Speculations of Influences and Themes in ChromAkopia
BY LYDIA CHO
After three long years, Tyler the Creator fans have been anxious for a new album. Tyler, to nobody’s surprise, gave no hints to this album beforehand- even going as far to suggest that he wouldn’t be putting out new music in 2024, tweeting that “the rest of the world in 2024” would not be getting anything new, possibly partly due to his upcoming role in “Marty Supreme” with Timothee Chalamet.
The album dropped on October 28th, after the songs “St. Chroma” (teaser) “Noid,” (lead single) and “Thought I was Dead” were released to the public. Chromakopia features guest appearances from Daniel Caesar, Doechii, GloRilla, LaToiya Williams, Lil Wayne, Childish Gambino, Solange, Lola Young, Santigold, Schoolboy Q, Sexyy Red, and Teezo Touchdown. Although Tyler himself has not spoken on his influences, his investigative fan base, as well as many industry experts, have given insight as to what might have inspired this album.
DAVID BOWIE
One popular theory relates his album to “Heroes” by David Bowie. Bowie’s album cover features the artist with his hand up next to his face, which Bowie’s personal biographer interprets as him lifting a mask up to show his real self. Similarly, the Chromakopia album cover shows Tyler wearing a mask, holding his hand up. This theory is furthered by the song “Noid,” in which Tyler shares his fears about stardom, and mentions that his paranoia is driving him away from everybody in his life. If David Bowie is truly an influence for this album, this alludes to the fact that Tyler’s fame forces him to hide his true self from the real world, like Bowie.
Chroma The Great (The Phantom Tollbooth)
The album title “Chromakopia” is pretty obviously a reference to chromophobia, an intense fear of color. The teaser video shows an army marching through a desert, first in black and white, then illustrated in vivid color after they blow up a container titled “Chromokopia.” The character “St. Chroma” seems to be the album’s protagonist, and many have speculated that this a reference to Chroma the Great, from the Phantom Tollbooth. In the children’s book, Chroma The Great is the conductor of the orchestra that creates color in the world; without him, the world would be completely black and white. “St. Chroma” seems to be the harbinger of color in Chromokopia, a greyscale world; he parallels Chroma the Great’s role in the Phantom Tollbooth universe.
Immigration / Privacy
One Reddit user (@gund3rwear) pointed out the real meaning of the word “Noid:” although at first glance it seems to just be a shortening of “Paranoia,” it actually refers to a Notice of Intent to Deny, a USCIS immigration notice warning that an immigration application is likely to be denied. This goes along with the themes of masking and privacy; as Tyler is requesting privacy from the public, his request is denied. His paranoia about his privacy leads him to create a new artist persona in every song, in some ways fragmenting the album. Each track comes with new characters, features, music styles, and themes.
Although it might seem like the album’s variety causes it to be discombobulated and lack a deeper meaning, the lack of cohesion is the theme of the album; Tyler’s paranoia about his fame causes a confused, divided identity, shown through the jump from 80s R&B to Beach Boys harmonies. He even states in the middle of the album that “That version of T that you knew is a memory, who was that?” showing that Tyler is removing the mask from that point on, and talking about heavier personal themes (Tomorrow: track 10). These unique and seemingly isolated songs, with themes from abortion to bondage to daddy issues, come together to form a vulnerable piece that reflects the uncertainty in Tyler’s own life. Although we as fans can speculate all we want, Tyler has made it clear that he would like to be left alone.
