Tyler, the Creator
Igor

When I reviewed the latest album of Tyler the Creator a few months ago, I focused on the evolutionary side from a musical perspective of the American rapper/producer/all-rounder, and I even went as far as to define it his artistic peak. Well, after the release of IGOR, Tyler's latest effort, and after listening to it enough times to form a solid opinion, I can only confirm his artistic skills are now fully established.

For those who are not familiar with Tyler Okonma: he is one of the most influential rappers of recent years, founder of the seminal collective Odd Future that has delivered many talents still artistically active, including Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, and The Internet. Tyler's music, at least in the beginning, was an underground rap, foul-mouthed and politically incorrect although permeated with a lot of irony and an edgy/provocative attitude. In Radicals, for example, he delighted in shouting phrases like "kill people, burn shit, fuck school" into the microphone, along with the enormous number of "faggot" scattered throughout the songs, the equivalent of "frocio" in Italian. The criticisms were quick to follow, yet the irreverent and audacious aspect of the collective proved to be the winning weapon to achieve mainstream success, reaching its peak with the video of Yonkers: a track composed with lyrics seemingly written by a school shooter and a music video in which Tyler eats an insect, vomits, and then hangs himself, which, for some strange reason, resonated widely, especially among teenagers of the time (mostly white, due to the punk influences and skate environment of Tyler and co.), influencing many underground rappers, particularly on Soundcloud (even before Soundcloud rap was a reality).

The rebellious and punk spirit alternated with a colorful aesthetic with a significant use of skate culture and sometimes absurd and hilarious videos. Even in Wolf of 2013, Tyler began to change his musical register, and one could glimpse the roots of Flower Boy's sound (such as IFHY with Pharrell, for example). Then it was time for Cherry Bomb, an album full of good ideas, but not all well-executed, with a mix that leaves much to be desired. This imperfect gem, however, starts showing Tyler's transformation from a serial provocateur to what he's become today; with Flower Boy the change is complete, and Tyler could finally display his musical talent in productions, a collage of genres including R'n'B and soul, along with more introspection in the lyrics, including the alleged coming out that caused much media discussion.

So, about two years later, Tyler's sudden return with the new studio album IGOR brought about high expectations and, fortunately, that's how it turned out, although the listening wasn't as immediate as it could have been for the previous work. IGOR is, in fact, an even more complex work from a musical standpoint because it doesn't resemble the previous ones at all, except for Flower Boy regarding the general mood. At first listen, one of the first characteristics that stand out is the almost absence of rap elements: the two lead tracks of the album, Igor's Theme and Earfquake, except for a small contribution from Playboi Carti in the second track, are completely sung. As you continue listening, the rapping will play a very marginal role, allowing Tyler's beloved soulful and R'n'B influences to prevail.

From a production standpoint, the album is revealed to be one of the most complete in Tyler's discography; each song, in fact, presents numerous arrangements in which contemporary black music embraces 70's soul influences. Essentially, it's a neosoul mixed with a never invasive rap and an unusual use of singing. Speaking of singing, it's impossible not to mention the unexpected collaboration with rapper Playboi Carti in EARFQUAKE, a quirky love song in which Tyler's falsetto is paired with Carti's childlike voice; on paper, it seems like announced disaster, yet, it's incredibly catchy and singable, undoubtedly one of the best songs of 2019.

The main characteristic of IGOR, however, is the homogeneity of the pieces: all the tracks, even if they might sound different, maintain a certain mood that is never abandoned, so much so that it's advised to listen to the album as a whole to better enjoy the experience; and although there's a feeling of listening to a single song from beginning to end, the tracks, taken individually, present unique features and the most disparate guests: IGOR'S THEME serves as an intro and is constructed on a retro moog and is sung by Lil Uzi Vert and Kali Uchis. I THINK is, of all the tracks on the album, the one that most resembles an old-school rap piece and is inspired by the famous "stronger" both in the instrumental and in the cadence of the initial verses. RUNNING OUT OF TIME is the "See you again" of this record and is characterized by vocal pitch and a striking drum loop. NEW MAGIC WAND and WHAT'S GOOD manage to be both calm and moving pieces at the same time. PUPPET and A BOY IS A GUN are two beautiful soul and rap pieces that most remind one of the atmospheres of Flower Boy. GONE GONE \ THANK YOU sounds like a Jackson 5 piece sung by a pitch-modulated Tyler who sounds like a kid. The album concludes with ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?, a vaguely psychedelic outro virtually perfect to conclude an album as colorful as it is intertwined with themes and moods often contrasting in individual tracks.

In conclusion, we can say that IGOR represents another piece of Tyler's musical puzzle; even more detached from rap, increasingly experimental yet catchy in its productions balancing between old and new, and more and more particular and refined in its soundscape and use of numerous features, with Tyler now acting as the "orchestra conductor" of the entire project, a method somewhat like Kanye West in which each collaborator constitutes an important part of the artistic work behind the album and is not added randomly. We can only confirm the enormous musical talent of Tyler the Creator, who after Flower Boy has incredibly managed to hit the mark again, taking significant risks and creating a complete and vibrant album, an impressive collage of genres and musical influences.