Igor (album)

''Igor'' is the sixth studio album by the American rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator, released on May 17, 2019, through Columbia Records. Produced solely by Tyler himself, the album features guest appearances from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, Kanye West, and Jerrod Carmichael. Following the release of Tyler's previous album '' Flower Boy'' (2017), the album was primarily recorded in California, with recording sessions also being held in Lake Como, Italy, and Atlanta between 2017 and 2019. Described by critics and Tyler himself as an album blending hip-hop, neo soul, R&B, funk, and pop, critics have also noted the album's use of synthesizers and lo-fi vocals. Thematically, ''Igor'' follows a narrative of a love triangle between the titular character and his male love interest. The album employs the " Igor" literary archetype to explore themes associated with love, such as heartbreak, loss, and jealousy.

To help market the album, Tyler, the Creator released the single " Earfquake", which reached number 13 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming his highest-charting single at the time. In its first week of release, ''Igor'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, moving 165,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Tyler, the Creator's first US number-one album. It was a widespread critical success, with critics praising the production and growth on the album, while Tyler's experimentation received mixed reactions; it was named among the best albums of 2019 in many publications' year-end lists, and it won Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, becoming Tyler's first Grammy win.

Background and recording

Work on the album began in 2017, with Tyler, the Creator initially writing the song " Earfquake" for Canadian singer Justin Bieber and Barbadian singer Rihanna, both of whom turned down the song. The song " I Think" was recorded in Lake Como, Italy, with the help of American singer Solange. Tyler wrote "Running Out of Time" during a recording session with American rapper ASAP Ferg. Tyler produced the beat for " Gone, Gone / Thank You" in 2013 while on tour for his third studio album ''Wolf'', choosing to scrap the song from both '' Cherry Bomb'' and '' Flower Boy'' since he felt it didn't fit either of those albums.

In an interview with '' Fantastic Man'' for their Autumn and Winter 2018 issue, Tyler was asked if he had ever been in love, to which he replied: "I don't want to talk about that. Um, that's the next record." In October 2018, Tyler previewed the song "Running Out of Time" for an interview with ''Fast Company''.

On April 26, 2019, a supplemental financial report from Sony revealed that a new album from Tyler was expected by the end of June. In early May 2019, Tyler released snippets for the tracks " Igor's Theme" and "What's Good". The album was first announced by Tyler through his social media accounts on May 6, 2019.

Composition and lyrics

''Rolling Stone'' writer Danny Schwartz described ''Igor'' as a "rich and messy mélange of R&B, funk and rap". The album is synth-heavy, with neo soul melodies and low-mixed vocals. After winning Best Rap Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards, Tyler complained about the Grammys' choice to place him in the Rap and Urban categories, rather than the generic pop category, as being racially motivated and a "backhanded compliment".

The album follows a narrative of a love triangle where Tyler is in love with a man who is already dating another person. American comedian Jerrod Carmichael serves as the album's narrator as it progresses, speaking short lines to make sense of Tyler's and the title character Igor's state of mind. Carmichael first appears on the album's fourth track "Exactly What You Run from You End Up Chasing". The character Igor is mentioned by name on the tracks "Igor's Theme" and "What's Good"; he follows the Gothic "Igor" archetype as a villain's assistant and represents a darker, apathetic side of Tyler that is revealed. Igor arrives after Tyler pours out all of his heart for his love interest, though his love interest remains focused on his ex-girlfriend. The arrival of Igor serves as a reset for the strong romantic emotions Tyler was entangled in during the album's first half. "Earfquake" is an R&B song which has been described by music critics as either Tyler falling in love or experiencing heartbreak. In "I Think", he starts to question his relationship with his newfound partner and reveals his unhealthy attraction to him: the latter of which is elaborated in "Puppet". Tyler declares his love for a former partner and regrets dating someone else in " New Magic Wand"; he further details his relationship in " A Boy Is a Gun", where he describes his intimate life. "Gone, Gone / Thank You", "I Don't Love You Anymore", and "Are We Still Friends?" go over Tyler's breakup and its aftermath.

Promotion

A music video for the song "Earfquake" was released alongside the album's release on May 17, 2019. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on June 4, 2019, as the album's lead single in the United States. On June 3, 2019, Tyler announced his forthcoming tour for the album, which was supported by Jaden Smith, Blood Orange, and GoldLink.

A short clip of the album's seventh track, entitled "A Boy is a Gun*", was released on May 13, 2019. The full music video for the song was released on September 16, 2019. On October 24, 2019, a music video was released for the album's third track, "I Think". Apple Music released the video album ''Apple Music Presents: Tyler, the Creator'' on August 14, 2019. The video album is a collection of eleven videos recorded from Tyler's first live performance of ''Igor'', performed in May 2019.

Critical reception

''Igor'' was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 18 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Several critics praised Tyler, the Creator's inventive production and artistic growth on ''IGOR''. Roisin O'Connor of ''The Independent'' called the album Tyler's "best work to date", emphasizing its unconventional structure and intricate production. She described the experience as being led through a maze, which she lent to the album's "twists and turns". Similarly, Andy Kellman of AllMusic commended the album for its emotional depth, comparing it to a classic soul LP for its expression of "pain, vulnerability, and compulsion", while Danny Schwartz of ''Rolling Stone'' appreciated the vulnerability Tyler displayed, explaining that he reveals himself as a "shape-shifting artist who is still growing".

Other critics highlighted ''IGOR''s evolution in Tyler's sound, noting its blend of pop, soul, and hip-hop influences. Daniel Spielberger of ''HipHopDX'' commented on Tyler's more polished style, which, despite moving away from his rapper persona, creates a "hazy pop" album that invites risk-taking. Nick Roseblade from '' Clash'' noticed this shift in tone as well, describing how Tyler's previous aggressive style has softened into "slower beats and irresistible soul hooks". He noted that while the change may be jarring initially, the album's progression reveals a "new Tyler" that becomes increasingly captivating. Sam Moore of ''NME'' added that ''IGOR'' is an "accomplished and evergreen record" that deserves undivided attention.

Some reviews, however, offered mixed reactions to Tyler's stylistic experimentation. '' Sputnikmusic'' reviewer Rowan5215 felt ''IGOR'' wasn't necessarily Tyler's best work, though he acknowledged that Tyler's risk-taking pays off in tracks like "I Think" and "A Boy Is a Gun". The minimalist approach, he argued, suits Tyler well but can feel repetitive in songs such as "Running Out of Time". In a similarly measured review, Dean Van Nguyen of ''The Guardian'' appreciated the album's ingenuity but felt it lacked the memorable qualities of Tyler's past work, ultimately calling ''IGOR'' a "fine showcase of ingenuity" that doesn't always linger in the listener's mind. Nguyen additionally criticized the lack of Tyler's production, rapping, and the "raw, uncompromising humanity" present in his work.

Accolades

Industry awards

Commercial performance

''Igor'' debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 with 165,000 album-equivalent units, of which 74,000 were pure album sales. It was Tyler's first US number-one album. It has been certified two-times platinum in the United States, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland, platinum in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and gold in Mexico and Portugal. "Earfquake", the only single from the album, peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and remained there for 15 weeks; "Igor's Theme", "I Think", "Puppet", "What's Good, "New Magic Wand", "Running Out of Time", and "A Boy Is a Gun" all stayed for one week on the same charts, peaking at numbers 67, 51, 88, 85, 70, 65, and 74 respectively.

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Tyler, the Creator (Tyler Okonma), except where noted.

Notes
* All tracks are stylized in all caps.
* "Exactly What You Run From You End Up Chasing" is added to the end of "Boyfriend" on physical releases.
* "A Boy Is a Gun" is stylized as "A Boy Is a Gun*".

Samples
* "Igor's Theme" incorporates uncredited elements of "Attention", performed by Head West; and "Scatin', performed by Dâm-Funk.
* "I Think" incorporates elements of "Get Down", written and composed by Bodiono Nkono Télesphore, and performed by Nkono Teles; and "Special Lady", written and performed by Bibi Mascel.
* "Running Out of Time" contains samples of "Hit It Run", performed by Run-DMC.
* "New Magic Wand" incorporates elements of "Vsichni Praznj", written and performed by Siluetes 61.
* "A Boy Is a Gun" contains excerpts from " Bound", written by Bobby Dukes, Bobby Massey, and Lester Allen McKenzie, and performed by Ponderosa Twins Plus One.
* "Puppet" incorporates elements of "Today", written by Mick Ware and performed by Czar; and contains excerpts from "It's Alright With Me", written by David Smith and performed by Part Time.
* "Gone, Gone / Thank You" contains excerpts from "Hey Girl", written and performed by Cullen Omori; and interpolations from "Fragile", written by Alan O'Day and Tatsuro Yamashita, and performed by Yamashita.
* "Are We Still Friends?" contains excerpts from "Dream", written and performed by Al Green.
* "Boyfriend" contains excerpts from "Fluid", written by John Charles Alder and performed by Twink.

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Musicians

* Tyler Okonma – lead vocals, production, arrangement
* Lil Uzi Vert – vocals (track 1)
* Playboi Carti – rap verse (track 2)
* Solange – vocals (track 3), background vocals (tracks 7, 11)
* Jerrod Carmichael – vocals (track 4), additional vocals (tracks 6, 8–10, "Boyfriend")
* Kanye West – rap verse (track 8)
* Anthony Evans – background vocals (tracks 1, 3, 10)
* Amanda Brown – background vocals (tracks 1, 3, 10)
* Tiffany Stevenson – background vocals (tracks 1, 3, 10)
* Charlie Wilson – background vocals (tracks 2, 11, "Boyfriend")
* Jessy Wilson – background vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11)
* Ryan Beatty – background vocals (track 3)
* Santigold – background vocals (tracks 4, 6, 8, "Boyfriend")
* CeeLo Green – background vocals (track 10)
* La Roux – background vocals (track 10)
* Pharrell Williams – background vocals (track 12)
* Slowthai – additional vocals (track 9)
* Kevin Kendricks – keyboards (track 3), additional keyboards (track 7), chimes (track 8)
* Jack White

Technical

* Vic Wainstein – recording (tracks 1–3, 5–12)
* Tyler Okonma – recording (tracks 1–3, 5–9, 11)
* Kingston Callaway – recording (track 10)
* John Armstrong – recording assistance (track 1)
* Ben Fletcher – recording assistance (track 1)
* Rob Bisel – recording assistance (tracks 1, 3, 9)
* Ashley Jacobson – recording assistance (track 2)
* Thomas Cullison – recording assistance (tracks 2, 10)
* Josh Sellers – recording assistance (tracks 5, 6)
* Derrick Jenner – recording assistance (track 7)
* Neal H Pogue – mixing
* Zachary Acosta – mix assistance
* MeMiceElfani – mix assistance
* Mike Bozzi – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

See also

* 2019 in music
*'' Flower Boy''

References

External links

*

{{Authority control

2019 albums
Albums produced by Tyler, the Creator
Odd Future Records albums
Tyler, the Creator albums
Columbia Records albums
Albums recorded at Shangri-La (recording studio)
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
Song cycles
2010s concept albums
Hip-hop albums by American artists
Neo soul albums
Contemporary R&B albums by American artists
Funk albums by American artists
LGBTQ-related albums