At this point in Tyler, the Creator's career it's no secret he's one of the best, most influential rappers alive. He is an artist, first and foremost, and this is clear in everything he touches. From his early days of cold emailing record executives to starting his own record label, Odd Future Records, to teaming up with fashion designers to eventually winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album with 2019's Igor. The man can't be stopped.
Don't Tap the Glass comes shortly after the release of Tyler's last record — Chromakopia (released October 2024). Chromakopia was well received and most artists would have coasted on that for a while, but not Tyler, the Creator. Don't Tap the Glass is arguably better than Chromakopia. The sequencing and production on this latest record is flawless. The flow is impeccable. Each song perfectly blends into the next, and there wasn't one moment when I checked in on the track list.
It's a short record, clocking in at 28 minutes 30 seconds. The opening track "Big Poe" is an aggressive in-your-face starting point. It has drums that could be at home in a Massive Attack track, and Tyler saying he "doesn't trust white people with dreadlocks" sets the tone. It could just be me, but the first 10 seconds of this track reminded me of the robot-infused "Fitter Happier" from Radiohead's Ok Computer. If you're not familiar with that track, it's a minute and a half of a Stephen Hawking-esque voice reading from what sounds like a to-do list. The "Big Poe" intro was very reminiscent of that track. Maybe Tyler is a Radiohead fan? Now that would be a collab!
"Stop Playing With Me" continues the aggressive vibe of "Big Poe," but has a flow that is impossible not to groove to. Tyler pokes fun at his latest converse collaboration: "spending Converse money / what I mean is / burning white paper / that's a Zig-Zag." The video (which came out today) has Tyler hanging out with Pusha T and LeBron James. It's a great example of minimal editing that delivers a solid product.
The final three tracks, "Don't You Worry Baby," "I'll Take Care of You" and "Tell Me What It Is" were my personal favorites. They were a little more musically subdued with more going on lyrically. "Tell Me What It Is" might be one of Tyler's most beautiful songs. He raps about being able to "buy the galaxy," but "can't afford to look for love." That's a bummer, and gives an insight into Tyler, the Creator's psyche.
At the end of Don't Tap the Glass I was ready to listen again. If an album makes you want to spin it again immediately after it's over, that's a success in my book. Tyler, the Creator will be headlining Hinterland Music Festival Aug. 1, and with the surprise release of Don't Tap the Glass less than two weeks out, our anticipation is boiling over.
