It is really necessary to call yourself a “stan” of a mainstream artist? An artist’s credibility can be traced by the major influence between culture and the fanbase involved. As for myself, I wouldn’t call myself a “stan” for any genre.

It is great to see your favorite artists evolve through their own creative pathways, but what makes Tyler Okonma, most famously known as Tyler, The Creator, such an interesting innovator? Okonma is considered a 21st-century multi-trick pony. He produces music, writes and raps lyrics, directs music videos, and designs his own clothing, GOLFWANG. 

Fans were speculating a new project coming as he left them with the 2021 release, “Call Me If You Get Lost” and its deluxe version in March 2023. This album was universally acclaimed by critics and fans. This acclaim earned him a number-one album on the Billboard 200 charts, the best rap album at the 64th Grammy Awards, and was recognized as one of the greatest rap albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

What will be his next music venture of this year? Recently, he released a teaser video on Instagram with the description titled “St Chroma.” This has gathered major attention from everyone. On Oct. 1, he announced the release date and title of his 8th album “Chromakopia” on Oct. 28. The amount of dialogue between fans and critics surrounding the album rollout made us question if this is Tyler’s newest defining statement.

Will this be a new genre-defining era for Tyler, the Creator? I truly believe this will unlock a new concept for this album. In his entire discography, he always introduces the main protagonist while exploring certain themes of loss, grief, and love. 

The two teasers show us the artistic direction is simply grimy, darker, and bolder. The first teaser shows a masked Okonma leading a line of 10 men covered in black, to their deaths in a green shipping container. The second teaser and the first single “NOID” show Okonma performing as the mask character moving erratically around everyone almost like he is being watched. The nature of the video goes along with the lyrics about the annoyance of people trying to find out things about his personal life.

Conclusively, I think this is a great rollout from Tyler, the Creator himself. It’s really interesting to see the incredible work that he brings to the table because he is on a creative streak with his records of this decade. From the coming-of-age story on “Flower Boy,” the heartbreak romance on “IGOR,” and the raw and bold “Call Me If You Get Lost.” This upcoming album will prove that Tyler, The Creator is more than a mainstream artist. He is a phenomenal curator of these amazing album concepts, and I would love to see what is next for Okonma.

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