Tyler, the Creator fans were taken by surprise last week when the rapper finally announced his next full-length album, leaving fans a little more than a week to prepare themselves before a new era begins.
Since the announcement, Tyler has shared a number of sneak peeks.
Here’s everything to know before the album drops on Monday morning.
Who is Tyler, the Creator?
The American rapper, born Tyler Gregory Okonma, is known for such critically acclaimed hits as “EARFQUAKE,” “New Magic Wand” and “See You Again.”
He was the founder and longtime member of the 2007-formed hip-hop collective “Odd Future,” which was also the launching pad for critically acclaimed singer Frank Ocean, one of Tyler’s long-term friends.
With roots in rap and hip-hop, Tyler has been active in the music industry since the late 2000s, and some of his first mixtapes were classified under the horrorcore genre — showing the world his uncensored and edgy side.
Since then, he has explored different sounds, including elements of neo-soul and funk on his fifth album, “Igor,” which earned him the Grammy award for best rap album in 2020.
He’s known for his alternative hip-hop sound and for self-producing all of his music, as well as having a hand in the visual and artistic direction of his content.
In addition to his music, Tyler, the Creator has made a name for himself in the fashion world for his progressive, preppy style. He is also the founder of Golf Wang, a streetwear brand known for its colourful esthetic.
What do we know about ‘Chromakopia’?
On Oct. 16, Tyler, the Creator dropped a mysterious teaser in a post on X and Instagram captioned, “ST. CHROMA.”
In the 85-second video, a masked Tyler is seen leading 10 people on a march while “chromakopia” is chanted in the background. He then begins whispering song lyrics, before the beat drops and the trucking container he marches them into explodes.
It became apparent to fans that this was the start of a new Tyler, the Creator era, and an album announcement at the end of the teaser unveiled the word “Chromakopia” against a green backdrop.
The next day, he officially revealed the cover art and said his upcoming self-produced album, “Chromakopia,” will be released on Monday, Oct. 28, at 6 a.m. EST. The announcement came as a surprise to fans because his previous albums stuck to a strict two-year schedule on odd numbered years, with many originally expecting his next album to arrive in 2025.
He also launched the “Chromakopia” website, where fans could find the latest details of the album. They can also view the “Chromakopia trucking company” map that is updated daily with locations in the U.S. of where the promotional trucks are travelling to next.
All the teasers for the album share the same colour coding: green, black and white, with some sepia toning. It’s safe to assume fans can expect to see a lot more of this theme from Tyler this era, a notable shift from his trademark colourful esthetic.
What does “Chromakopia” mean?
While Tyler hasn’t said, fans speculate that it presents a new Tyler persona, one that channels “Chroma the Great,” a character from the children’s fantasy novel “The Phantom Tollbooth,” by Norton Juster.
“Chroma’s job is to conduct the orchestra that colours every day; without him and the instruments, the world would have no color at all. And if you know, Tyler is well known for his bright saturated colours throughout his career and worlds he has created,” one X user wrote.
What is Tyler, the Creator’s “Noid?”
On Oct. 21, Tyler released the video for the lead “Chromakopia” single, “Noid,” which is about the “paranoia” and invasion of privacy that some celebrities have to deal with by consistently being in the public eye.
As in the other teasers, the cinematography is mostly in black and white.
In the video, a masked Tyler moves through a crowd of angry people before running away from overly enthusiastic fans chasing him around for an autograph or photo.
Who might feature on the album?
A complete tracklist hasn’t been published yet as of writing, but curious fans have put their detective hats on to speculate who might have guest spots.
Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar and former Odd Future collaborator Frank Ocean are a couple of the names that are rumoured to be featured on the upcoming album.
Will Tyler, the Creator go on a world tour for “Chromakopia?”
Tyler announced on Oct. 23 that he will be embarking on the “Chromakopia: The World Tour” starting in February.
He will perform in Toronto on July 24 at Scotiabank Aren, as well as visit Montreal and Vancouver.
Rapper Lil Yachty and hip-hop duo Paris Texas will join supporting acts.
Meanwhile, Tyler has announced the lineup for this year’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival — a music festival at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium he’s curated since 2012. The event is scheduled for Nov. 16 and 17.
Has Tyler, the Creator released any other songs on “Chromakopia?”
On Saturday afternoon, Tyler released another music video on YouTube, ”Thought I Was Dead,” a blistering rap track that clocks in just two minutes.
A few fans lucky enough to snag tickets to Tyler’s pre-release listening party this Sunday at L.A.‘s Intuit Dome will listen to the full album along with the rapper, who said he won’t be performing live, but rather “lip-synching the new sounds.”
