For the first time in just about two years, Tyler the Creator released a studio album. His previous album, Flower Boy, was arguably his best production so far, attracting features from artists such as Rex Orange County, Jaden Smith, Kali Uchis, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, and many more. This being said, his newest album, “Igor”, had some high expectations to live up to.

In my opinion, Igor did not live up to the hype. The album features too many short songs, too much production, and not enough vocal substance. I believe that part of the issue lies in the fact that the album does not include any features.

Tyler the Creator is a fantastic artist and he is a musical genius in his own right, but I think that his best work comes when he also includes the musical genius of others. Flower Boy carried a positive and more upbeat vibe with some very energetic vocals to match.

Igor carries some vibes that I would classify as eerie. The beats of almost every song seem dissonant, the vocals are nearly nonexistent for the first half of the album, and the transitions between songs are not very smooth at all.

All of that being said, and taking the artist into consideration though, this might have been exactly what Tyler the Creator wanted to produce. His earlier albums like Cherry Bomb and Goblin were very dark both in sound and in content. This album seems to mesh his former work and his current work in the most unique manner I have ever heard. Upon a first listen, it seems like the lyrical content of Flower Boy was thrown onto the beats of Goblin.

Overall, this album does not really align with my personal taste, but it was certainly a refreshing listen. So if you are looking to introduce your ears to a unique sound and vibe, I would highly recommend giving Igor a listen.