A Review of Igor by Tyler, the Creator
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Album art for Igor
Reinvention is a word thrown around a lot in the music scene. An artist takes their sound and flips it in a completely different direction to attempt something different. Tyler, the Creator is one of those artists. In 2017, he dropped the critically acclaimed Flower Boy. It was a much sweeter sounding record when compared to his previous efforts. Sonically and lyrically, he took a more emotional approach. While it was still utilized, Tyler didn’t rely on his angry, edgy persona; he embraced his softer side, touching on romance, heartbreak, and even his sexuality. For his latest release, Igor, he continues this trend.
While the sound is slightly rougher than Flower Boy, it even more heavily embraces the sweet sounds of soul music, R&B, and funk. Tyler doesn’t hang up his hip hop coat entirely, though. He still raps on this thing, but it’s not his primary focus. He sings a lot on Igor, and although he’s not classically trained, his rough-around-the-edge delivery lends itself nicely to the aesthetic and story the record is trying to tell.
On this album, Tyler writes from the perspective of the titular Igor, a man with a funny blonde haircut sporting a large pair of sunglasses. Igor’s words deal with the frustration, anger, and sadness of heartbreak. Although he is a character, he feels like a tool for Tyler to express his own personal issues with the subject. You can hear Tyler putting his entire heart into each verse he sings, even on cheesier sounding tracks like “Earfquake.”
Tyler in his Igor costume for the Earfquake music video
The album is incredibly consistent and cohesive in its track order, too. Each song is placed in an order that feels like the evolution of heartbreak. Songs like “Running Out of Time” deal with Igor desperately trying to cling to what is obviously lost, while the album’s closer “Are We Still Friends?” shows acceptance that the relationship is over. It’s all very personal, and it leaves you with a feeling of familiarity. Igor is so effective because it’s so accurate; even though I don’t directly relate to the character of Igor himself, I relate to the issues he deals with on the record.
Igor is just as effective in portraying its messages and characters musically as it is lyrically. Tyler’s production is impeccable on this album. It alternates between raw and gritty to serene and beautiful, but it isn’t ever jarring. Each sound flows into the other very well. The heavy bass on “What’s Good” leads into a brief moment of light piano to finish the track off. The song after that, “Gone, Gone / Thank You” is a catchy track with pitched-up vocals and spacey synths. Despite the differences each song has, they all feel like they fit the mood and tone of the record perfectly.
There are some great features on Igor as well. The most prominent is the excellent verse Playboi Carti lends on “Earfquake.” The others are more subtle, like Kanye West’s contribution on “Puppet.” If I hadn’t looked it up after, I wouldn’t have even known it was him. I think this is a good thing; the features never distract from Tyler. He’s the focus, as he should be, since it’s his album. None of the guests distract from the album’s flow, which makes it all the more consistent.
I can fully understand why someone would be bored listening to Igor. Early fans of Tyler’s might be looking for something more bombastic like Goblin or Wolf, his first two records, while fans who came in on Flower Boy might be looking for something more like that. But Tyler is constantly evolving and changing his sound, which, I think, is the mark of a great artist. Igor is a lot more mellow than his previous releases, but it’s also his most consistent.
With two near perfect masterpieces in a row, I’m beginning to think Tyler, the Creator is an unstoppable force. Whether he’s rapping, singing, or producing, his work is unparalleled. Before this, he was known for his controversial lyrics and his angry persona, but now he is loved for what he should be known for: his ability to make incredible, lasting music.
Dylan has been obsessed with music since he was a wee lad. For the last 25 years, he has built up a terrifying backlog of albums he claims he will get to “eventually.”
His other interests include: thinking up Dungeons & Dragons characters he never ends up playing, watching compilations of sad anime scenes, and trying to be funny.
You can find him occasionally tweeting here: @dylanproy
