Album Summary: IGOR

Tyler the Creator released his 6th studio album IGOR following up his last studio album Flower Boy. Tyler’s past albums show different egos and sides of him and his personality, but in IGOR we dive into a side of Tyler that we haven’t seen before: his love life. This album depicts Tyler’s vulnerable side and he shows his new ego. 

There are 2 parts/seasons in the album. As the album is about his love life most of the first part of the album talks about the good side of it, more of his vulnerable side. He talks about how he wanted to be with this person and doing everything he can to be with them. He sets the tone for the first part of the album with the first track “IGOR´S THEME.” He later carries that into his song “EARFQUAKE,” the lyrics “Ridin around, your love is shaking me up and it’s making my heart break,” kind of referencing how in love he is with this person. In the next track “I THINK,” Tyler seems more aggravated, in the lyrics “Man, I wish you would call me By your name ’cause I’m sorry.” These lyrics are referencing the movie “Call Me By Your Name”  which is about a relationship that in the end didn’t work out, which is foreshadowing what Tyler talks about later in the album, also kind of hinting that the person he’s going after is a boy. The track “EXACTLY WHAT YOU RUN FROM YOU END UP CHASING,” serves as an interlude for the album and shows the ending of vulnerability in the album, showing how “there’s always an obstacle” which kind of hints at someone/something being in the way of Tyler. The next track “RUNNING OUT OF TIME” depicts how Tyler’s relationship is running out of time, he doesn’t have much time left being with his significant other hence the lyrics “I been runnin’ out of spells, To make you love me.” This track is one of the most important ones on the album as it shows what the boy Tyler is in love with feels and his stance in the relationship. The lyrics “So take your mask off, I need her out the picture” shows that the person Tyler loves is interested in someone else, also using a “mask” to hide his sexuality from Tyler and not committing to him. The track “NEW MAGIC WAND” is probably the darkest track on this album, starting with the lyrics “Sometimes you gotta close a door to open a window” explaining how Tyler won’t go chasing this boy he wants to do something different. In the lyrics “I need to get her out the picture, She’s really f*ckin’ up my frame.” Here Tyler’s jealousy is on full display and he wants to get this girl out of the picture, hinting a lot at killing his love interests girlfriend “like magic.” The “magic wand” could be a metaphor for a gun, hence the lyrics “She’s gonna be dead, I just got a magic wand, we can finally be together.” The instrumental is also the most sinister and heavily synthetic out of all of the tracks, really setting the tone for the song. The season finale of this album is the track “A BOY IS A GUN*”  which is the only track marked with an asterisk, which indicates how it’s important to the storyline and it’s a track you can’t miss. The term “a boy is a gun” is significant as the boy Tyler loves has the power to destroy him hence the lyrics “You so m*therf*ckin’ dangerous, You got me by my neck.” He’s still trying to hold onto the relationship and believe it will work out “when the time’s right.” He knows it is not healthy to still be thinking of continuing that, yet he can’t help himself, he becomes aware of how dangerous this boy is.

The first part of the album concludes, and the second part commences. The track “PUPPET” shows and tells how he still feels tied to this boy, however, he’s trying to let go, he says “I’m a puppet, you control me.” While talking about his ex-lover he keeps himself composed and positive, but the thought of the girl changes his sense of direction, saying things on the track like, “Your number one, one on my list, I am Santa, where is Rudolph, you are parasitic” as opposed to the girl. He’s trying to fall out of love with this boy in this song and it shows through this song. The next track “WHAT’S GOOD” is more reminiscent and alike to Tyler’s older work, it sounds similar to his past albums Bastard and Goblin, as its mostly rap and heavy beats. He talks about realization a lot in this track and being able to see his next step now, hence the lyrics “and I got my eyes open now I see the light.” The track “GONE, GONE/THANK YOU”  has two songs in one track, the first song being “GONE, GONE” and the second song being “THANK YOU.” This track focuses on Tyler’s reflection on the relationship which is now in the past hence the lyrics “at least I had it, instead of never,” Tyler talks about being happier and grateful that he loved and experienced, instead of not experiencing it at all. Tyler doesn’t like that fact that he lost, but he has to accept it as he knows it’s better for him to move on than keep waiting on the impossible, Tyler doesn’t like it, but the girl has won, which explain the lyrics, “I just hope to god she got good taste, could put you on sh*t you’ve never seen.” Tyler understands what could’ve been and the ‘what if’s’ which starts off the second part of the song “THANK YOU” with the words, “I hate waste of potential, that sh*t crushes your spirit.” In the next track “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE,”  he’s copping more with the loss of the relationship, not only him but Igor is also ready to move on and move forward, with the lyrics “I would speak up and realize there’s more fish in the sea, Imma re-up” he’s showing how he wants to let go the past and stop being heartbroken about it. Even though he wants to move on, he still wonders if there could be something platonic with the boy, which leads to the next track. “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” marks the end of the album being the final track left to complete the storyline, he seems to not completely let go of this boy and would rather be friends than nothing at all. The sample used in this song is about dreams coming true, which is ultimately the opposite of what happened in the relationship, as much as he hates the fact that the romantic relationship didn’t work out this is his best option, also saying, “I don’t want to end the season on a bad episode.”

At the beginning of the album, Tyler is very passionate about what he wanted, ultimately doing anything to get it and not wanting to settle as friends, talking about how much effect this boy had on Tyler and how much he wanted the relationship to work out. But by the end of the album, being friends is his only alternative and option. He accepts his fate and ultimately lets go of what could’ve been. Igor acting as his persona and character guiding him and helping him make the best decision for himself. Ending with heartbreak but being hopeful for what’s next. I really liked this side of Tyler and I hope he opens up to us like this again.