Tyler has never been one for traditional song structure, but on IGOR he’s like the Minotaur luring you through a maze that twists and turns around seemingly impossible corners, drawing you into the thrilling unknown.
By closing the door on the philosophies and musical approaches he used to take, Tyler discovers an open window, leading him to new, peaceful strength and mastery of his craft.
Within the framing of Tyler, the Creator, IGOR does feel like a triumph, the best of both worlds, a balance between the crazy kid he was and the precariously stable adult he’s still trying to become.
IGOR is easily one of the best breakup albums of the decade.
The productions are as nuanced and judiciously tricked out as they are on the previous album, adjusted to enhance all the agitation and grief, yet it's all ear candy -- spiraling synthesizers, vaguely psychedelic flourishes, and bumping drums galore. Roll down the windows, crank it, and keep the tissue on the armrest.
On IGOR, Tyler is at his most vulnerable and heartfelt, and it suits him perfectly.
Tyler, The Creator’s newest effort, IGOR, demonstrates just how gifted the 28-year-old artist really is.
On IGOR, Tyler showcases a more polished iteration of the hazy pop he’s been perfecting for years.
Igor is a triumph, another feather in the cap of an artist whose real aim has always been to emote, not provoke, and who has made his vulnerability an expansive palette from which to draw in an exploration of the shades and contours of his own emotional canvas.
With his sixth album ‘Igor’ Tyler again not only pushes himself, but what hip-hop should be in 2019.
Tyler, the Creator’s sixth album is impressionistic and emotionally charged, the result of an auteur refining his style and bearing more of his soul than ever before.
‘IGOR’ is an accomplished and evergreen record that’s well worth putting your phone down, turning the TV off and devoting your full attention span to.
Across IGOR, he achieves a happy balance by tempering his wonky song structures bordering on the surreal and dogged pursuit of synthgasms with a clear narrative arc and careful calculated swerves in tone and texture.
In a tight but varied 39 minutes, Tyler is exploring the sonic terrain in Flower Boy with a narrative concept that, like a non-relationship, feels endless and all-encompassing, then hard not to put on repeat.
It’s an intriguing album with few dips, and it adds up to Tyler, The Creator’s best work to date.
For the most part, Tyler has opted out of his rapping heritage, preferring pitch-altered singing vocals which will split some opinion. However, this elevated IGOR beyond the mere confines of genre, to a substantially great work of art, cementing Tyler's case as one of this decade's most essential artists.
It's the clarity of vision and production quality that called Donuts to my mind, but really IGOR is comparable to every instance good or bad where a rapper has stepped outside the box they made for themselves.
Tyler attempts to up the ante on IGOR and he succeeds to a large extent.
It’s no bad thing that Igor downplays Tyler’s indomitable personality – but the writing and execution do not quite replace what has been lost. What’s left is a fine showcase of ingenuity that too rarely burrows very far into your consciousness.
#1 | / | Complex |
#1 | / | Les Inrocks |
#1 | / | Obscure Sound |
#1 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
#2 | / | Clash |
#2 | / | NME |
#2 | / | NOW Magazine |
#2 | / | The Needle Drop |
#3 | / | MondoSonoro |
#3 | / | Okayplayer |