By “This Is Not Flower Boy. This Is IGOR”
“This is not Bastard. This is not Goblin. This is not Wolf. This is not Cherry Bomb. This is not Flower Boy. This is IGOR”, Tyler wrote on Twitter, giving fans an instructional guide to listening to his new record.
I was pretty hesitant to listen to this album because Tyler’s last major record, ‘Flower Boy‘, set the bar so high. As well as it is one of the best albums of the 2010’s, it is a lot to live up to for fans and critics going into this new album knowing his past accolades. However, just as Tyler said in the previously stated tweet, “This Is IGOR”.
From the start, ‘IGOR‘ rumbles your head almost like Etch-A-Sketch, resetting your expectations of what he will do compared to previous projects. ‘IGOR’s THEME‘ serves as a great starting place for this project, introducing Tyler’s filtered voice, distorted synths and drums, as well as showing off his affinity for beautiful chords, all of this laying the groundwork for what is to come in the album.
Hearing Pink
As I went through the record front to back, one thing stayed in my head, the color pink. One of the biggest parts of ‘IGOR‘ is the emphasis on feeling. If the color pink could be turned into a sound, this album is the sonic equivalent of falling in love with Majin Buu, idealized pink and soft love with moments of pure chaos and derangement.
‘NEW MAGIC WAND‘ establishes Tyler’s need for his partner to give him 100% effort in the relationship right from the start of the song, saying,
“This 60-40 isn’t workin’
Tyler, The Creator on New Magic Wand
I want a hundred of your time, you’re mine”
Within the hot pink soundscape of this song, it talks about Tyler’s lover possibly leaving because he might still have feelings for their ex-girlfriend. Tyler is almost manic when telling his partner to stay, even threatening to kill their ex.
The neon pink song ‘WHAT’S GOOD‘ throws you on a ride across multiple sonic landscapes of Tyler, The Creator’s near insanity before ending in bliss.
This track is one of the most exciting on the album due to its bloodthirsty nature and it being one of the only songs Tyler raps on. But despite the braggadocios rampage the track goes on, it is ultimately about coming to your senses and seeing the light, realizing that the relationship isn’t good for Tyler.
Accepting Your Feelings
Learning what you need in relationships and accepting your feelings are the key themes of this album. A great example of that is ‘A BOY IS A GUN‘ with Tyler coming to terms with his feelings and accepting the fact that he and his lover can’t be together due to his dangerous nature.
On the comparison of this boy to the dangers of owning a gun, it’s a great metaphor for showing the dangerous and intimidating traits of his lover while still feeling the need to have him around out of a need of security and peace of mind, just as a gun owner would feel.
All the beautiful, glittery, and signature Tyler mood-setting synths accompany this piece in a magical way. They create an almost too good to be true dreamlike backdrop for Tyler’s feelings which line up with the lyrics perfectly.
Features & Subtlety
Tyler recruits his friends and peers for this album. As T plays point guard, he has the multiple unlisted features on this album use their talents to elevate it to a level he couldn’t do on his own.
For example, the Jessy Wilson feature on ‘PUPPET‘ adds its subtle sugary spice to the track. Tyler was especially proud of this little addition saying,
” other than my verse cause it was so honest and fire, the ‘la laaa’ at 2:52 on PUPPET is one of those little sugar vocals i try to add in every song. i love small things like that “
Tyler, The Creator on Twitter
The infectious and ear-catching verse from Playboi Carti on ‘EARFQUAKE‘ also shows off Tyler’s love for features. Carti crafts one of the most memorable verses with his bouncy mumble flow.
There are also some less obvious features from the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Kali Uchis, or Pharrell Williams, all providing subtle but necessary punching power to their respective tracks.
UNFILTERED Rating
With everything said and done, I would give ‘IGOR’ a 4/5. Its production and sound design definitely make this project wildly enjoyable. In addition, the lack of rapping and Tyler’s awkward singing are not problems, if anything it adds to the overall feeling of stumbling through love.
Overall, this album excels in ways that Tyler has come up short before, specifically vocally and emotionally. Opting for a more vocal driven album seemed to have been the perfect decision for this beautifully produced concept album about the confusions of love.
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No Mic Filter 
Really cool review! Makes me want to go out and listen to the album now. Hope for more reviews in the future!
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