The Scene staff
Tyler, the Creator recently announced the release of a deluxe version of his most recent album, “Call Me if You Get Lost.” So, my friends and I decided it might be a good time to go over his discography and rank albums according to what should be listened to first. We will not be dealing with Odd Future albums, unfortunately, as that would require its own article.
It must be stated that Tyler’s early music is not for everyone. It features dark, edgy lyrics that may be triggering for some people. But over time, he has shown so much growth, acquiring a whole new community of listeners. For this reason, we are going to start with his third album, “Wolf.”
Released in 2013, “Wolf” showcases Tyler’s increased producing and rapping capabilities, as well as some good singing. It’s better than his two previous albums, leaving some of his dark lyrics behind. Overall, it’s a pleasant listen.
Tyler dives fully into a narrative that he builds over the 18 tracks and presents some beautiful mellow music, including “Treehome95.” “Answer,” “IFHY” and “Lone” offer an emotional side that we didn’t see much on his first two albums. “Treehome95” shows his growing skill in producing and gives us a peek at what is to come.
Without spoiling the album, let’s just say that “Wolf” is a fine place to start with Tyler’s music. Although his lyrics are still a little edgy, we’re seeing a jazzy, mellow shift that will not be temporary.
Next, you have “Cherry Bomb,” an album that some people didn’t appreciate when it was released in April 2015. It feels like that awkward stage when you are growing your hair out; it’s not too short but not long enough to put in a ponytail. The album wasn’t bad per se, but it was more like a transition between Tyler’s hard grunge albums and softer, more jazz-like songs.
Notable songs on “Cherry Bomb” include “Find Your Wings,” “Smuckers,” “Okaga, CA” and “F**king Young/Perfect.” Overall, it’s an adequate album that shows Tyler’s improvement and marks a change in his music. The jazz tone is in stark contrast to the grunge tone on “Bastard” and “Goblin,” although there are still songs like “Buffalo” and “Smuckers” with traces of edgy lyrics and grunge beats.
The album that showed the world that Tyler was done with the edgy attitudes dropped in July 2017 under the title “Flower Boy.” The change was inevitable, and if you had been paying attention, you would have seen it coming long ago with “Wolf.”
In this masterpiece of an album (“Flower Boy”), we see Tyler in rare form, rapping and making beats as if he has bills that are long overdue. He seemed to come out of the closet as gay in the song “Garden Shed.” Around the same time, he described his sexuality as being “gray area” in an interview with Fantastic man.
“Flower Boy” is an acceptable place to start when it comes to Tyler’s music. We still get the rapping, but not the edgy and masterful production. We also get some collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis and Rex Orange County.
“Igor,” an album released in May 2019, is also a masterpiece that is perfectly produced, again by Tyler himself. From “Flower Boy” onward, we see him produce, rap and sing like he hasn’t showered in months and needs to pay bills.
There’s not much more to say about “Igor” that hasn’t already been said. It really shows Tyler’s ability to sing, and it’s a great listen. It’s an exceptional place to start on your Tyler, the Creator journey. Most young people have heard “Earthquake” at least once. It’s such an iconic song.
Lastly, we have “Call Me if You Get Lost,” released in June 2021. Where “Igor” was mostly if not entirely singing, this album is pure rapping. We also get to hear names that we haven’t heard since “Wolf” and Odd Future.
Domo Genesis makes a comeback to drop some lyrics in the song “Manifesto,” and the unexpected feature with NBA YoungBoy does not disappoint. Both artists are great in their own right, but hearing them come together was extraordinary on the song “Wusyaname.”
“Call Me if You Get Lost” is the accumulation of all the hard work and care that Tyler, the Creator has put in over the years. It is really the best place to start when beginning your journey through his music.
Of course, everything depends on the musical preferences of the individual. If you enjoy rap, “Call Me if You Get Lost” is your go-to. If you prefer mellow singing and jazz, start with “Flower Boy” or “Cherry Bomb.