GutterPutter

I don’t think Tyler, the Creator needs any introduction at this point. It sure doesn’t hurt to list his achievements however. His four-album run from 2017’s Flower Boy to Chromakopia from last year all garnered critical acclaim for the infusion between hip hop and neo soul, turning the rapper from an edgy trendsetter to an introspective yet hard-headed name who finds himself beset with his presumed bisexuality, his wants, and his pride. It’s almost an archetype for all kinds of emcees (minus the sexuality bit), but Tyler Okonma’s twists allowed it to become authentic rather than performative which is especially noted in Call Me If You Get Lost back in 2021. It is a big personal achievement to make especially if his catalogue beforehand erred more towards cartoonish violence and an ironic sense of humour.

Just last week, DON’T TAP THE GLASS was announced to be coming out soon. By that, I mean it had just been released shortly after on Monday (the announcement being Friday at the time of writing) with rumours around its tracklist being made of features from Clipse, Earl Sweatshirt, and others. As much hype as the announcement had made, the album’s release has made clear its intent. And that is that it’s largely one that centers itself around fun. Tyler is always a goofball who happens to not make comedy his main gimmick compared to a contemporary like Lil Dicky. At least not in the spotlight after Flower Boy. This time, DON’T TAP THE GLASS marks the music artist at his most playful with a turn away from self-consciousness in favour of club music influences. It’s worth starting with a preface that the album still exhibits the refineness that defines Tyler’s discography. It just so happens that because the direction steers so hard towards being entertaining that it ends up being a severe obstacle compared to Kendrick Lamar’s gnx.

Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the tracks are short and snappy with its selling point being its shimmering synths and booming beats. There’s a bit of lushness here that pales comparatively to IGOR and it would have been worth overlooking if not for how its common traits end up becoming its deficiencies. Almost every song saw its structure deviate only a little as it progressed to the point where it fell into the trap of being a novelty. Once you get around the album one or two times, it wears off and whatever enjoyment you get from it would be minimal. 

For instance, ‘Big Poe’ sees the deeper-pitched synths be the substitute for horns and Pharrell Williams being featured for a braggadocio verse. However, its pint-sized length leaves little room for dynamism and you are thus only left with Williams flexing about accountants and Tyler dropping some hardcore bars. ‘STOP PLAYING WITH ME’ sees Tyler rapping about his cars, his fandom, and his business deals over bass boosts and samples of rifling shots being fired as he affirms that his status should not be downplayed. The recognisable drum machine fails to push onward the possibility of the song being more experimental in a similar manner as someone like Beyonce with ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’, making its vibrancy short-lived. And you have ‘Don’t You Worry Baby’ where the singing from Madison McFerrin, pretty as it is, fails to steer the song beyond being a simple, yet well-produced contemporary R&B cut.

What makes DON’T TAP THE GLASS feel paradoxical in its short-lived excitement is its bid to try and experiment itself to make up for Tyler’s clear break away from his serious endeavours. Whatever it tries to do to liven itself up feels unfinished which is easily explained by how the album is made in the middle of the tour. ‘Mommanem’ contains thunderously abrasive synths, masculine huffs for accompanying beats, and alternating pitches that are akin to a siren going off. It is beset heavily by the attempt made at Tyler coming off as confrontational which is lacking in any memorable lines which made the instrumental feel hollow. The title track owes its focus to the Dirty South with its heavy bass as well as sharp synths and drum machines that are part of crunk music. Yet, the chorus’s repetition lacks the energy to make itself catchy or even to make you want to join in for a chant. Not even the biggest switch-up in the song structure (out of 2) towards ‘Tweakin’’ could save itself with the lacklustre verse about sexual prowess and a vanilla turn towards bounce music. Finally, the outro in ‘Tell Me What It Is’ sees its turn towards neo soul that Tyler had cemented himself as an all-time great in. It feels weighed-in however by its sluggish tempo, oversimplified use of the synths, and even a smidge of poor mixing that makes the singing neutered by its surroundings. 

The remaining tracks prove otherwise that DON’T TAP THE GLASS is by all accounts a project made clearly for fun and it’s not one that shows that Tyler is in serious decline. After all, his other works following the unanimous love on IGOR are more varied in response depending on your preferences in hip hop even if they all fall into being positive in the end. The likely reality is that if he does try hard in this, it could have easily reached the level of polish that Lamar has achieved in his most light-hearted effort.

‘Sucka Free’ has its percussion be lively in a way that ebbs well along with the layered vocals of nearly all kinds be it rapping or singing. ‘Ring Ring Ring’ sees its synths be used in a very funky way that compliments the falsetto and the sample of the cello being stringed along is icing on the cake in accentuating certain parts of the sung lyrics. ‘Sugar On My Tongue’ represents the dance influence at its very best with its build-up of its swaying synths, noteworthy hooks that are playfully rebellious, and some nice bass boost in its percussion. Then you have the best cut in ‘I’ll Take Care of You’ with Yebba as the featured singer whose vocals is well-harmonised and yet synergistic with both the romantic ambience and the tension with sexual freedom. The keyboards in particular adds a hypnotic quality to it which leads to the gradual build-up as the music delves into full-on partymania with its layering percussion and additional sampled vocals from the old rap group Crime Mob.

There’s no need for me to keep on saying that the album is one that Tyler had not put much effort into making as he’s well busy throughout its production. DON’T TAP THE GLASS is not so much a portrait of an artist in decline so much as it is a half-assed effort by a smart student in school who is aiming only for a passing grade. It’s not out to make new fans nor is it churning out new dimensions for rap music as is the case with Injury Reserve/By Storm. It’s Tyler showing that he’s at the top of the world and that he can technically do whatever he wants at the moment. The big losers will surely be the sizable portions of the fans who are hoping for something that’s more serious or at least a more gelled bricolage of his endeavours. I even feel a bit let down by the album when I first gave it a listen and that after a few retries, I find it to be mediocre. If you treat it only as a fun little treat, it makes the effort more bearable even if it might pale in comparison to the other records.

2.2/5