Tyler, the Creator's new album Chromakopia is out. Here's what you ...

Brock Wilson · CBC News

· Posted: Oct 28, 2024 5:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

A masked Tyler, the Creator leads a group of men on a march through the desert, as rapping and chanting builds underneath. The sepia-toned video changes to a wide shot, and the men march into a shipping container with the word "Chromakopia" painted on the side. Then, a hand appears, and our view switches to colour. A detonator is set off, destroying the container — and all the men inside. 

The ominous video, titled ST. CHROMA, released on Oct. 16, was the first of a series of promotional videos teasing the rapper's newest album — Chromakopia — which was released in full Oct. 28. 

Here's what you need to know about the release.

It was just a few months ago in March that Tyler posted on X suggesting he wouldn't be releasing new music in 2024. And, all six of his previous studio albums had been released during odd-numbered years. Put together, fans speculated the rapper wouldn't be releasing music until 2025. 

Then, earlier this month, after the release of a ST. CHROMA teaser video, he announced a full album would be coming out Oct. 28. 

Over the succeeding days, he launched the Chromakopia website, where fans could find the latest details of the album and a "Chromakopia trucking company" map updated daily with locations in the U.S. of where bright green and black promotional trucks — reminiscent of the shipping container from the ST. CHROMA video — are travelling to next.  

He also released dates for a world tour running from Feb. 4, 2025 to Sept 4, 2025. Canadian stops will be in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Rapper Lil Yachty and hip hop duo Paris Texas will join as opening acts. 

Canadian musician Daniel Caesar is featured on the album. 

Many fans have speculated on social media that "St. Chroma" could be Tyler's next persona. Users have theorized it could be a reference to Chroma the Great, a character from Norton Juster's 1961 children's novel The Phantom Tollbooth. In the book, Chroma conducts an orchestra whose music brings colour to the world.

And — in what is likely not a coincidence — all of the promotional videos leading up to the album's release have been sepia-toned and mostly devoid of any colour. 

The rapper has long used alter egos in his art. 

His first was Dr. TC, who acts as his therapist, introduced in the rapper's first self-produced mixtape Bastard. His deep voice can be heard throughout therapy sessions with Tyler as he unpacks his mental health and trauma about his father. 

Ace is another alter ego whom listeners meet in Tyler's early work, and also during the therapy sessions with Dr. TC. Ace is a culmination of some extreme fantasies that come out during these sessions. However, as Tyler grows free from his pent-up anger toward his father, he also seems to free himself from Ace. 

Tyler's other earlier alter egos include but aren't limited to: Sam, a character who tries to suppress Tyler's emotions, and Wolf Haley, arguably the most prominent in the earlier albums, whom Tyler describes as "the guy that I really want to be."

His later work includes alter egos such as Flower Boy, Igor and Tyler Baudelaire, all of whom explore the common themes within their respective albums, including love, heartbreak and sexuality. 

In the music video for his song Sorry Not Sorry, from his last album before this most recent release, the rapper seemingly kills off all his remaining personas.

However, if fan speculation is to be believed, the new album features not only new music, but a new character, too.