Tyler, The Creator Explains “Chromakopia” Mask As Album Heads For No. 1
Tyler, The Creator latest album, Chromakopia, is set to deliver the largest debut of his career.
According to HITS Daily Double, Chromakopia is projected to appear at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 following projections that the album is poised to move more than 285,000 first-week units. Not only could the project earn Tyler his highest-selling debut ever, it’s also already his most authentic, based on his own words.
Tyler, The Creator’s ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ earned over 85 million first day streams on the global Spotify chart.
Biggest hip hop album debut of 2024 and top 20 all-time. pic.twitter.com/OcodJsTl1E
— chart data (@chartdata) October 29, 2024
At his recent Chromakopia listening event, the Los Angeles native openly shared how the album dives into his truest thoughts and emotions. He explained that the album is free of exaggerations and theatrics—a rarity for the notoriously creative and sometimes elusive artist.
“I know this new album is a little different, but this is the first album where everything I said is true,” Tyler began, speaking to a packed crowd.
Tyler admitted that the album’s authenticity led him to adopt a literal mask as part of his promotion, covering his own face to reveal his inner world.
“I had to wear a mask of my own face to get some of that s##t out,” he confessed.
Tyler, The Creator revealed that despite achieving material success, his journey remains fraught with existential questions and a sense of uncertainty that permeates his music. To him, this project is deeply personal, as he shared the complex feelings that drove him during its creation.
“I’m loaded,” he said. “I got bread, bro. I got respect. I got Grammys and s##t, and I’m still like, ‘Hey, what the f##k am I doing with my life?’”
The album, he disclosed, also strikes a chord with his inner circle. Friends have reached out to him with raw reactions, validating the vulnerability he poured into the music.
“I got n###as I’m close to FaceTiming me with tears in eyes, like, ‘n###a, my heartstrings,’” he added. “For those of y’all who’s kind of weird, look, you might be f###### 13 and might not still f### I’m saying… Or it might be the worst s### you’ve ever heard in your life. And that’s OK.”
Chromakopia follows three critically acclaimed albums that solidified Tyler, The Creator as a force on the Billboard charts. His 2017 album, Flower Boy, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, moving roughly 106,000 units in its first week. Two years later, IGOR earned him his first No. 1 debut, selling more than 165,000 units. His follow-up project, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, replicated that success in 2021 after selling over 169,000 units in its opening week. Check out the full video of Tyler’s speech in the post above.