Ring, Ring, Ring, Tyler Has a New Album Out!

Tyler the Creator’s ninth album, DON'T TAP THE GLASS (2025), starts with simple instructions for listeners; a robotic voice utters “body movement / No sitting still,” demanding his listeners to uninhibitedly dance and “leave [their] baggage at home.” This is a radical departure from Tyler’s gut-wrenching and introspective preceding record, Chromakopia (2024). Having been in the limelight since he was 16, Tyler’s music has reflected his self-discovery. He began working with the music group Odd Future and has since used various alter egos to express emotion through lyrics. DON'T TAP THE GLASS explores a different side of Tyler’s authentic self, prioritizing sonic experimentation over lyrical pathos. This album was written with the intention of giving listeners the space to unabashedly be themselves through dance. Though it lacks the lyrical complexity that has come to be synonymous with Tyler’s best work, it succeeds at bringing back the “human spirit” that has been lost in mainstream rap music for, according to Tyler, “fear of being a meme.” The album is just weird enough to bring listeners out of their shells and onto the dancefloor.

After giving the instructions in “Big Poe,” the album transitions into “Sugar on My Tongue,” a sensual and upbeat demonstration of the best of Tyler’s work. The song’s beat utilizes sounds of Tyler breathing and knocking on a door. As the song progresses, the bassline and synths swell, building up energy until the beat drops and the synths explode into a funky riff, compelling listeners to move. This song is an example of Tyler relishing in the simple pleasures of life. He is bravely declaring who he is and what he enjoys. 

 This confident bravado continues in the song “Sucka Free.” He boasts “I’m that guy” and brings along playful humor with lyrics like “You the type to let a [EXPLETIVE] wear her shoe in your house,” a diss poking fun at suburban White households. This exhibits how Tyler can be creative, using his knowledge of the public’s perception of certain groups to make listeners laugh, emphasizing the lightheartedness of the album. This song, as with most on the album, is dominated by strong drum beats and synth riffs. It continues to use breathing as a base for the beat, though less emphasized than the song prior. What most differentiates “Sucka Free” is its melodious approach to the vocals, rather than the monotone raps characteristic of the middle of the album. This allows the song to stand out in an album where most songs blend together, showing how Tyler can shine vocally.

DON’T TAP THE GLASS  loses some of its charm with tracks “Mommanem” and “Stop Playing with Me.” The two-song stretch feels like it’s building to a beat drop that never comes. The lyrics are repetitive, and the drum beats stay nearly stagnant throughout each song. This makes the songs boring to listen to, degrading the quality of the album as a whole. The album is sonically cohesive, but sometimes that’s an issue when beats are too similar. The constant repetition of the same driving bass, synth, and drums without much change makes most tracks become homogenous. 

The track “Don’t You Worry Baby” cuts through the record’s monotony with Madison McFerrin’s feature. Her warm voice and clear, calming tone complements Tyler’s raspiness, bringing back the carefree nature of the album. This allows for listeners to differentiate the song from its counterparts more successfully and makes for a more well-rounded song. 

Though DON’T TAP THE GLASS can feel bland and repetitive at times, it is still a fun and upbeat work that, when listened to within the context of the dance music genre, is successful overall. Though it lacks some of the character from Tyler’s past works, it still manages to make listeners dance, which was exactly what Tyler intended.