Tyler the Creator is the epitome of the new music generation with his new unique style that was laid out in his 2017 hit grammy nominated album, Flower Boy. However, Tyler had a something to say about the new album, IGOR. He expressed that IGOR would be different, something new and heartfelt.

“This is not Bastard. This is not Goblin. This is not Wolf. This is not Cherry Bomb. This is not Flower Boy. This is IGOR” Tyler tweeted out a few days prior to the release on May 17. Tyler was clearly experimenting with something new and this was a call out to his fans that this would not be a rap album.

As soon as the first track, “IGOR’S THEME” is played, listeners can see what Tyler meant. The instrumental is a droning noise and vocals from both Tyler and fellow artist Lil Uzi Vert aren’t rap. Instead of going back to his usual flow and vocals, he sings about a love triangle he’s in. The album continues on the story, with Tyler showing how he isn’t treated well, but he still has love for his significant other.

In “EARFQUAKE” the constant chorus of “Don’t leave, it’s my fault,” expresses the dependence in the relationship and how much Tyler can’t bear to be without the other person, despite the recurring harms they do.

“NEW MAGIC WAND” is the closest song to Tyler’s old ones. The lines, “She’s gonna be dead, I just got a magic wand. We can finally be together,” remind listeners of his old albums. Yet now Tyler is singing about his love troubles, a new topic some might not like too much.

“ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?,” the album’s rough send-off, is Tyler’s final attempt at salvaging his relationship. He’s finally without his lover and asks for the compromise of friendship. The track, as with many on IGOR, ends with the repeating drone that is showed throughout the album.

IGOR’s more than just a love album. Tyler is still navigating the world, and some concerns arise. There’s darkness in IGOR’s songs, in the eerie drowning metaphors, but it never eclipses a feeling of true joy and happiness. This is thanks to the arrangements, where Tyler’s wide-ranging interests in jazz, rap, soul, and electronic music meld into IGOR.