So is he saying something new? It’s easy to reference highlights like the hypnotic yet melodic R&B opus that is ‘Boredom’ as benchmarks for the obvious change in sound. I’m not surprised it took him this long because, honestly, I’m moreso amazed it even happened at all. Tyler is no longer forcing anything under the self-proclaimed Flower Boy alter-ego, and it’s satisfyingly applicable to inject analogies that reference his natural and organic sound. Closer ‘Enjoy Right Now, Today’ silently caps off this newfound mental outlook as the strings and synths bounce along in a jazzy, velvety style.
“ I rock//I roll//I bloom//I grow ” is fitting as it’s an appropriate recognition of his own growth, an attitude that is consistent throughout the album.
#Tyler the creator flower boy album full
It’s a track that just vibes, something we’ve rarely seen from someone usually so full of sinister energy. Second track ‘Where This Flower Blooms’ makes this abundantly clear the beat floats along in the background and just melts together with both Tyler and Frank’s relaxed yet impassioned vocals. His stigma of being the bold, brash, and offensive contrarian easily links to my own adolescent ignorance. I say this because I honestly started to think of Tyler as a rapper for my past-self, referencing him in conversations as one of those “oh yeah I loved him when I was younger” artists.
Is it really 2017? Flower Boy sounds like it should’ve been made 2 years ago in place of the experimental and sporadic mess that was Cherry Bomb. It’s crazy what time can do to your perceptions of things and although I still enjoy Tyler’s music, I look back at his “I’m-too-edgy-for-you” raps in a much different manner when contrasted to my past admiration for the nefarious and controversial sentiments.
That was all it really took to hook me and by the time high school rolled around I was a full-fledged OFWGKTA devotee, unwavering in my support for all of their crazy antics and ungovernable energy. Where has the time gone? I remember when I first listened to Tyler, the Creator as a naive, impressionable 8th grader, fascinated while appalled by the raw darkness that oozed out of his hit song ‘Yonkers’.