Bloom Boy past Tyler, The Creator

Flower+Boy+by+Tyler%2C+The+Creator

July 31, 2017

By Kenna Lewis | Photography Off-white Use

*review contains profane language

Tyler, The Creator's fourth official album, Flower Boy, offers an introspective view of himself past using imagery to explicate his sexuality. Tyler openly discusses his sexuality, more he ever has on past albums, and gives fans an unshrouded view of himself.

The opening track "Foreword" predominantly features a guitar instrumental complimented by alternative vocaliser Rex Orange County'south vocals. Tyler's verses explain how his motivation is affected by his thoughts by using existential questions masked in imagery, "how much road can they pave, until I run out of land? How much state can information technology be until I run in the sea?" The track serves as an appropriate intro by giving listeners a clear view of Tyler's frame of mind.

A pianoforte-led intro to the vocal "Where This Flower Blooms" is followed by vocals from Frank Ocean. This piece leads Tyler into his story of learning to become his own person and practise what he wants to do, mostly regarding his sexuality and presentation equally a rapper. Tyler says, "Tell these black kids they tin can exist who they are. Dye your hair blue, shit, I'll exercise information technology likewise," serving as an example to anyone going through like experiences to be themselves.

Post-obit the theme is a brusk track titled "See You Once more." The vocal features a repeating lyric sung by Tyler with a voiceover from Shane Powers, host of "The Shane Evidence" on Tyler's media channel "Golf Media." Powers is talking to a listener who is requesting a song and after a moment of silence, the listener requests "The one about me."

"Meet You Again" serves every bit the song the listener was referring to. Tyler begins with lyrics about a love matter he had, seemingly with a male. Kali Uchis, a featured artist on Tyler'south final album, "Cherry Bomb," appears on this track singing the chorus with Tyler. Uchis serves as a contrasting and feminine voice giving a "dreamy" feel to Tyler's reminiscent lyrics of the human relationship he once had.

The anthology takes an abrupt turn from the softer side to a hard hitting trap-style trounce with "Who Dat Boy?" (feat. A$AP Rocky). This track is mostly just a "trap hit" only information technology still has some clever wordplay and references to Tyler'due south life currently with the lyric, "Cons, overalls, and a striped shirt" referencing his exclusive collaboration with Converse.

Keeping the same sort of style, yet more than toned down, Tyler continues with his familiar synths and creative crush in "Pothole." This rails notably features Jaden Smith, and tells the story of Tyler acquiring a new fancy automobile. The track uses the term "pothole" as a metaphor for the things that concur Tyler dorsum in life temporarily.

Tyler directly addresses his sexuality once once again in "Garden Shed" using the shed as a metaphor for the closet, translating information technology into his "Flower Boy" theme. Featured artist, Estelle's lyrics, "Don't kill the rose earlier information technology could bloom. Honey every flower out the cocoon," use the same imagery of flowers, and nature every bit metaphors for LGBT+ culture. The meaning behind this song specifically ties the topic of his sexuality, the "Flower Boy" metaphor, and the nature theme of the album all together.

The next track on the album, "Boredom" blends seamlessly with "Garden Shed" because of its tone, and its content while talking about a completely dissimilar topic. "Boredom" features a more extensive amount of features than other tracks on the album with Anna of the Northward, Corinne Bailey Rae, and King Orange County all making appearances in the background and forefront of the song.

Tyler addresses his feelings of existence alone and bored in the times that he isn't decorated, wishing he had anything else merely being bored with the verse "I demand some food, I could club Only I hate eating solo Need someone, we can loiter in parking lots and sunsets at the edge."

Adjacent, "I Ain't Got Fourth dimension" contrasts the theme of "Boredom" with an energetic beat. The song takes some similarities from "Who Dat Boy?" merely is constructed in a way that adds much more than to the tone of the song. The intro to the song is a sample of Bel-Sha-Zaar'southward "Introduction" and adds more than substance and support than the repetitive limerick of "Who Dat Boy?"

The most significant verses on the track, "Next line will have 'em like 'Woah' I've been kissing white boys since 2004" requite another argument to Tyler's sexuality by noting that Tyler has been more or less out of the closet for a long time, explaining how he'due south dropped hints at his sexuality for a long time without anyone noticing.

The side by side track, "911/Mr.Lonely," takes the same tone as "Boredom." "911/Mr.Solitary" has a large corporeality of features including artists from other songs on the album besides every bit new appearances of, Steve Lacy, Jasper, and ScHoolboy Q. The two-toned song starts out with a happier tone including lyrics about Tyler looking for people unlike the friends he talks virtually in "Colorlessness" that are hither to stay.

The verses "I got a sold out show Crowd wild out hut don't thing 'cause you not front end row" explain Tyler's need for support from shut friends beingness understandably more of import than people he doesn't know filling out a venue for him.

Skipping over the short runway "Droppin' Seeds" featuring Lil Wayne, "November" is ane of the more introspective tracks on the album. The vocal explains the idea of going back to "November" is a simpler time, to dissimilarity the pressing thoughts on Tyler's mind most whether anything in his life is existent. Tyler takes the time to consider where he's going in the time to come on this track and entertains a number of possibilities.

The next track "Glitter" takes the end of "November," where Tyler addresses a honey involvement that he has lost by attempting to call his number. The tone of the rail is light with 80'south piano and guitar synths, xylophone, and a light clapping beat, and suggests a sort of daydream, or wink back of a past lover. The outro of the runway snaps back to reality with a failed voicemail message tying "Glitter" and "Nov" together.

"Glitter" and "November" are the last tracks on the album with existent substance, while the last track "Savour Correct At present, Today" is slightly unnecessary, the fact that the instrumental leaves just the title to be pondered on gives a good catastrophe that isn't as sharp as other albums may be. Any existent verses on the song would merely take away from the purpose.

While Tyler's newest anthology has received much of it's attention from the references to his sexuality, the album offers more than than just what everybody else thinks of information technology. Tyler skillfully puts together the voices of many artists.

But combined with his musical style it has the ability to express more than any of his other albums before. In comparing to whatsoever of Tyler's previous releases, Blossom Boy explores Tyler'due south mind and gives listeners an understanding of him as opposed to whatever fabrication that he put across by projects.

While Tyler used to become attention as an "edgy and offensive" rapper who created music for a very niche audience (anyone who could stomach the language), Tyler has grown in his fashion and delivered a more mature sound. Instead of having to wonder what Tyler meant with his lyrics, and who he was, its clear to see Tyler's artistic and musical vision as a self described "Flower Boy".