Igor is Tyler the Creator’s fifth studio album, and is no disappointment. It is difficult to make a better album than the masterpiece that is Flower Boy, Tyler’s previous album. Flower Boy ranked 29th on Billboard‘s 50 Best Albums of 2017 and was nominated for a Grammy, for best Rap album. It peaked at first on Billboard’s US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and reached second on Billboard 200.

Igor is a 12 song, 40 minute long album. His shortest album to date. This is an incredibly large decrease since his first album Goblin, almost 74 minutes long. The difference between Goblin and Igor is night and day. It is difficult to see that they were made my the same artist. Goblin was a dark and twisted, heavy sounding rap album. Igor is a mainly synthetic sounding album, with light beats and vocals.

Igor opens with “IGOR’S THEME”, and right off the start has a loud, almost static sound and fades into vocals from Tyler and Lil Uzi Vert. A great opening song with little lyrics, but shows some of the creativity the album has to offer. It leads perfectly into “EARFQUAKE”. The most popular track on the album. It also dropped with a music video, that places him on what seems to be a daytime talk show, with a host being acted by Tracee Ellis Ross.

The show starts and the host, asks him a simple question,“You are a performer, I understand. What is it exactly that you do?”

When Tyler, in his updated look, sporting a baby blue suit and a bleached bowl cut, responds by saying a nonsensical,” Yes.”

He then goes on to perform the song in what almost seems to be a 70’s era set, where Tyler dances spastically. Tyler and Charlie Wilson sing the chorus together over cheery piano and makes a beat mixed with Cherry Bomb and Flower Boy styles. Playboi Carti also has a part that fits perfectly in the middle of the song, and compliments the high tempo beat. The song explains how he loves someone but knows, he hasn’t treated them the best.

The next song “I THINK” creates a story in the album and goes deeper into his thoughts about the person he wants to love. Tyler and Solange repeat a chorus, I think I’m falling in love. I think I’m in love now. This time I think it’s for real.” The song fades out into light piano straight into an audio clip.

Genius explains,”“EXACTLY WHAT YOU RUN FROM YOU END UP CHASING” features a brief vocal snippet from comedian Jerrod Carmichael and serves as an interlude to “RUNNING OUT OF TIME.”

“RUNNING OUT OF TIME” shows tension in his relationship with his counterpart, and sees that a breakup is imminent. And says,”Runnin’ out of time, runnin’ out of time. To make you love me.” In “NEW MAGIC WAND” it is a response to the previous song, explaining that the other person has vanished from his life almost like magic and says,”Please don’t leave me,” repeatedly.

“A BOY IS A GUN” is influenced by 70’s soul heavily and and uses synths throughout. The track raises controversy when it seems Tyler is singing to another man, alluding to his possible bisexuality. He goes to breakfast with the man and finds that the man is with his ex, thinking it was just going to be Tyler and the man. The whole track Tyler repeats that the boy is dangerous on top of lyrics saying a boy is a gun while also pleading not to be shot down. The whole song is riddled with metaphors making the listener think.

“PUPPET” is the next song and dives head first into being in love, and the troubles it creates. Mainly talking about being controlled by the other person, like a puppet. Kanye West features towards the end and the beat slows and lightens, he then says that he just needs to breathe and calm down.

“WHAT’S GOOD” is one of the hardest and deep sounding tracks with low synths, but throughout is interrupted by a beat that sounds like it could be on WOLF. Tyler does the most rapping on the album on this song.

The next song follows Tyler’s 10th song repetition in every album. On every 10th song he mixes two songs in one, this time it was “GONE, GONE/ THANK YOU”. It starts with heavily edited vocals from Tyler, raising the pitch of his voice greatly. CeeLo Green appears on the song with a light tone, but a heavier message, repeating the saying,”My loves gone”. The transition between the two turns into a slower and an equally high pitch voice. You can hear Tyler continuously saying,”Thank you” as he has ended his relationship with the other person.

“I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE” goes perfectly after the previous song. He gets over his breakup and tells the other person that he does not love them anymore, he is done and over it. A goodbye to the person over a vinyl sounding recording. Sounds like it was made in the 70’s.

The ending to the album could not have been better with “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS”. It was the perfect ending to a breakup album. He is almost lost and does not know where to go from here with their relationship. Not knowing if they are friends or not. He ends it confused and says he doesn’t want their friendship to end even though their relationship didn’t turn out as planned.

IGOR is one of the most well produced albums I have ever heard, and is the Tyler’s only album to reach #1 on the Billboards 200. It’s also his fifth time being on  the top 10 on the list. Tyler continues to impress and evolve every album. I 100% recommend this album and rate it 10/10.