Bastards subversive solo piano chord progressions are paired with abrasive Goblin-era synths, slinky Steve Lacy guitar and Dilla-esque 808 beats. He couches these self-critical thoughts in cohesive, layered productions Pharrell’s influence is still clearly present, complemented by traces of Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers, but Tyler develops his own sound more than ever before. Although he has yet to ever really atone for the he has used in the past, it’s worth nothing that he seems to be making a concerted effort to move forward. LonelyÛ, he raps, “I say the loudest in the room is prolly the loneliest one in the room / Writin’ songs about these people who do not exist, he’s such a fuckin’ phonyÛ. Even the singles turn the lens inward as he tries to reconcile our perception of Tyler with his intentions as the Creator. Clearly, this is not easy subject matter for him to talk about-his guttural, vocal fry flow is even more clenched than usual-but Tyler has nonetheless made an album of honest confessions and sincere self-reflection. “I Ain’t Got Time!” contains the much buzzed-about lyric, “I been kissin’ white boys since 2004Û, and “Garden Shed” employs less than subtle metaphor to depict Tyler’s struggle coming to terms with his sexuality.īut to get hung up on speculation and tabloid fodder does a disservice to the album Tyler has painstakingly crafted.
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Both tracks feature career-best production from Tyler, with sweeping string orchestrations seamlessly interwoven with vintage soul keys and palm muted wah guitars. “Foreword” goes on to thank the girls Tyler so often disparages in his lyrics for “trying their hardest to keep head on straightÛ, while on “Where This Flower Blooms” he says to “tell these black kids they could be who they areÛ. The majority of the album can be viewed through this lens. Here, in an unprecedented stroke of maturity, he begins to accept that his actions have consequences what if his teenage antics define his legacy more than his music does?
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He opens the album with “ForewordÛ, which immediately confronts the unsustainably manic energy of his career: “How many cars can I buy til I run out of drive? / How much drive can I have til I run out of road?” On previous albums, there was an unspoken acknowledgment that Tyler’s creativity and ambition were enough to excuse his inconsistent output and caustic behavior.
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For the first time in his career, Tyler allows self-reflection to permeate his lyricism for more than a throwaway line. Such is the Tyler dilemma could his kaleidoscopic creativity and borderline obnoxious ambition ever be constrained to a cohesive album without sacrificing his charisma? Could he clean up his act while maintaining his appeal? Flower Boy came along to answer these questions with a resounding yes. Some did this with ease-teenage prodigy Earl Sweatshirt literally grew up, opting to funnel his densely packed cadences through candid explorations of insecurity rather than smug horrorcore The Internet never shared their cohort’s proclivity for controversy as they moved forward, simultaneously launching the solo careers of Syd, Steve Lacy, and Matt Martians likewise, Frank Ocean always had a mature and expressive approach to songwriting, allowing for a smooth transition into stardom as his ambition grew from self-released Tumblr mixtape to multimedia concept album.
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From the hip hop collective’s ashes rose a cohort of seasoned musicians who slowly shed their edgelord trappings in favor of becoming “serious” artists. The Odd Future diaspora was a long time coming, marked by warning signs in the form of feuds, factions, and solo albums. After years of wallowing in transgressive lyricism and Pharrell-lite production, Flower Boy finally sees Tyler, the Creator shed his juvenile Odd Future persona to reflect on his faults with a newfound sincerity.