Tyler, The Creator makes Billboard history with #1 album

[StrawberryBlond 14,862]

I don't know how he composed and arranged the whole thing himself as there are additional writing credits and there are more production credits listed on Wikipedia. Yet, he's credited as the sole producer under the basic blurb for the album. Don't get it.

Didn't know it was a concept album but it doesn't really matter to me as I found it all a huge let-down. He's never appealed to me as an artist, I feel he tries to be weird just for the sake of it, way too pretentious. Thought Flower Boy was the best I'd heard from him, though that wasn't saying much but Igor was just a mess, an album about nothingness and appalling vocals. If a woman released this album, it wouldn't get anywhere near this praise. Why is modern rap/trap praised so much? It hasn't been good for years and we seem to love the pretentious stuff now as well as those who can't sing.

[ChromaticPrincess 1,346]

8 minutes ago, StrawberryBlond said:

I don't know how he composed and arranged the whole thing himself as there are additional writing credits and there are more production credits listed on Wikipedia. Yet, he's credited as the sole producer under the basic blurb for the album. Don't get it.

Didn't know it was a concept album but it doesn't really matter to me as I found it all a huge let-down. He's never appealed to me as an artist, I feel he tries to be weird just for the sake of it, way too pretentious. Thought Flower Boy was the best I'd heard from him, though that wasn't saying much but Igor was just a mess, an album about nothingness and appalling vocals. If a woman released this album, it wouldn't get anywhere near this praise. Why is modern rap/trap praised so much? It hasn't been good for years and we seem to love the pretentious stuff now as well as those who can't sing.

i think he probably had help but most of the concepts and sounds were probably made by him

also while i do get the pretentious and weird just to be weird thing, for the most part the best music comes from these types of people, or at least that's what I've observed. (i.e. Bowie, Prince, TFM and BTW, late 90s and early 00s Madonna, Bjork, etc etc) Haven't listened to the album yet tho so I can't really judge yet

[StrawberryBlond 14,862]

5 minutes ago, PrincessVenus said:

i think he probably had help but most of the concepts and sounds were probably made by him

also while i do get the pretentious and weird just to be weird thing, for the most part the best music comes from these types of people, or at least that's what I've observed. (i.e. Bowie, Prince, TFM and BTW, late 90s and early 00s Madonna, Bjork, etc etc) Haven't listened to the album yet tho so I can't really judge yet

But I thought production was about far more than just concepts and sounds, you have to actually provide instrumentation. To get a sole production credit, you'd literally have to do it all yourself with no outside help whatsoever. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who's ever done that. I'd just like to know how this is measured as it seems like a very loose label if outside help does come into it.

The people that you listed weren't just weird for the sake of being weird, they're actually pretty normal musicians, apart from Bjork. When I'm talking weird I mean bizarre vocal techniques, strangely vague obscure subject matter, their music doesn't seem to have a clear message or is about anything that anyone would actually want to listen to. That to me is weirdness. And critics seem to have run right with it and I have no idea why. I think they think a well-produced album is on par with or better than a well-written album but surely songs are about words and vocals more than all that stuff? And I don't find a guy who tone deafly sings "Are we still friends" for 4 minutes is worth critical praise. But I have to ask, if you haven't heard the album then why are you making an argument for it?

[Guest]

3 hours ago, StrawberryBlond said:

If a woman released this album, it wouldn't get anywhere near this praise. Why is modern rap/trap praised so much? It hasn't been good for years and we seem to love the pretentious stuff now as well as those who can't sing.

sis what? Why would you attack him like that?? It's a totally gross and incorrect generalisation to assume that if a woman released this album they wouldn't be praised. You don't like the album, and that's fine, but don't hit me with these fake woke criticisms. And actually, mumble rappers are some of the most hated people in the industry, so you're other statement's not true. And this album is absolutely 0% trap, and it's mainly not even rap. You're saying he's being weird for the sake of being weird but the album isn't even that weird? I don't know why you think it's pretentious. It's not nearly as pretentious as say, Lemonade, but Lemonade is a great album even so.

[StrawberryBlond 14,862]

7 minutes ago, Blue Madonna said:

sis what? Why would you attack him like that?? It's a totally gross and incorrect generalisation to assume that if a woman released this album they wouldn't be praised. You don't like the album, and that's fine, but don't hit me with these fake woke criticisms. And actually, mumble rappers are some of the most hated people in the industry, so you're other statement's not true. And this album is absolutely 0% trap, and it's mainly not even rap. You're saying he's being weird for the sake of being weird but the album isn't even that weird? I don't know why you think it's pretentious. It's not nearly as pretentious as say, Lemonade, but Lemonade is a great album even so.

Well, whenever I see women taking risks in music, they tend to be met with a very mixed reaction from critics. It's like women have got to stay in a box or something but when a man experiments, he's praised for taking a new direction and doing something anti commercial and from the heart. Bjork's maybe the only woman who's guaranteed good critical reception for experimentation but every other woman's a bit hit and miss. I'm not trying to be "fake woke," I'm giving you the facts as someone who reviews music and acknowledges patterns in the industry. I'm not talking about how mumble rappers are viewed by the public (although they certainly have no problem giving them #1 albums and 1 million combined sales in the US anyway), I'm talking about critical reactions. They seem to love every modern rap album out right now. Yes, it's hard to categorise the genre of this album, it's more like experimental rap but that isn't to say it isn't rap. Wikipedia lists it as hip hop/funk/RnB. Does it really matter? I just want good music, no matter what genre it is. It is a weird album - his cover artwork, album name, song titles, his odd way of singing, his odd lyrics. It's pretentious because most of the time, I can't make sense of what he's even singing about or why, my least favourite type of album experience. Lemonade is not pretentious and I don't even like Beyonce. Her intentions and meaning on that album is clear and that album was decent. But Igor? I didn't even know it was a concept album or about being with a guy until I saw this thread today. It just passed in a blur of weird randomosity when I heard it yesterday. I've never got Tyler, he's just bizarre and this is coming from someone who likes it when artists get down with their eccentric side. But there's a line to be drawn.

[Mr S 8,672]

He is great. A musician that writes and plays instruments instead of buying computer beats. The album is pretty great too. He is definitely getting Grammy love.

[Economy 49,747]

I'd like to see Gaga release an album she wrote Soley by herself!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually I wouldn't

[Demoncore 475]

8 hours ago, StrawberryBlond said:

It is a weird album - his cover artwork, album name, song titles, his odd way of singing, his odd lyrics. It's pretentious because most of the time, I can't make sense of what he's even singing about or why, my least favourite type of album experience.

I've never got Tyler, he's just bizarre and this is coming from someone who likes it when artists get down with their eccentric side. But there's a line to be drawn.

Yea if you jump into Igor without listening to Flower Boy, a lot of the themes will go over your head. In simplest terms, this is a break up album coming off the heels of his prior album exploring themes of unrequited feelings, coming to terms with his sexuality, and just being more vulnerable compared to earlier works. I don't feel like he makes his visuals and musics weird for the sake of being weird; if anything, he's truly musically gifted and has a keen eye for motifs and aesthetics and how to properly execute them

Honestly, I feel like a lot of credit is not given where it's due when it comes to Tyler: I feel like a lot of people dismiss him because of his crazier antics when he came onto the scene with his collective Odd Future. If you have the opportunity, you should look into some of the interviews he did during the Flower Boy era, and even watch his most recent performance of this newer album. He cites things like Nigerian disco and soviet-era photos as his primary inspirations for his songs, and collaborates with artists like Erykah Badu, Solange, and Rex Orange County to bring those songs to life. 

I find it funny that people who supposedly stan an artist like Gaga are so quick to dismiss artists like Tyler for their eccentricity 

[StrawberryBlond 14,862]

On 5/29/2019 at 4:15 AM, platinumpixels said:

Yea if you jump into Igor without listening to Flower Boy, a lot of the themes will go over your head. In simplest terms, this is a break up album coming off the heels of his prior album exploring themes of unrequited feelings, coming to terms with his sexuality, and just being more vulnerable compared to earlier works. I don't feel like he makes his visuals and musics weird for the sake of being weird; if anything, he's truly musically gifted and has a keen eye for motifs and aesthetics and how to properly execute them

Honestly, I feel like a lot of credit is not given where it's due when it comes to Tyler: I feel like a lot of people dismiss him because of his crazier antics when he came onto the scene with his collective Odd Future. If you have the opportunity, you should look into some of the interviews he did during the Flower Boy era, and even watch his most recent performance of this newer album. He cites things like Nigerian disco and soviet-era photos as his primary inspirations for his songs, and collaborates with artists like Erykah Badu, Solange, and Rex Orange County to bring those songs to life. 

I find it funny that people who supposedly stan an artist like Gaga are so quick to dismiss artists like Tyler for their eccentricity 

I did listen to Flower Boy previously, which I thought was better. I'm not really bothered about where he gets his inspiration or who he works with, all that matters is that it comes together into a good eventual project. The resume does not matter, the output does.

I'm fine with Gaga's eccentricity because she doesn't go to the point where I can't understand it. It's eccentricity that's hard to decipher both in lyrics, theme and direction that I'm averse to.