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Antonio Jackson
Tyler Okonma, better known as Tyler the Creator, released the world renowned album “Igor” on May 17, 2019 through Columbia Records. With the help from fellow artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Ye formerly known as Kanye West, Charlie Wilson and more, Tyler blessed the world with his fifth studio album produced by himself, alone.
The album featured genres that were newly explored by the artist at the time. From sounds of funk, neo soul, to even contemporary and alternative R&B, “Igor” was a breath of fresh air compared to previous projects.
The album starts with “IGOR’S THEME”, featuring Lil Uzi Vert as a fellow vocalist and composer. This song does a perfect job introducing the listeners to the project and giving a sneak peek to what is to come moving forward. Although it may be a little too much to comprehend what you are listening to at first, it is able to garner your appreciation for what it is.
Overall, “IGOR’S THEME” has immense replay value compared to other introductions to projects and is highly recommended for a listen even as a stand-alone single.
The next song after this is regarded as Tyler’s most popular song, reaching the #13 on Billboard Hot 100, “EARFQUAKE”, featuring Playboi Carti as a vocalist and fellow composer. This song is nothing short of phenomenal when it comes to rhythm, composition, relatable lyrics, and more.
It’s no surprise that “EARFQUAKE” was able to reach the height that it did. Playboi Carti’s portion of the song however, does come a bit short. His verse was catchy and it’s easy to sing along to, but can it really be called a verse? It’s just too short and what we got as far as lyrics was complete nonsense.
It can be given a bit of grace since Carti isn’t exactly known for his lyricism, however it still would’ve been appreciated if he put more effort into his verse. Overall, “EARFQUAKE” deserves its reputation for being Tyler’s best song of his catalog for its unique and abrasive sound.
A personal favorite from the album is none other than “A BOY IS A GUN*”, featuring Solange as a background vocalist. In this song, Tyler opens up about a past gay relationship he may have had and how they initially came together but ultimately had a tragic falling out.
You could really hear the pain and sorrow he withstood within each lyric. The most commendable thing about this song is the calming yet attentive style of instrumentals that was used. With no electronically sampled sounds and only real pure instruments, Tyler was able to construct the perfect melody to compliment his unique lyricism.
A definite low point of the album was the song “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE”. By all means, this song is not a bad one, however it is blatant that there was not as much effort put into this track compared to the rest of them.
The tones and instrumentals were just all over the place and almost even incoherent. Solange, Charlie and Jerry Wilson background vocals didn’t do much towards the quality of the song either. Ultimately, none of the elements used on this track did not mesh together properly, showing no sign of synchronization.
Overall, “Igor” is a phenomenal masterpiece that has aged perfectly for the past four years since its release. In 2019, “Igor” was nominated for a BET Hip-Hop Award for Best Album of the Year, a NME Award for Best Album in The World, and was awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
In 2021, “Igor” sold over a million copies, making it a certified platinum project. You can listen to “Igor” on all music streaming platforms.
