Tyler, The Creator has released his new album ‘Don’t Tap The Glass’. Check it out below.
- READ MORE: Tyler, The Creator live in London: theatrical flair from a true rap auteur
His ninth studio album was announced on Friday night (July 18), during his concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre, which took place as part of his ongoing ‘Chromakopia’ tour.
Outside the venue, there was also a figure enclosed in a clear box that read “Don’t Tap the Glass”, alongside digital signage that promoted a new website DontTapTheGlass.com, which promoted three directives: “Body Movement. No Sitting Still,” “Only Speak in Glory. Leave Your Baggage at Home,” and “Don’t Tap the Glass”.
Now, the album has been officially released, with 10 tracks coming in at 28 minutes. Explaining the ethos of ‘Don’t Tap The Glass’, Tyler wrote on Instagram today that it was inspired by his friends choosing not to dance in public “because of the fear of being filmed”.
“I thought damn, a natural form of expression and a certain connection they have with music is now a ghost,” he continued. “It made me wonder how much of our human spirit got killed because of the fear of being a meme, all for having a good time.”
The rapper went on to describe a listening party he attended for the album, where 300 people attended and were banned from using phones or cameras. “Everyone was dancing. Moving. Expressing. Sweating. It was truly beautiful,” he said. “There was a freedom that filled the room.”
He went on to add: “This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing, driving, running, any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it. Only at full volume.”
The LP serves as a follow-up to ‘Chromakopia’, which landed at number 44 on NME‘s best albums of 2024 list.
Tyler The Creator’s ‘Don’t Tap The Glass’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Big Poe’
2. ‘Sugar On My Tongue’
3. ‘Sucka Free’
4. ‘Mommanem’
5. ‘Stop Playing With Me’
6. ‘Ring Ring Ring’
7. ‘Don’t Tap That Glass / Tweakin’’
8. ‘Don’t You Worry Baby’
9. ‘I’ll Take Care of You’
10. ‘Tell Me What It Is’
NME‘s Fred Garratt-Stanley wrote in a three-star review of ‘Chromakopia’: “On ‘Noid’, he incisively documents this mental turmoil (exacerbated by intense fan scrutiny), spitting “Triple checking if I lost the door / I know every creak that’s in the floor / Motherfucker I’m paranoid“.”
Elsewhere, earlier this year, Tyler announced his first-ever Asia tour, making his live debut in Manila and Bangkok.
He’ll launch the tour in Tokyo on September 9, followed by dates in Seoul, Manila and Bangkok. Through the Asia trek, Tyler will be supported by former NME Cover stars Paris Texas.
In May, NME caught him live in London, giving his performance a glowing five-star review which read: “As Tyler wishes us a farewell, he remains humble, but tonight is no small feat. With outfit changes, multiple stages and live vocals front-and-centre, Tyler flips through his eras like a masterclass in fearless reinvention.
“From the raw menace of ‘Goblin’ to the kaleidoscopic chaos of ‘Chromakopia’, tonight is a vivid, wild ride through the mind of rap’s ultimate maverick – and London is lucky to be along for the journey.
In other news, the musician is set to make his film debut later this year in Marty Supreme, a new A24 film set to be released in December.
