It's hard for Tyler, The Creator fans to pick a favorite "era" from the Hawthorne native's illustrious and beautifully turbulent career. They may seem wholly distinct at face value, but every IGOR has its roots in a Bastard; every "SORRY NOT SORRY" has a "Sam (Is Dead)" to thank. Whether he stumbled upon it or coldly calculated the trajectory, it's astounding to see the resonant qualities that stuck around after Tyler's post-Flower Boy public image. Nowhere is that history clearer than in his latest album CHROMAKOPIA. More significantly, nothing embodied that better than his world tour for the project, which stopped for its first of two nights in New York City's Madison Square Garden on Monday, July 14.
After an incredibly vibrant opening set from Paris Texas (the dark horse of the world tour) and Lil Yachty's nonchalant and dreamy moshes, the former Odd Future frontman launched headfirst into his October 2024 LP. Yes, the hair looks bigger in person; and no, T hasn't lost his fire. "St. Chroma" and "Rah Tah Tah" sounded even livelier than their studio equivalents thanks to his raspy growls and his keen ability to ebb and flow dynamically even in steadier verses. From there on out, this concert series fulfilled its promise of a very cogent representation of the 34-year-old's artistry, a visual diary of CHROMAKOPIA's themes of maturity, and the most well-flowing and immersive Tyler set this writer's seen yet.
The CHROMAKOPIA Setup
As someone with a few arena tours under his belt now, it feels like Tyler, The Creator and his team have really perfected making the most out of the setting. Large CHROMAKOPIA shipment crates were the main attraction, and featured the most impressive bells and whistles: sparks raining down, flames bursting up, fireworks popping off, and the shadow spots that Tyler raps about on "NOID."
That track's killer performance was elevated by striking camera angles in sepia on MSG's screens. Throughout the concert, the former Odd Future frontman's team made sure to capture compelling visual details in gorgeous frames, whether it was his hand's performance during "I Killed You" or his foreboding silhouette and facial expressions with light blasting behind him. There were dazzling arrangements and decisions in this regard, as steady smoke made the whole arena not just look yellow, but feel yellow. It felt like every lighting aspect contributed to a given song's atmosphere, whether it was flashing to replicate synth arpeggios or wistfully drifting through the crowd like a lost love.
Later on, a rusty crate walkway led to Tyler, The Creator's house towards the center of the venue for the show's second half, complete with a record player, a comfy sofa, and a keyboard. This was where he went through his vinyls and played his classics. Although Tyler wasn't as conversational as he's been in previous tours, it was still a very intimate part of the set that emphasized CHROMAKOPIA's central mission: heading back home.
Tyler, The Creator Comes To Life
Furthermore, this was the most impressive part of Tyler, The Creator's latest tour, albeit the least shocking one. CHROMAKOPIA already lends itself perfectly to a well-flowing, cohesive, progressive, and narrative interpretation. However, via the setlist's organization and Tyler's consistently passionate and all-on-the-floor performances, the album's themes have never been clearer. His vibrance during "Darling, I" is exactly the fun-loving exuberance he raps about on that track, and for "Judge Judy," he paid tribute to some legendary musicians who have recently passed away like Roberta Flack and Roy Ayers. Despite the song's chilled-out instrumentation, there was a somber quality to T's improvised spoken word and choreography. Side note: this man's got moves, and it was very fun to see him enjoy his own material via an underrated aspect of contemporary hip-hop performance.
The blunt and stern honesty of "Take Your Mask Off" turned into indignant chaos onstage, and Tyler seemed even harsher with himself. That's when he took the mask off (shocker) and went into his home for a "Tomorrow" rendition while the floating house lowered onto the floor. All in all, these musical moments came with new intros, outros, and instrumentals that added to their wonder. Tyler, The Creator also specified certain lyrics even more, adding to this up-front sense of vulnerability by being even more explicit with what he means. For example, the "unjustified investment" he rapped about on the album is now $14 million. If anyone didn't get the idea with the record, they certainly will now.
The Road To – And From – CHROMAKOPIA
The one thing hardcore Tyler, The Creator fans might have a bone to pick with on this tour is that he just has too many great and iconic tracks at this point. As such, his returns to his earlier material like CMIYGL and Goblin, among other aforementioned albums, are very tried and true at this point thanks to multiple tours perfecting the selection. It led to the concert feeling like it wrapped up pretty quickly, but that's also because the whole crowd was loving every second. Time flew by, and that's probably the desired outcome rather than stretched-out or overly indulgent reminiscing.
Speaking of which, whenever the Golf Le Fleur boss did address the crowd, he was charismatic, grateful, warm, and focused. He thanked his heroes once again, and this time around, Clipse were actually in the crowd to hear it for themselves. Speaking of the Thornton brothers, the most surprising part of the show was Tyler rapping his killer "P.O.V." feature off Let God Sort Em Out over "Rusty." But for this catalog section of the CHROMAKOPIA tour, he balanced out all the ragers and sweeteners very well. There aren't as many deep cuts anymore, but one of the best parts of The Creator's live approach is how he caters to the folks watching him for the first time, every time. And it makes for consistent examples of why he's arguably hip-hop's best performer today.
Tyler, The Creator Found His Way Home
While closing out this Madison Square Garden show, Tyler, The Creator skillfully mastered tension and release with his final tracks: an a cappella outro for "Thought I Was Dead," the hypnotizing tenderness of "Like Him," the loving longing of "See You Again," and the explosive darkness of "NEW MAGIC WAND." After other massive hits like "Who Dat Boy," "Yonkers," "LUMBERJACK," and "Tamale," it felt like he wrapped the concert up with tracks that encompassed all the skills he's built over the years. It was amazing to witness.
By the time "I Hope You Find Your Way Home" wished the crowd farewell, and Tyler stood atop an air vent whisking him away, it felt like MSG experienced a whole career's journey with more maturity, intention, and dedication than they had seen from him before. He seeks to prove that not just with spectacle and grandeur, but most importantly, through giving 150 percent effort in every bar, croon, and scream from the heart. Tyler, The Creator found his way home on CHROMAKOPIA, and his live rendition of that process is the most cathartic and impressive joy any Tyler fan could be blessed by: an era to end all eras.
