Very few artists have changed the way I look at music in the way Tyler, the Creator has. So when Tyler released his newest Studio album, “CHROMAKOPIA,” on Oct. 28, I was ecstatic. Below, from worst to best, is my ranking of the 14 tracks on the album.

14. Sticky
Every song on this album I could speak about in detail. Every song that is, other than “Sticky”. It’s not bad, just bland. Other than the Lil Wayne verse, there isn’t great lyricism, which is really important for an intense rap song like this. “Sticky” suffers the unfortunate fate of being forgettable on an album that’s anything but.
13. I Killed You
“I Killed You” is, without a doubt, the most ambitious song of the entire album, and it really does pain me to place it this low. It’s almost entirely a double entendre, as he speaks about his hair and his heritage. It’s immaculately written, well produced, but in my opinion, Tyler gives his most bland performance on the entire album. The subject matter of his hair and heritage definitely called for a far more energetic performance than the one we got. The worst part is it’s clear he’s definitely got it in him, but for some reason he thought a more laid-back approach would be better. The lyrics end up doing all of the heavy lifting, bringing an otherwise mediocre track to a bit above average.
12. Rah Tah Tah
In a way, this song feels like “Sticky” done right. The lyrics are great, Tyler’s performance is amazing and above all else, it does not overstay its welcome. This song is meant to be blasted out of car windows, and it seemed Tyler was aware of this. The song sadly suffers from a lack of emotional depth. One of the highlights of Tyler’s songwriting is his ability to channel emotion, which is blatantly missing in this track.
11. Take Your Mask Off
“Take Your Mask Off” failed to make an impression on me. I like the idea of the song—that being Tyler speaking to a bunch of people who are hiding what they really want, and telling them to “Take [your] mask off.” The instrumentals and production are exceptional, but my biggest issue with the song is that it feels like it’s not particularly connected to “CHROMAKOPIA.” For me at least, my favorite part of all of his albums is the uniqueness that comes with them, as he grows and changes throughout his career. “CHROMAKOPIA” Is all about his relationship with women and growing older, so a song about embracing who he truly is doesn’t really feel natural. The song’s faults are luckily saved by its writing, performance by Tyler and mixing.
10. Noid
Between the one of a kind sample, unique concept, good rapping and phenomenal production, it’s easy to see why “Noid” is the most popular track on the album. This truly feels like no other artist could even try to reproduce, which is a big part of why Tyler has become so popular. My biggest problem is, this feels like it’s not really connected to “CHROMAKOPIA” in particular, aside from the general tone. “CHROMAKOPIA” has heavy themes of parenthood and relationships, and “Noid” doesn’t really touch on that. If you’re wondering if you’d like the album, Noid is a great taste-tester.
9. Judge Judy
At first, “Judge Judy” was easily my least favorite track on the album. But beautiful background vocals by Childish Gambino combined with a great concept about Tyler finding a deep connection with a woman who many judge made me change my mind after multiple listens. If you initially dismissed Judge Judy like I did, I can’t encourage you enough to listen to it again, and to look past the gratuitous lyrics and instead into the overarching message.
8. Tomorrow
There really is no greater tragedy than watching one of your parents or grandparents slowly get older, and knowing that there’s nothing you can do to stop it. “Tomorrow” nails that feeling perfectly. The lyrics are also strong, delving into Tyler’s fear that he’s accomplished nothing significant in his life, and that all of his musical accomplishments pale in comparison to giving his mother what she always wanted, a grandchild. However, I can’t get over how incomplete this track sounds. Tyler has a tradition where the 10th song on an album is two songs with a similar meaning stitched together, with a beat switch providing the transition. I don’t understand why he didn’t use this pattern with “Like Him”, as they fit perfectly together.
7. Thought I Was Dead
There’s a reason Tyler chose to tease this song for “CHROMAKOPIA” and that’s because it’s absolutely electric. Tyler easily gives his best rapping performance of the album on this track, along with one of the best features on the album from ScHoolboy Q. The lyrics are certainly good, but they lack a lot of the emotional depth in the tracks that I would rank above it.
6. Balloon
Unlike most Tyler songs, which have some form of sadness or anger, “Balloon” is two and a half minutes of pure elation. It’s borderline impossible not to move to the beat of this song, and just when you think the best is over, Doechii’s verse comes in. Aside from a weaker ending, it wouldn’t be crazy to say she has the best verse on the entire album. However, I have two main gripes with this song, that being its length and placement in the album. First off, it’s the shortest off the entire album, and the only song that’s really close is “Rah Tah Tah,” which is much faster paced. In addition, it’s sandwiched between the two most heartfelt songs on the album, which gives a crazy amount of thematic whiplash. Still, much like “Not Like Us” is for Kendrick Lamar, “Balloon” is a phenomenal party song from an artist who rarely does them, which certainly gives it a unique identity.
5. Hey Jane
Without a doubt one of the best written songs on the album, “Hey Jane” is structured with both Tyler and his partner sharing their thoughts on unexpected pregnancy. It’s practically a puzzle of a song, but the deeply personal story that you get once you finish it takes the song to the top five of the album. The only reason this isn’t placed higher on my list is because of the production, which considering other tracks in the album, is just okay.
4. Darling, I
“Darling, I” is the song I struggle to describe the most. My favorite part of the song is the subject matter, which is about how Tyler feels like he’ll never truly be in love with anyone, as he’s always prioritized his music over connections with people. Overall, “Darling, I” does a outstanding job of expressing the inherent sadness and beauty that comes with prioritizing art above human connection, and is a track that will stick with you for days after first hearing it
3. I Hope You Find Your Way Home
Tyler’s conclusions to his albums are often some of his strongest, and “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” is no exception. This is a complete showcase of everything that he is capable of, and it truly is magnificent. The instrumentals are my favorite on the entire album, alongside a great flow and the second best production on the entire album. The entire song builds up in a beautiful crescendo to his mother’s feature This song absolutely nails the difficult task of paying off the set up of the entire album in a beautiful way only Tyler could manage.
2. St Chroma
With “IGOR” being my favorite album of all time, hearing this song drop on a random Wednesday to tease the album was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever gotten. He clearly takes inspiration from it, alongside many of his older albums such as “Flower Boy” into the production of this track. The gospel chorus leads phenomenally well into the beat drop, which perfectly sets the tone for the simultaneously fun and extremely serious album that “CHROMAKOPIA” turned out to be. Alongside that, his mother’s speech at the beginning is a great recap of his career for anyone who hasn’t paid attention to it, as her statement that “He [is] the light” and that you shouldn’t “ever in your motherf—— life dim your light for nobody” showcases the core value of all of his albums, a deep need to express himself.
1. Like Him
Without a doubt a top five Tyler song of all time, and easily the best in the album, “Like Him” showcases a deep emotional vulnerability that we’ve only really seen from him on tracks like “Puppet” off of “IGOR”. The slow but steady piano with almost no other prominent instruments, combined with the almost angelic choir in the voice alongside Tyler’s pitched up voice leaves the track feeling more like a confession meant to be seen only by his mother rather than a song off one of the biggest albums of the year. Nothing showcases his growth over the years more than comparing this track to any off of “BASTARD,” which was also all about his bad relationship with his father. It also has one of the best choruses of the album, perfectly nailing the slow and sad, yet not miserable vibe the song was going for.