Tyler the Creator upholds a unique blend of genres in his recent 2025 album, “Don’t Tap the Glass.” Only four days after the album’s July 21 release date, “Don’t Tap that Glass” reached No. 1 album in the Billboard Top 200.
In Tyler’s ninth studio album, Pharrell is featured as a producer and a singer, specifically on the song “Big Poe”, featuring Sk8brd. The song is creative and catchy, which is what makes it successful. In his previous albums, Tyler encapsulates alter egos; however, in “Don’t Tap that Glass/Tweakin” he refers to himself as “Big Poe,” a figure fans think was first introduced in the music video for “SORRY NOT SORRY” in March 2023.
However, as someone who became a fan in 2017, I prefer his older albums, including “Goblin” and “Wolf,” because they seemed more insightful than his latest album.
Tyler’s previous collaborations with Pharrell did not go unnoticed, including “Cash in Cash Out,” a song released in June, 2022. Since then, Tyler has been collaborating with Pharrell consistently.
Tyler Okonma, known professionally as Tyler the Creator, rose to fame around 2007 when a group of aspiring artists formed the band “Odd Future.” Ever since then, he has become known for his fast rap skills and bold lyricism.
He mentions the band in “Sucka Free,” saying “Odd Future / Wolf Gang / all the bros in here.” I particularly enjoy “Sucka Free” because I like the message he’s spreading, which is to improve yourself and avoid listening to the haters. I love the fast tempo and creative writing on this song.
Tyler the Creator incorporates pop into much of his music discography. His latest album includes dreamy pop songs, like “Sugar on My Tongue,” “Tell Me What It Is” and “I’ll Take Care of You,” featuring Yebba.
My favorite song out of these three would have to be “Sugar on My Tongue,” because the writing and tempo convey a positive energy that sometimes artists fail to capture. The song is different from Tyler’s other pop songs, likely due to the fast tempo. Tyler’s production skills have a wide versatility, and “Don’t Tap the Glass” showcases that.
This album is similar to “Chromokopia” — Tyler the Creator’s eighth album — based on his music style. In my opinion, this album’s downside is the repetitive ad-libs in songs like “Stop Playing With Me.”
What makes Tyler’s music successful is his creativity and authenticity. I would have loved to see more creativity in this album. It does not compare to his other albums, in my opinion.
New fans will never understand listening to “Wolf” and hearing Tyler express himself as an up and coming artist with lyrics such as “We broke as f*ck / Homie got a chop shop / I stole that truck, and I sold that dope.” However, I will always respect Tyler and his music because he’s one of the greatest musicians of this generation and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Dannely Verduzco is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
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