Tyler, the Creator’s IGOR Reaches No. 1 on Billboard 200
By: Lamar Toppin
Staff Writer
Tyler, the Creator, a well-known rapper, released his sixth album on May 17, and fans were beyond excited.
Tyler made a name for himself not only in the music industry, but built himself up into as a social icon. Tyler’s album was such a huge hit with fans and non-fans alike that it recently made it to No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 Albums Chart, and eight of the songs from the album have been put on the Hot 100.
The first song he had that was put onto the Hot 100 was being featured on “Martians vs. Goblins” with Lil Wayne and The Game in 2011, then again in 2017 with his own song “Who Dat Boy”, and additionally in 2018 with his digital single “Okra”.
It is clear from Billboard’s 200 Albums Chart and Hot 100 that IGOR is looking to be the album of the summer as of right now, but is it worth jumping on the bandwagon and listening to it?
The album opens with “IGOR’S THEME”, and right from the start, Tyler sets up the calming vibe for the rest of the album. The song uses snares as the main instrument to implement its structure, and as the song continues, voices and other instruments start to come in. The snare makes the song seem energetic, but the vocals add a sort of relaxed feeling to the song.
The second song on the album “EARFQUAKE” starts off with a piano and vocals gives off a nonchalant felling from the start. Later into the song, the snare comes in and adds the hip-hop element that solidifies its elements. The lyrics show that “EARFQUAKE” is about a past relationship that did not work out, but he hopes can fix.
“I THINK”, the third song, has a different feel to it from the past two; drums are the first things listeners are introduced to along with Tyler rapping. The song follows a person falling in love and trying to figure out how to tell the person that they love them.
“RUNNING OUT OF TIME” opens with a strong bass line and synth to set the expressions for the rest of the song. It maintains the theme of having a significant other, yet he is concerned that their breakup is ultimately imminent.
The last track on the album is “NEW MAGIC WAND”. This track is different from the other songs on this album in the fact that its nature has changed. Bass and drums are used heavily in the song and the vocals sound slightly muffled. About halfway through, the song becomes somber, but the tone is changed back again for the second half.
IGOR’s overarching story throughout the album is about someone falling in love, and the eventual downfall of said relationship, and trying to fix everything by trying to stay friends. The theme is apparent as one goes back and listens for a second time to the lyrics as the tracks progress.
As someone who has heard a few of Tyler’s songs or his features on other songs, IGOR was a pleasant surprise. Tyler has done well to try and match the type of music that teens and young adults find appealing, which helped this track rise to its high status.
