All right, let's dive deep today.
We're going to unpack Tyler, the creator's chroma copia.
Not just like listening to it, but really like getting
into what he's, I think, trying to say about fame
and getting older and just those struggles we all kind of deal
with.
We've got a review from the New Pulse Oracle to help us out.
Plus, we'll be breaking down the lyrics and even the music
video transcript for St. Chroma.
So a lot to cover.
Yeah, what's fascinating with Tyler, the creator,
is he's always pushed boundaries.
And chroma copia is no exception.
From his early days with Odd Future to his Grammy-winning
Igor, he's never been afraid to experiment
with sound and style.
Definitely.
And with this album, it feels like he's reaching
a new level of introspection.
Let's start with this St. Chroma character.
The reviewer talks about how dedicated
Tyler is as an artist.
And it seems like this character is
key to understanding the whole thing.
Absolutely.
It's almost like Tyler is putting on a mask,
becoming St. Chroma, to explore these really deep personal
themes in kind of a different way.
And it's not just a lyrical device, either.
You see this character pop up visually
in the music video for Noid.
Oh, I totally missed that on my first watch.
It's interesting how he connects the mask to both Noid
and St. Chroma.
Speaking of Noid, that music video
has a scene that really stuck with me.
Io Iribiri is playing this fan who gets a little too
close for comfort.
And her phone literally turns into a gun.
Talk about a visual representation of anxiety.
Yeah, that scene is so striking.
And it taps into something I think a lot of artists
struggle with, which is the anxieties of fame
and that constant pressure to interact with fans,
especially in the digital age.
Those boundaries between the artist and their audience
have become even more blurred.
It's like a commentary on parasocial relationships
and how those can sometimes turn unhealthy.
That scene with Io really highlights
how fame can make, I think, even the most mundane interactions
feel threatening.
Exactly.
It's not just about physical safety either,
but the fear of having your personal space
invaded, your identity consumed by this public persona.
And musically, Noid is interesting
because it blends those heavier themes
with this really unique sound.
The reviewer mentions it's got a rock influence, which
is something kind of new for Tyler.
Yeah, it's a departure from his usual style,
but it works so well with that anxiety he's expressing.
I wonder if he's drawing inspiration from bands
like Rage Against the Machine or even Irvana.
That raw, almost chaotic energy definitely
adds to the feeling of unease.
It makes you think about the intentionality
behind his musical choices.
He's not just experimenting for the sake of it.
He's using these different sounds
to, I think, amplify the emotions he's trying to convey.
It's like each musical element becomes
another layer of meaning.
And then you have Like Him, which goes in a completely
different direction.
This one is all about Tyler's relationship
with his absent father, a theme he's explored before,
in his music.
There's this line that repeats throughout the song,
do I look like him?
That question is so powerful because it's not, I don't think,
just about physical resemblance.
It's about this dupper question of inheritance,
both the traits we get from our parents
and those we develop through experience.
And how that all shapes our sense of identity.
It makes you wonder, is he asking that question out
of fear or curiosity?
Is he trying to distance himself from his father
or find a connection?
It's that complexity that makes it so relatable, right?
We've all grappled with those questions about where we come
from and who we are, whether we have an absent parent or not.
It's this universal human experience
that Tyler is tapping into.
And this idea of identity and personal struggles
leads us to Saint Chroma, where the theme of light
and darkness really takes center stage.
The lyrics are full of imagery about not dimming your light
and this internal struggle of keep the light on or bow out.
There's a real sense of vulnerability in those lines.
Like he's wrestling with these big questions
about purpose and self-worth.
It makes you wonder if that internal struggle is something
he's facing as Tyler, the person,
or as Saint Chroma, the character.
Or maybe both.
Yeah, it's like he's questioning whether to let
that inner light shine or to retreat into the darkness.
And when you think about the album title Chromacopia,
it adds another layer to that struggle.
Chroma, meaning color, could represent the vibrancy of life.
And maybe as Saint Chroma ages, that vibrancy starts to fade.
Oh, that's a great point.
It makes you think about how we perceive aging
and the fear that we might lose some of that spark
as we get older.
I've definitely felt those anxieties for,
am I still relevant?
Am I still pushing myself creatively?
It's like Tyler is, giving voice to those fears.
Absolutely.
And he's doing it in a way that feels
both personal and universal.
It's not just about aging as a musician,
but about aging as a human being.
We all go through periods where we feel our colors fading,
whether it's due to burnout, loss, or just
the natural ebb and flow of life.
Right.
The question is, how do we respond to that?
Do we fight against it?
Do we embrace it?
I think that's what Tyler is grappling with in Saint Chroma.
He's trying to figure out how to navigate those changes
with grace and authenticity.
And that word gracefully is important.
It suggests a sense of acceptance,
of coming to terms with the inevitable.
It's not about clinging to youth,
but about finding a way to evolve and grow
without losing yourself in the process.
It's like he's saying, hey, it's OK to age.
It's OK to change.
But don't let those changes dim your light.
And that message is so powerful, especially in a culture
that I think often values youth and novelty
of love, like everything else.
But let's dig a little deeper into the lyrics themselves.
They're so rich with imagery and double meanings.
There's a line in Saint Chroma that really struck me.
I is just a box with a lighter thunder in me.
That line is like pure poetry.
It speaks to this idea of potential and constraint.
The box could represent all the limitations Tyler feels,
whether it's societal expectations,
the pressures of fame, or even his own self-doubt.
Yeah, and then you have this lighter thunder
and this immense creative force that's waiting to be unleashed.
It's like he's acknowledging that there's
this power within him, but he's still figuring out
how to harness it, how to let it out without being like-
Destructive.
And that tension between control and chaos
is something that runs throughout Chromocopia.
You hear it in the music itself, the way
he blends these harsh, distorted sounds with moments of beauty
and vulnerability.
It's like he's constantly pushing and pulling,
trying to find that sweet spot between expressing himself
fully and maintaining some semblance of order.
It's interesting how that tension plays out, I think,
visually in the St. Chroma music video.
We already talked about how he wears the St. Chroma mask
in the Noid video, but he also wears it in this one.
What do you make of that?
Well, I think the mask becomes this symbol of the persona
he creates, the image he presents to the world.
It's like he's saying, this is who you see,
but there's so much more beneath the surface.
It makes you wonder if the mask is a way of protecting himself,
of shielding his true self from the harsh glare
of the spotlight.
I can be vulnerable and expressive through St. Chroma,
but Tyler, the person, needs this barrier.
Yeah, it's like he's compartmentalizing
those different aspects of himself,
which is something a lot of artists do, right?
You have the artist and the person,
and they're not always the same.
And that can be a difficult balance to strike.
For sure.
It makes me think about the pressures we all
face to present a certain version of ourselves,
whether it's on social media, at work,
or even in our personal relationships.
We all, I think, wear masks to some extent,
but it's important to recognize when those masks become
suffocating, when they prevent us from being our true selves.
Absolutely.
And I think that's what Tyler is ultimately
trying to convey in Chromacopia.
It's about finding that balance between authenticity
and performance, between expressing yourself fully
and protecting yourself from the world.
It's like he's giving us permission to be messy,
to be complicated, to be both light and darkness.
He's not afraid to show us his flaws and vulnerabilities.
And in doing so, he encourages us to, I think, embrace our own.
And that's what makes his music so powerful, right?
It's not just entertainment.
It's a reflection of the human experience
with all its complexities and contradictions.
And it's something that resonates with us
on a deep emotional level.
Speaking of resonance, the reviewer
mentioned that there's something for everyone
on Chromacopia, from upbeat tracks like Sticky
to the ballad Hey Jane.
We focused a lot on the darker, more introspective songs.
But what about those other moods and sounds he explores?
Well, I think that speaks to Tyler's artistic reins
and his ability to connect with a wider audience.
He's not afraid to experiment with different genres
and emotions while still maintaining his unique voice.
It's like he's saying, I'm not just one thing.
I'm a whole spectrum of experiences and emotions.
And that's something we can all relate to, right?
And not just one-dimensional beings
who are complex and multifaceted.
Exactly.
And I think that's what Chromacopia ultimately
represents.
It's not a place.
It's a state of being.
It's the embracing of that complexity, the recognition
that life is full of color and vibrancy,
but also darkness and shadow.
And it's about finding a way to navigate
those different shades with authenticity and grace.
Beautifully said.
And I think that's a great segue into the next part
of our discussion, where we'll delve even deeper
into the visual elements of Chromacopia, specifically
the music video for St. Chroma.
OK.
So we've talked about the lyrics and the themes.
You even touched on the Noid video.
But the St. Chroma video itself, like, what's going on there?
The reviewer mentioned the mask.
But what else is Tyler trying to show us?
Well, one thing that struck me was the use of color,
or rather, the lack of it.
A lot of the video is in black and white,
which feels very intentional considering the album title
is all about color.
Yeah, it's like he's visually representing
that fading vibrancy we were talking about,
that fear of losing your spark.
You see St. Chroma in this stark, monochrome world.
It makes you wonder if he's trapped, isolated.
It's interesting you say trapped,
because there are these recurring images of cages
and confinement throughout the video.
There's one scene where Tyler is literally
trapped inside a glass box, almost like he's on display,
which connects back to that idea of the pressures of fame.
And how being in the public eye can feel like you're constantly
being watched, judged.
It takes away your freedom to just be yourself,
to experiment, to make mistakes.
Exactly.
It's like he's saying, I'm trapped
in this box of expectations, and I'm
struggling to break free.
But then there are these moments where color bursts
onto the screen, these flashes of vibrant reds and yellows,
almost like glimpses of hope or rebellion.
It's like he's reminding us that even in the midst of darkness,
there's still beauty to be found.
Those bursts of color could represent those moments
of inspiration, those times when you reconnect
with your passion and purpose.
And maybe that's the key takeaway from Chromocopia.
It's not about avoiding the darkness
or pretending it doesn't exist.
It's about finding a way to coexist with it,
to find those moments of light and hold onto them.
Yeah, it's about embracing the full spectrum
of human experience, the good, the bad, the messy,
and the beautiful.
And it's about recognizing that those colors might fade at times,
but they can always come back, sometimes even brighter
than before.
That's a powerful message.
And I think it's one that resonates
with a lot of people, especially those
who are going through their own periods of darkness
or uncertainty.
And what's amazing is that Tyler is
able to convey all of this through his music, his lyrics,
and his visuals.
He's creating this whole world, this Chromocopia,
that invites us to explore these complex themes
and find our own meaning within them.
It's a world that's both personal and universal,
specific to his own experiences, but also
relatable to, I think, anyone who's ever felt lost, afraid,
or unsure of their place in the world.
So as we wrap up our Dup Dive into Chromocopia,
I want to leave you with this.
Think about a time you felt your own colors fading.
How did you respond?
Was it possible to reclaim that vibrancy?
It's a question worth pondering.
And remember, even when things feel dark,
there's always a spark of light waiting to be retindled.
Keep searching for it.
Keep creating.
Keep growing.
And most importantly, keep your own Chromocopia alive.
Until next time, keep diving deep
and keep those lights burning bright.