Tyler, The Creator: “Flower Boy” (Album Review)

Genres: Neo-Soul, Synth Funk, Pop Rap

        Tyler, The Creator was known as one of hip-hop’s biggest trolls: creating shocking music, making edgy jokes, and offending parents with his sheer vulgarity. Although he didn’t lose the attitude of carefreeness that drew many people to him, with Flower Boy he demonstrated newfound maturity. Such a strong pivot may have turned away a few longtime fans, but it was a clear showcase of artistic growth. 

        As a producer, Tyler has always shined, but this is the project where he truly pushed this quality to the forefront. Working with frequent collaborators and quite a few unexpected artists, one of Flower Boy’s biggest strengths remains in how Tyler was able to utilize all these different people in amazing ways. A great example of this is on “911 / Mr. Lonely”, which features many creators, from pop stars to rappers, but doesn’t end up feeling cluttered. By using artists in smaller and subtle ways, Tyler built up a great song featuring complexity and nuance. Not every song on Flower Boy is as heavily structured, but there are still many moments of high-quality production and artistry, even on tracks without any featured artists.

        In regards to his expression of inner self, Tyler refused to hold himself back on Flower Boy. He laid down his insecurities and pains, and displayed an effort to move forward past them. This is made all the more striking when taking into consideration the confidence Tyler showed in his music and as a public figure. “Foreword”, the first track on the album, was the most serious introductory statement out of any of his past work. Tyler before this point would never have his thoughts about the potential fleeting nature of his success and a racist society be the emotional start of an album. As much as Tyler changed, Flower Boy still kept a lot of what made him enjoyable to listen to. There are too many funny quotables and witty one-liners to count, and he oozed raw charisma with every word he said. Listening to “Glitter” and hearing the line, “We ain't gon' work out, we a fat boy”, still makes me smile to this day. This record is greatly enhanced by Tyler’s force of personality, which helped to really sell the emotional core of the album.

        Flower Boy is Tyler at his most honest, revealing a thoughtful side to him with more emotional depth than he typically showed. We as the audience are able to take him seriously because of how serious of a project this meant to Tyler. Not only did he assert his true self and feelings, but he did so as an example for others to follow. This topic isn’t always strongly focused on, especially with the more “fun” verses and songs like “Who Dat Boy”, which definitely serve as a distraction from the main themes of the album. Even so, the impact of Tyler’s conviction and strong emotions is nothing short of remarkable. Changing the public perception of Tyler as an artist, Flower Boy may be the most significant and powerful work in his discography to this day.

Favorite Tracks: Garden Shed, November, See You Again, Where This Flower Blooms, 911 / Mr. Lonely, Foreword, Boredom

Least Favorites: Who Dat Boy, Enjoy Right Now, Today

Enjoyment: Mid 9

Critically: Low 9

Arbitrary Number: 9.0