Artist: Tyler, Creator Ft. Artists: Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis, A$AP Rocky, Jaden Smith, Estelle, Anna of the North, Steve Lacy, Lil Wayne Genre: Alternative Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Jazz Rap Running Time: 46 minutes and 33 seconds Release Date: July 21th, 2017 Language: English The fifth album and the second installment of Tyler's car ride themed albums brings more change following Tyler, the Creator's 2015 album 'Cherry Bomb'. Not only does this album prove to be an evolution in both Tyler's music style and production, but also Tyler as a person. ThoughtsIn hindsight, the instrumentation from the second half of 'Cherry Bomb' was a definitely a transition into the sound for 'Flower Boy'. Much like that album, 'Flower Boy' has more neo-soul and jazz elements intertwined with Tyler's verses. The instrumentals alone would be so beautiful without any verses or hooks. Tyler is still a really good lyricist with plenty of allusions and punchlines. He steps a little more away from the grimy feel of the previous albums and aims more for poetic verses with lines like "All my friends lost // They couldn't read the signs // I didn't wanna talk and tell 'em my location // And they ain't wanna walk // Truth is, since a youth kid, thought it was a phase // Thought it'd be like the phrase; "poof," gone // But, it's still goin' on" It's a beautiful and honest metaphor many people relate to. The best way I can put the vibe of the album is that the album feels like it's Spring or Summer even when it's the dead of Winter. I love albums that can just bring a nostalgic feeling of a season while listening to it. The features on this album also elevate the album. Kali Uchis and Tyler once again collaborate on the track "See You Again" and her vocals are just as great. A$AP Rocky has a fun verse on "Who Dat Boy" that makes the desire for a Tyler x A$AP Rocky collaboration album much stronger. Frank Ocean is always great with any Odd Future member. Much like 'Cherry Bomb' introduced me to Kalu Uchis, 'Flower Boy' has introduced me to Steve Lacy. He is a good musician on his own but his input on "911/Mr. Lonely" is great. I would never have predicted that Estelle and Tyler would have a collaboration, but it was great. Lil Wayne on "Droppin Seeds" drops a good short verse like he did on "Smuckers" on 'Cherry Bomb'. Like all of his other albums, Tyler the Creator centers the music around a narrative. In this case, Tyler is in his car trying to drive away from his issues. We hear the engine starting up, his keys jangling, car doors closing, and even Shane Powers on the radio. All this works great for the ambiance of the album. Around the middle of the album, he hits a pothole on the track aptly called "Pothole" and he has to stop and repair his car in "Garden Shed". With Tyler referring himself as 'flower boy' and him stepping out of the garden shed, I believe the metaphor is quite obvious. The last few tracks are about him trying to call someone to declare how he feels only for the person not answering and Tyler leaving a voice mail. It's really a bittersweet ending with "Enjoy Right Now, Today" being the pseudo end credits music and Tyler finally leaving the car. Although this album still has great bangers like "Ain't Got Time" and "Who Dat Boy", the album has much more of a serious tone compared to his previous work. This is Tyler without the insane characters or much of the bravado. This is Tyler face to face with himself and this album is about his self discovery. There's themes of anxiety, depression, isolation, and his overall position in life so far. A much disputed theme of the album is whether or not Tyler is coming out as gay on this album. Some point to his use of the f-word and his previous mentions to relationships with women as a resounding no. Personally, I believe that he is gay or is bisexual at the very least much like his Odd Future alum/friend Frank Ocean. From his social media presence to the songs on this album, there are multiple mentions of his attraction to men. While it is not as obvious or vocal as Kevin Abstract's sexuality, I still believe that he is valid. He has transformed from an 18 year old rapping about multiple personalities and committing egregious crimes to being a man opening up about his sexuality and how lonely he feels while still making it a bop. I dare say that this is Tyler's best album to date. He could retire (not saying he should any time soon) and this could be his magnum opus. This is my favorite album from him to date and the one I have replayed the most. It is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time and deserves a full ten out of ten. Seeing how much music he has released since then, I hope that he continues to grow in his music and as a person. I hope he blossoms into one of the best musicians of our times. To know why this album was so important to me, click read more below. 10 out of 10This album is special to me for many reasons.
It was the same week the album had came out and it was a humid one at that. I had a internship that summer on weekdays, so my friend Erin and I didn't have much time to hang out. I left work that day and met him up at his house to go see Spider-Man: Homecoming. We bought our tickets but we had to kill time before the showing. There was a Best Buy in relative distance and I asked him if he wanted to go with me to get the new album. Despite his objections, we made the long track to get the CD. I refused to listen to the album on any streaming services or YouTube until I hear it uninterrupted on disc. I convinced my friend to listen to the album and it entered our agreeable car ride playlist. We watched the movie, loved it, and then each went home. When I got home, I got in my music mode, played it once, and I have not stopped playing it ever since. I played the album over and over until my CD player scratched it up for some reason during a car ride through a wooded area. It was tragic, but I will still keep the CD. However, the reason why this was really important to me was that it helped me realize who I am. That summer was a transformative summer for me. It was the year this became my summer soundtrack, the summer I discovered Kevin Abrstact and BROCKHAMPTON, they year my mom's side of the family came back to my life, the year I found out my Tia Karen was a lesbian, and the summer I realized I was pansexual. I have had those feelings for a while, but I actively dismissed them many times. With the help of Tyler and BROCKHAMPTON, I opened my world view and accepted myself. I can never thank them enough for that. That is why 'Scum Fuck Flower Boy' holds a special place in my heart and I vow that I will go to a Tyler, the Creator concert one day.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author's HaikuI do some reviews Categories
All
Archives
August 2018
|