On July 21 2017, Tyler The Creator released his fourth studio album, Flower Boy. Flower Boy was the start of Tyler’s whole genre of music to appeal to more people. Sheldon Pearce, a Pitchfork reviewer, thinks that Flower Boy is about “The angst of a missed connection, the pain of unrequited love, and navigating youthful ennui.” Tyler wrote Flower Boy since he saw that his last album, Cherry Bomb, was not good and so he wanted to make an album that succeeded well. The features include Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis, A$AP Rocky, Jaden Smith, Estelle, Anna of the North, Steve Lacy, and Lil Wayne. In total, Flower Boy has 14 songs, equating to 46 minutes and 34 seconds.
Foreword as an intro track is pretty good since it shows what we are gonna delve into. I really like the contrast of voices from Tyler and Rex Orange County. Like from raspy Tyler, to melodic Rex. Tyler and Rex talk about what makes someone successful and what limits they have.
Where This Flower Blooms is one of my favorites off Flower Boy because of the feature of Frank Ocean. And just the overall song is great, with the chorus and beat production being high quality. Tyler and Frank, in this song, reflect on Tyler’s struggle as an artist and how he overcame them and bloomed like a flower.
Sometimes… is an audio clip of Shane Powers on the radio and Tyler being the caller putting his song on the radio. The only thing I wish was that the beat used here was not wasted, since I really could see a great song with this melody.
See You Again is the fan favorite of this album, which makes sense since it really is a perfect song. With the instruments, beat production, Tyler’s and Kali’s verses, and chorus. This song is about yearning for someone’s presence.
Who Dat Boy is different from the other tracks because of the Halloween-like beat. But still overall is still pretty nice. Who Dat Boy is about being a trendsetter, showing off confidence and style, and being headstrong and unapologetic.
Pothole is another favorite of mine because of the very little familiarity of MF Doom in this track. I just like the delivery of lines said by Tyler, mixed in with the chorus from Jaden Smith. Pothole is about navigating through the adversities of life.
I like Garden Shed because the beat and instruments embody the feeling of a Sunday afternoon. And overall it is a great song off of Flower Boy. Garden Shed is about a complex and deeply personal exploration of Tyler’s sexuality and his feelings of being trapped and misunderstood.
Boredom is another great track that Rex and Tyler collaborate to make, with the addition of Anna of the North. This song just feels like the song you just relax to, with the title literally being “Boredom,” and the chorus also saying “Find some time to do something.” And as I said, Boredom is about dealing with boredom and the necessity of social interaction with friends.
I Ain’t Got Time is a good track, with it contrasting with the last track, Boredom having tons of time, While I Ain’t Got Time, having no time. But as a track, it is a pretty good track overall with the beat production being really different. I Ain’t Got Time is a track in which the rapper flaunts his success and dismisses those who doubt him or try to bring him down.
911 / Mr.Lonely is also another one of my favorites, because of Frank Ocean being a feature and the song is just amazing too. I like the first part of the song, 911, over the second, Mr.Lonely. But Mr.Lonely to me is still a great song. The first part is about Tyler’s desire for a romantic partner. While the second continues to explore Tyler’s loneliness and the coping mechanisms he uses.
Droppin’ Seeds is a great song, I just wish it was longer than 1 minute. Droppin’ Seeds seems to be focused on the idea of planting seeds, both literally and metaphorically.
November is my favorite track off of Flower Boy because of the chorus, beat, lyrics, and for some reason just feels nostalgic. November is a reflective song from Tyler, The Creator, pondering his personal journey and the memories and people he encountered along the way.
Glitter is just an amazing song that really feels as if it should be on Igor. With the experimental-like feeling of it being why it should be on Igor. Glitter is about the euphoria and happiness that comes with a new love interest.
Enjoy Right Now, Today is a musical journey, containing no lyrics, just us and a beat. And what I really like is the Synthy “Wow Woah” every now and then in the track. As having no lyrics to “be about.” The title of the song itself is a message to the listener to live in the present moment and enjoy what they have in the present day.
As an overall album, Flower Boy is a great piece of Tyler The Creator’s discography. The upgrade from Cherry Bomb to Flower Boy is insane and really shows what’s up next with Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost.
