technically just Flower Boy. So hey, I ain't mad. In fact, I'm just in love.
Favorite tracks: "See You Again", "911/Mr. Lonely", "Boredom", "Who Dat Boy", "I Ain't Got Time!", "November", "Foreword", "Where This Flower Blooms"
Least favorite: "Glitter" was good, but weak.
9.5/10
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