Igor Review — beachboymusicreviews

Igor is the fifth album from California rapper, Tyler, the Creator, and celebrated its fifth anniversary back in May. I’ve been a fan of his music since I was 13 years old. The first album of his that I heard was 2013’s Wolf, which is an album I still enjoy to this day. Cherry Bomb, Call Me If You Get Lost and Flower Boy are three other examples of strong albums from Tyler. He’s also changed his musical style, and has matured in comparison to his first two projects, Bastard and Goblin, which have highlights, but for the most part feel like an edgy teenager just decided to write the most fucked up things they could think of and put it on an album. Safe to say, I’m a fan of Tyler’s music from Wolf onward. How does Igor stack up in comparison to the rest of his catalog?

We open up the record with “IGOR’S THEME,” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. It’s a well produced track with a simple monotone synth-bass instrumental and boom-bap drum rhythm. Like the rest of his albums, Tyler is in charge of the majority of the production. It serves as a cool introduction and I like the instrumentation and Uzi’s contribution adds a lot of personality to the track. Following that, is the only single off of the project, “EARFQUAKE,” featuring Playboi Carti, which is also one of my favorite tracks off of the record. Tyler’s a solid singer and I admire the themes of the track. In the song, Tyler is singing about a relationship that he wants, even though it’s brought him nothing but heartbreak. I like Charlie Wilson’s contribution in the chorus, as well. He almost has an addiction to the relationship as he says, “Don’t leave, it’s my fault. ‘Cause when it all comes crashing down I’ll need you.” Playboi Carti does what he does best which is create unintelligible lyrics. The more nonsensical his lyrics are, the better his music is. The R&B production is also a strong point and vocally it’s one of the most beautiful tracks on the album, easily.

“I THINK,” featuring Solange, touches on Tyler’s mental state as well as his feelings in a relationship. I really like Tyler’s rapping on this track as he flows effortlessly over the funky drum rhythm and glossy synth chords. His golf double entendre in his first verse, “You are such a distraction. That’s what T on, aw. Fuckin’ up my ambiance, pause,” is unique, as you don’t often hear someone using a golf metaphor for a romantic relationship. Solange’s voice is beautiful, and a great addition to the track. You can also really hear the emotions in Tyler’s voice throughout this album, especially on this track. I also like the sample of Nigerian disco artist, Bibi Mascel. It’s another favorite. After a brief interlude, we get the next track, “RUNNING OUT OF TIME,” which has a great Run-DMC sample, and covers the main theme of this album which is a love relationship Tyler has with another man, but this man is also dating a woman which pushes Tyler away. Tyler has a unique production style, as it’s evolved a lot throughout his career, but there’s some things that remain a constant, like the heavy usage of synthesizers and synth basses. He is literally running out of time to win this guy’s love. Tyler is a fantastic writer, as he sings, “Wade in your water, your waves wash over me. I drift to the deep end. Don’t save, don’t save, don’t save. It’s a low tide (I’ll be fine). I found peace in drownin’. The melancholy nature of this track helps create a narrative, and you can relate to Tyler’s lyrics even if you’re not gay or bisexual, because heartbreak and love are something that everyone deals with in their lives.

“NEW MAGIC WAND,” is Tyler trying to persuade his love interest not to leave him for a woman that the man has feelings for. This one’s actually Tyler’s favorite song off of the record, and I can see why, the heavy synth production, and chaotic nature of the track makes it very memorable. The extreme lengths he goes to to get the person he loves, is by killing the woman in the relationship’s way. Tyler’s rapping is aggressive and really nails the urgency and desperation that he feels for the man he can’t have. “A BOY IS A GUN,” is another phenomenal track, and the rapping and production feels almost Kanye-esque. I love the Ponderosa Twins Plus One sample, and the piano instrumentation, as well as Tyler’s narrative rapping. His lover is covering up his true self, and Tyler’s going through different phases throughout the track, saying “How come you’re the best to me? I know you’re the worst for me,” and later telling the man, “I’ma leave it at that, I’ma leave us as friends. ‘Cause the irony is I don’t wanna see you again.” The chorus is catchy, and I like TC’s wordplay on this track, especially the “Spider senses,” rhymed with “fences.”

“PUPPET,” featuring Kanye West, touches on the fanatical and protective aspects of being in love. Kanye’s feature is solid, but he doesn’t really add that much to the track, nonetheless I like how he’s inspired Tyler’s creative direction heavily on this album. The psychedelic nature of the track also makes it quite enjoyable. “WHAT’S GOOD,” instrumentally, goes from very abrasive sounds to calming synths and back again. I like the line, “Hard to believe in God when there’s no mirrors around.” Tyler’s intense rapping flows create a rough atmosphere, and you can hear the anger in his verse very clearly. Following that, we have a two parter track, “GONE, GONE/THANK YOU,” which Tyler has included on every record he’s made. I really like the interpolation of Tatsuro Yamashita, and the balance of this song, which talks about his fear of losing love in “GONE, GONE,” and thanking his lover for giving him their love, in “THANK YOU.” Cee Lo Green’s feature is also a welcome addition, and the production throughout the track is melancholy and atmospheric. Tyler’s wordplay in verse 3 is easily some of the best on the album. The synth chords are heavenly on this masterpiece of a track, and it’s easily one of the most emotional tracks on the record. “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE,” has a very jazzy feel to it, instrumentally. It shows Tyler portraying a poker face, claiming he doesn’t love them anymore, and has moved on, but in reality he’s struggling to get over them. What Tyler is talking about on this track is one of the most common struggles after a breakup. I’ve been through it, and I can’t put into words, but Tyler did it so wonderfully, and production-wise it paints a picture of heartbreak so vividly.

Finally, we end the album, with, “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?.” This track instrumentally sounds like a College Dropout-era Kanye track, and perfectly encapsulates the awkwardness after a breakup, where you move to the friendship stage. It’s uncomfortable, and doesn’t feel possible. How can he move on to a friendship, when he was intimate with this person and trusted them more than anyone else? It’s an amazing closer to the album, and has a lovely soulful instrumental break with guitars, electric pianos, and bells. What an experience.

Igor is easily Tyler, the Creator’s best album in his entire discography. Wolf, Cherry Bomb, and Flower Boy, are easily favorites, but this record is flawless from front to back. It reopened emotions that I hadn’t felt in a long time, and if an album is able to do that to me, it easily earns masterpiece status. Tyler’s writing is raw, emotional and relatable, and he made a genre-bending work of art. Not only did he do the writing, most of the singing, and rapping, but he produced every single track on this album, and it’s still as amazing as it was five years ago. There are no bad tracks on this record, it’s that good.