Gonna start this off by saying Tyler is probably my favorite artist of all time right above Cudi. I don’t stan him or anything like that, but out of all the artists that I listen to his music stays with me the most. With that being said, I think this is the first time in a while that I wasn’t excited for a Tyler album. The snippets weren’t enough to get my interest. I was going to try to go into it with high hopes though since Tyler usually doesn’t disappoint.

As with any Tyler project the production is going to be the main element that catches your attention. IGOR is no different. Right off the bat with IGOR’S THEME it opens with this rising bass that sounds like a looming threat is coming towards you and you can’t do anything about it. Then the beat drops and you feel like you’re running away from something. The drums are really splashy and the synths cut in and out, but Tyler on the piano is a stark contrast. The chords are very comforting and soft as opposed to everything else that’s going on. It doesn’t just stop there either. All of the tracks have stellar production. Especially EARFQUAKE, god I love that song. Everyone kills it on that track. Tyler killed the beat, You have Charlie Wilson doing his trademark ad-libs, and of course Carti comes through with that baby voice that we all love.

With this project every beat sounded violent and brash. This is my own opinion of course, but I think it fits with the common subject matter. Love is a common theme in every track. Whoever this person is that Tyler is talking about he feels very strongly about and wants them to feel the same way, very badly. So every beat has this urgency to it. Tyler has a message he’s trying to convey and he’s gonna make you sure you get that shit. I’m ver glad Tyler got all of the samples cleared for this album because they all add another element to the song. The “It started with a mere hellooooo” on A BOY IS A GUN*, The drums on IGOR’S THEME, and the Al Green sample on ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? are all quintessential to the song and wouldn’t have the same feel without it.

Like I said the subject matter is mainly about love. Falling in and out, Jealousy, and wondering about what happens afterwards. These are all very sobering things to think about. The music reflects this very well, too. On PUPPET  (the worst song on the album lyrically to me), the beat isn’t upbeat at all. It feels like you’re contemplating all of the emotions that go with dealing with someone. You know this person is no good for you, but you can’t stop thinking about them. Then, Tyler sees this relationship is going nowhere and “sees the light.” That’s when we get to WHAT’S GOOD, this track sees Tyler having a new energy about the situation. The high you get after seeing a situation for what it is. This leads him to realize that he doesn’t love the person anymore, but is thankful for the experience. But at the end of the day he wonders if they can still be friends because he doesn’t want it to be awkward when they cross paths.

No one asked for that synopsis, but this is my magazine so fuck it.

Ultimately, this is not my favorite Tyler album at all. It’s not even close, but Tyler had an idea and he executed the shit out of it.