The cinematic, love drama of Tyler The Creator’s fifth studio album IGOR is unlike any other record created before it. Vibrant production, seamless transitions, a grand score, and songwriting centered around the over obsession love indulges us with makes for one of the most unique formulas a hip hop project has ever seen. Tyler really gives the performance of a lifetime here as he dabbles between rapping, singing, and screaming to paint the perfect picture of what it’s like to be in the middle of a love triangle and how being driven by this feeling has made him willing to risk anything, including murder, to live with “the love of his life”. Taking this experience above and beyond, gut-wrenching tone changes, a bittersweet conclusion, and surprise appearances from big names like Kanye West, Playboi Carti, and Lil Uzi Vert raise the excitement to a whole new level. When it comes to a narrative-driven album that guides you through the mental illness many fall victim to, known as love, there’s nothing that comes close to the genius of IGOR.
Core Ideas:
- Showing how love can drive one to the point of insanity
- How we chase things that we know we’ll never get
Key Strengths:
- Flawless soundtrack features some of the most vibrant instrumentals ever engineered
- Puts listeners on an emotional rollercoaster
- Cinematic like writing ties all tracks into one well thought out story
Tracklist Ranked:
- GONE, GONE/ THANK YOU
- RUNNING OUT OF TIME
- NEW MAGIC WAND
- PUPPET
- A BOY IS A GUN
- EARFQUAKE
- WHAT’S GOOD
- I THINK
- IGOR’S THEME
- ARE WE STILL FRIENDS
- I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE
- EXACTLY WHAT YOU RUN FROM YOU END UP CHASING
Rating: 9.4/10