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2024 studio album by Tyler, The Creator From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chromakopia is the eighth studio album by American rapper Tyler, The Creator. It was released through Columbia Records on October 28, 2024,[1] serving as the follow-up to Call Me If You Get Lost (2021).[2] Chromakopia was written, produced, and arranged by Tyler himself.[3] The album features guest appearances from Daniel Caesar, Doechii, GloRilla, LaToiya Williams, Lil Wayne, Childish Gambino, Solange, Lola Young, Santigold, Schoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, Thundercat, and Teezo Touchdown, with physical releases of the album additionally featuring Playboi Carti.[4]
| Chromakopia | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 28, 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 52:54 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Tyler, The Creator | |||
| Tyler, The Creator chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Chromakopia | ||||
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The album blends different genres like hip-hop, jazz, and soul, evocative of Tyler's previous releases Flower Boy (2017) and Igor (2019). Conceptually, Chromakopia is narrated by Tyler's mother, Bonita Smith, as a diary that pieces together Tyler's perspective on past timeline experiences separated by tracks. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the lyricism, cohesiveness, and production, and even noted its messy and confusing nature as a positive.[5]
Chromakopia was supported by its lead single, "Noid", as well as two promotional singles, from "St. Chroma" and "Thought I Was Dead". The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one in eight countries. In the United States, the album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, earning Tyler his third US number-one album and is his fastest-selling album to date. Several other songs from the album also charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as "Noid" and "St. Chroma". In support of the album, Tyler will embark on the Chromakopia: The World Tour (2025).
On October 28, 2024, during Tyler, The Creator's Chromakopia exclusive listening event, Tyler revealed the meaning behind the album, noting that the album was originally about him growing up in Hawthorne, Inglewood. He revealed on stage that "no one knows anything about me from before I was like 17" and that the record turned into Tyler "taking a bunch of shit my mom told me as a kid."[6]
I was born and raised in L.A., Inglewood, Hawthorne to be exact. This album originally started about growing up in these areas. I was like, "Oh, shit, no one knows anything about me from before I was like 17." Folks are like "Oh, he's from the suburbs." No, nigga, I was down the street here. And I don't mirror what they expect, so ... But the album now has turned into me taking a bunch of shit my mom told me as a kid. Now that I'm 33 all of that stuff is like, "Oh, that's what the fuck she was talking about. Oh, I'm not the guy that I was at 20. Like, oh shit, people are getting older ... Folks having kids and families and all I got is a new Ferrari." And it does feel kind of weird. I'm gaining weight, I've got gray hair on my chest, life is life-ing. I don't know, I just wanted to kind of just write about stuff that I think about when I'm solo. And I'm happy y'all got a chance to experience it in my hometown. So thanks y'all for coming.
Tyler uploaded a video on his official YouTube channel titled “Mask is off: Chromakopia” on November 12, 2024, which chronicles the creative process of the album, including behind-the-scenes clips from composition sessions, instrumentation arrangements and engineering work.[7]
Primarily a hip hop, R&B, and jazz album, Chromakopia embraces eclectic instrumentation.[8] It blends musical styles reminiscent of Tyler's fourth and fifth albums Cherry Bomb (2015) and Flower Boy (2017), such as neo soul melodies and synthesizer-based arrangements.[8] Military cadences and soulful elements are also present on the album.[9]
Chromakopia is narrated by Tyler's mother, Bonita Smith.[10] Its concept was inspired by his experience growing up in Greater Los Angeles and the life lessons he learned from Smith as a child, that he began to understand and appreciate as he grew older.[11] Before the album's release, publications speculated that the album could be based on the story of Chroma the Great, a powerful conductor whose orchestra creates the colors of the world, from the 1961 children's novel The Phantom Tollbooth.[12] Dork's Jake Hawkes notes the character ties into the album's aesthetics, but has little impact on the lyrical material.[13] Music critics characterized Chromakopia as an early midlife crisis album revolving around the concerns young adults have over their newfound adulthood. Its protagonist, St. Chroma, is introduced on the opening track of the same name.
Smith describes him as the light and tells him to never dim his light for anyone.[14] "Rah Tah Tah" features braggadocios lyrics, as Tyler declares himself as the biggest rapper from Los Angeles after Kendrick Lamar.[13] "Noid", on the other hand, explores his anxieties with celebrity culture and parasocial relationships.[15] In "Darling, I", featuring vocals by Teezo Touchdown, Tyler reflects on his artistic ambition and the practice of monogamy.[11]
Titled after the abortion-related healthcare company, "Hey Jane" stages a conversation between Tyler and an anonymous, older woman in the wake of an unplanned pregnancy.[16] Billboard's Mackenzie Cummings-Grady wrote that on the record, Tyler "speaks on his consuming paranoia" while narrating his "desire for children".[17]
Provoked by Beyoncé's surprise release of her 2013 self-titled album,[18] the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) changed the day of the week when music is released worldwide from Tuesday to Friday.[19] Tyler criticized the industry standard in a 2023 interview with Nardwuar, suggesting that it promotes "passive listening".[20] He chose to release Chromakopia on Monday, October 28, 2024, at 6 a.m. ET.[21]
Trucks and shipping containers promoting Chromakopia were spotted in various cities across the U.S., including Tyler, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Philadelphia, Roswell, Phoenix, Hawthorne (Tyler's hometown), and Los Angeles.[22] One day before its release, Tyler held an album listening party at Intuit Dome.[6]
On October 16, 2024, Tyler posted a teaser for Chromakopia's opening track, "St. Chroma", on his social media accounts.[23] He revealed the album's name, release date, and cover art the following day.[24][25] The album's lead single, "Noid" was released on October 21.[26][27] A teaser for its eleventh track, "Thought I Was Dead", was shared on October 26.[28][29] Three more songs were teased in a promotional video for the album's limited edition vinyl.[30]
Chromakopia: The World Tour was announced on October 23, 2024, with additional shows announced October 29, 2024.[31] Promoted by AEG Presents, the tour will feature special guests Lil Yachty and Paris Texas, with 53 dates across North America, including the U.S. and Canada, 23 dates in Western Europe and the UK, and 10 shows scheduled in Oceania, covering Australia and New Zealand. The tour will take place throughout 2025.[32]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[33] |
| Metacritic | 85/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [34] |
| Clash | 9/10[35] |
| Consequence | A-[36] |
| Dork | [13] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [37] |
| The Guardian | [38] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[10] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[39] |
| Rolling Stone | [40] |
| The Quietus | [41] |
Upon release, Chromakopia received widespread acclaim from critics. According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Chromakopia received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 16 critic scores.[5] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[42]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, David Crone claimed that, "Chromakopia is less of a cohesive statement than Tyler's fans are used to hearing; it's erratic and candid at once, a strange pressure cooker of boasts and doubts that falls out of step with its deftly sequenced and thematically tight predecessors."[34] Writing for Clash, Niall Smith wrote that "the project's mid-section advances the album's winning streak", however, "while there aren't any outright weak tracks" on the record, occasionally, "the pacing feels slightly less focused than Tyler's previous work". Smith concluded that "while some elements feel a bit safe, the sound design is chiseled and sharper" while noting that the album showcases Tyler's "now-mastered style in HD glory".[35] Consequence's Jonah Krueger wrote that "the maternal presence is felt throughout the tracklist" and that Tyler "[explores] his anxieties and trauma" throughout the record.[36] Writing for Dork, Jake Hawkes noted that Chromakopia is a project "that bulges at the seams" and that "Tyler somehow wrangles it into something cohesive". Hawkes continued, "lyrically, Tyler seems at his most confessional in years", before concluding, stating that the album "has depth, it has worldbuilding, but just as importantly, it has some absolute bangers, too".[13] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote that "tracks shift and slip their moorings, lurching from one sound to another" and that often, they change "completely over the course of a few minutes". Petridis concluded that "Chromakopia ultimately seems to manifest a state of confusion, in which everything is in flux and nothing is quite as it initially seems".[38] Music critic Anthony Fantano praises Tyler's finding of self-identity on the album, stating that "Tyler makes it clear that he is still struggling to find himself and his way, and he's just being very frank and open about it" but also cites that "Tyler's cartoonish delivery and production style does get the better of him," and criticizes the lack of a new sound for Tyler on the album overall, being derivative of Igor or Call Me If You Get Lost.[43]
Steven Loftin for The Line of Best Fit wrote that "Chromakopia's execution has been well thought out and finessed", however, "it is messy and it is truthful". Loftin expressed that the album "continues piecing together the Tyler, the Creator puzzle without making the picture any clearer".[10] Tom Breihan, writing for Stereogum, mentioned the album's similarity with Kendrick Lamar's album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022), noting that Chromakopia is "Tyler's therapy record, his self-conscious attempt to figure his shit out in full view of the public".[44] Billboard's Mackenzie Cummings-Grady wrote that the album "contains something for everyone" and that "within this universal and at times nostalgic construction, the album is also incredibly reflective".[17]
Chromakopia earned over 85,665,784 first-day streams on the global Spotify chart, averaging over 6 million streams per song. This makes it the biggest hip hop album debut on Spotify of 2024 and top 20 of all time. It also simultaneously occupied the entire top 14 on the US Spotify charts, with St. Chroma being No. 1 with 5.261 million streams.[45] Chromakopia also reached No. 1 on the US Apple Music Albums chart and simultaneously occupied the entire top 12 on the US Apple Music Songs Chart with St. Chroma also being No. 1.[46]
Despite being released on Monday, Chromakopia debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with 299,500 album equivalent units sold in its partial week along with 142,000 pure sales.[47] Chromakopia surpassed Call Me If You Get Lost (169,000 units) as Tyler's biggest first week sales. The album also marked the biggest debut, by units, for a rap album released in 2024.[48][49] Also, the single "Noid" and the track "St. Chroma" peaked at No. 10 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, marking his first top 10 hits on that chart.[50]
In Chromakopia's second week, the album earned 160,000 equivalent album units in the United States, securing a second consecutive week at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.[51] On the Hot 100, the track "Sticky" featuring Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne, and GloRilla jumped to number 10 from its number 14 debut on the chart. Chromakopia became Tyler's first album to spend multiple consecutive weeks at number one and to secure 3 songs in the Billboard Hot 100's top 10.[52] The album earned 104,000 units on its third week, securing the top spot on the Billboard 200.[53]
The album debuted atop the UK Albums Chart. The single "Noid" and two other songs for the album charted on the UK Singles Chart: "Noid" (16), "St. Chroma" (15), and "Darling, I" (24).[54][55] UK chart rules prevent artists from having more than three songs in the top 40 at once; without these rules, Chromakopia would have generated further new entries in the countdown.[56] The album also debuted atop the Australian ARIA Charts, the Dutch Album Top 100, the Irish Albums Chart, the New Zealand RMNZ chart, and the Scottish albums chart.
All tracks are written, produced, and arranged by Tyler Okonma, with additional writers noted. "Balloon" was additionally produced by Jayda Love.[3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "St. Chroma" (featuring Daniel Caesar) | 3:17 | |
| 2. | "Rah Tah Tah" | 2:45 | |
| 3. | "Noid" | 4:44 | |
| 4. | "Darling, I" (featuring Teezo Touchdown) | 4:13 | |
| 5. | "Hey Jane" | 4:00 | |
| 6. | "I Killed You" | 2:48 | |
| 7. | "Judge Judy" | 4:29 | |
| 8. | "Sticky" (featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne) |
| 4:15 |
| 9. | "Take Your Mask Off" (featuring Daniel Caesar and LaToiya Williams) |
| 4:13 |
| 10. | "Tomorrow" | Simmonds | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Thought I Was Dead" (featuring Schoolboy Q and Santigold) | 3:27 | |
| 12. | "Like Him" (featuring Lola Young) | 4:38 | |
| 13. | "Balloon" (featuring Doechii) | 2:34 | |
| 14. | "I Hope You Find Your Way Home" | 4:29 | |
| Total length: | 52:54 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Sticky" (featuring Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne) |
| 4:28 |
| 11. | "Mother" | 4:14 | |
| 12. | "Thought I Was Dead" (featuring Playboi Carti and Santigold) | 3:27 | |
| Total length: | 57:08 | ||
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[62] | 1 |
| Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA)[63] | 1 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[64] | 3 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[65] | 2 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[66] | 4 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[67] | 1 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[68] | 3 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[69] | 4 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[70] | 1 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[71] | 10 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[72] | 19 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[73] | 4 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[74] | 7 |
| Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn)[75] | 3 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[76] | 1 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[77] | 10 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[78] | 42 |
| Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[79] | 2 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[80] | 1 |
| Nigerian Albums (TurnTable)[81] | 60 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[82] | 2 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV)[83] | 4 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[84] | 1 |
| Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[85] | 2 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[86] | 7 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[87] | 3 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[88] | 1 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[89] | 1 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[90] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200[91] | 1 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[92] | 1 |
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