By ARABELLA FRACISCO
Part III of III
Arabella Fracisco’s original review first appeared in the November 2024 issue of The Southerner, a student-written and student-produced newspaper at South High School in Minneapolis. The Southerner can be found online at www.shsoutherner.net.
Editor’s Note: The last 2 months the alley featured the first 10 tracks of Arabella’s thoughtful and inviting review of CHROMAKOPIA. This month we conclude with the final four tracks.
Thought I Was Dead is the eleventh track on the album and is about Okonma embracing his provocative persona, bringing up past controversies and expectations addressing them in his own playful yet rebellious way. “Everything I said I do, I did. Talk my shit? I sure damn will. You ain’t like that shit? I’ll do it again.” The track also features ScHoolboy Q and Santigold, their verses elevating the song.
The twelfth track on the album, Like Him, featuring Lola Young, beautifully tells the story of the absence of a father. At the beginning Okonma’s mom is telling Okonma how similar he is to his father. “She said that I make expressions like him, my legs to my shoulders and my chin like him, my waist and my posture like him.” In this song Okonma sings about how he is chasing a “ghost,” the ghost being the father he doesn’t know. He’s tackling his grief and confusion from never knowing his father, and wishing his father was there to watch him grow up, but also not wanting to judge his mother for it. “You gave me love, and affection, attention, protection, how could I ever miss something that I’ve never had? I would never judge you, cause everything worked out without him.”
On track thirteen, Balloon, featuring Doechii, Okonma sings about his beliefs, success and ambitions to a fun, playful beat. “Why I work so hard? My soul profit” He reflects on his hard work and determination whilst being in the music industry and his dislikes for small talk and superficiality. “Why I hate small talk? I like topics” Another great addition to CHROMAKOPIA adding another layer of intimate reflection to the album.
I Hope You Find Your Way Home is a great last track for this album. Okonma is reflecting on himself and the topics he covered in CHROMAKOPIA like the idea having children. “Four million on on that car, that’s not a chevy. See that’s my interest so as of now, raisin’ a child is not on my wishlist.” The title of the song is telling the listener that he wishes them well on their journey of self discovery, the same journey he went on and shared with us within this album. The song ends with a voice message from Okonma’s mother, telling him how proud she is of him. A gorgeous ending to an even more gorgeous album.
CHROMAKOPIA gives listeners an expansive, captivating look into the world of not only Tyler, The Creator, but Tyler Okonma as well. The album has reached beyond Okonma’s typical fans, and into the headphones and car speakers of music listeners everywhere; listening, analyzing and hitting replay.
We are grateful to Arabella Fracisco for allowing the alley to reprint this captivating review – a work of art in itself! Find other interesting articles by Arabella in The Southerner: https://www.shsoutherner.net/. A senior, Arabella graduates from South High on June 7th. We wish you the best, Arabella!
