Tyler the Creator doesn’t like to take his foot off the gas. Now, he continues to pour his energy into his expression without overpowering or overthinking.
Tyler the Creator dropped his 9th studio album on a Monday morning in mid-July without any singles, all-star tracklist, elaborate concept, cohesive themes, signature outfits, or any new persona which would usually suggest a new-era from the California native. It was unusual for Tyler to be so casual before dropping new music. This time, Tyler puts the music before the dramatics, utilizing the visual language of hip-hop and his signature voice across social media to carry the rest.
It’s easy to compare this project to Ye or GNX . It’s even easier to label this project as simply solid sketches of unsent love letters with silly boasts from an actively touring artist creating more momentum for the summer. However, Tyler’s attention to detail, his deep appreciation for the culture of music along with the traditions of Hip-Hop, sets this newest release apart from just a loose 10-pack.
I first experienced this album at the gym. Immediately, I was filled with excitement because I knew I had chosen both the ideal setting to listen to this album, and the perfect soundtrack to start my Monday. The A-section kickstarted with some high-intensity warm-up songs like, “Big Poe”, “Sugar on my Tongue", and “Sucka Free”, that got my full body motivated. Then, the B-section, “Stop Playing With Me”, “Ring, ring, ring” and “Don’t tap the glass/Tweakin’”, easily transitioned into a focused surge that targeted specific areas while still keeping my emotions high. Then, Tyler took me on a three-song cooldown, “Don’t You Worry Baby”, “I’ll Take Care of You”, “Tell Me What It Is” that was flooded with nostalgia and packed with emotion.
On Don’t Tap The Glass , Tyler, the Creator is taking the time to show us his favorite ingredients, while also allowing for each song to have its own moment. This creates an experience that feels like Tyler walking us through how to make his favorite one-pan recipes while giving anecdotes about niche spices.
This album has so many different flavors that span from full-body dancing in the middle of the club, to cool kids at school, to heartbroken and yearning, to speeding so fast down the highway you almost miss the exit. And yet, what I appreciate the most about this album is how its familiarity and uniqueness work together to feel individual in a way that also isn’t competitive with the rest of Tyler’s discography. Tyler, the Creator creates a fun space for people to interact with stimulating music while he leaves breadcrumbs from previous eras across each track. Now, fans can rediscover the parts of Tyler’s musicality that they can identify, and listeners can look out for the different aspects of Rap history that they can recognize.
Tyler, the Creator displayed how highly he values nostalgic fusions paired with exciting innovation on this project. Don’t Tap The Glass is a display of Tyler, the Creator’s unique blend of history, nostalgia, innovation, influence, taste, and personality that welcomes long-time fans to embrace old memories.
