Tyler, The Creator - DON'T TAP THE GLASS Review
Tyler writes another chapter in the book prompting movement, dance, and artistic freedom.
Amidst the tail end of his Chromakopia World Tour, Tyler The Creator dropped his newest album DON’T TAP THE GLASS, a short but saturated 28-minute long project, branded with hands the size of his head and a chain the length of his torso. This release came as quite the surprise, only having a rollout of five days, when fans are usually prepared for the two year wait in line for his next project. There’s no rhyme or reason for why DON’T TAP THE GLASS dropped when it did, but like most of Tyler’s projects work to do, this project sees freedom of form, and the absolute need to share artistic intentionality. Tyler bridges the gap between music and movement, and has created a whole separate space, posed as a dance game you could find in an arcade. While the synergy between music and dance has lost its confidence as modern age creators feel limited to what racks more streams or meshes with industry trends, DTTG summons the reunion of freedom, music, and listening.
It calls for energy, braggadocious mannerisms, and constant flow. Tyler has such a wonderful way of curating a world, a character if you will, that adheres to such specificity that once you’re in you can’t go back. The same way CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST made you feel aboard a yacht with sand in your loafers, or how WOLF made you want to pitch a tent with your friends, DTTG places you in the position of ‘player’, where movement, rhythm, and dance are your necessities. These moments that Tyler seamlessly embeds into his discography keep evolving into more niche executions than their predecessor. As they continue to challenge his listeners’ ear, and build atop characters created long ago, Tyler actively breaks down the need to adhere to a brand. Wolf Hayley was regarded as much as Igor, or Sir Baudelaire or even Flower Boy; And the eras these characters reside in are mutually exclusive, entirely their own. Tyler brings limitless freedom and creation to his artistry. There’s never room for digestible mediocracy, because he gives us challenging sonic concepts and conceptual brilliancy that never fails to be on some sh*t we’ve never seen.
“Big Poe” ushers in the album with a robotic voice pressing “movement”, “speaking in glory”, and to “not tap the glass” before Tyler’s scuzzy first verse enters. Tyler raps “wipe your lips off, while I zip up”, a perfect touch of vulgarity and tenacity that sets the tone for the project. While the sounds are entirely new, there are still glimmers of Tyler’s past lives weaved throughout the record. “Sucka Free” opens with an homage to Tyler’s LA roots and surely plays off of his Kendrick- sampled “I’M THAT GUY”. This track feels like it picked up where “Darling, I” left off, scooping up a sensational groove and bounce that airs the project out. “I’ll Take Care of You” feat. Yebba is a beautiful synthy interlude that uses the same gritty-textured drum in his 2015 track “CHERRY BOMB” (enough to make a day-one Tyler fan shed a tear). In between the easter eggs, track “Mommanem” plucks a high-pitched chord accompanied by “got so much resentment in my chest, I make this b*tch shake”. This track is only 1:15 long but brings boiling, visceral anger to complete musical fruition, especially with the stark and startling guitar breaks that fill the gaps between verses. This track leads seamlessly into “Stop Playing With Me” which enters with ominous vocals that are sharply scattered by delicious electronic flow. The track is thick, while still light on its feet, conjuring a sub-bass heavy beat that’s felt in your chest as much as it’s heard in your eardrums. Tyler ensues in a school-chant-esque “tell them boys hop off my d*ck, yous a funky ass b*tch” harboring the brazen narrative of the project with swaggering execution. “Ring Ring Ring” finds Tyler in his funk pocket with a lush bass reminiscing on a retrospective love interest. “Tell Me What It Is” exits the album with a trudging beat and sees a singing Tyler. This track feels like the cool down song to the ending of a night filled with sweat and dance. Much like how we are introduced, the track robotically closes with “I hope you enjoyed yourself, maybe next time you can stay longer, the glass was not tapped.”
DON’T TAP THE GLASS is a beautiful execution of an album that transports you to a world where freedom reigns, body movement is instinctual, and each beat and groove is a warm welcome to be you. I guess it’s another chapter in the book..