Flower Boy finds these particular influences in full bloom, starkly opposing its predecessor's frustratingly splintered nature to stand as Tyler's most musically and lyrically focused effort to date. Tyler in turn met up with comedian/actor/writer Jerrod Carmichael to discuss Flower Boy in depth, as he went so far as to sharing specific thoughts on each song from the album. A boy that looks and acts feminine/ girly. Additionally, having people in his circles, such as A$AP Rocky and Kilo Kish, talk about their âNovembersâ made this song a whole lot more intimate and real for me, and I appreciate that. Once again, it possesses a repetitive quality, but you can almost feel a crescendo in the content as it begins with âYouâve been on my mindâ and ends the second verse with, a particularly intense one for me, âYeah simple, thatâs what I want but I canât. Produced entirely by Tyler, the album features guest vocals from a range of artists, including Frank Ocean, ASAP Rocky, Anna of the North, Lil Wayne, Kali Uchis, Steve Lacy, Estelle, Jaden Smith and Rex Orange County. This trackâs first verse strikes me hard every time I listen to it. All I can showâem is a couple cars and more thingsâ.
Split into two, it manages to question first before digging deep into his deepest thoughts and emotions. However, I found myself listening to the album without that on the forefront of my mind. Referring to a tweet of his from 2015, heâs not exactly subtle about his sexuality, in fact heâs literally laughing at people not paying much attention to his coming out. It doesn’t come from me figuring out my amazing life purpose, but just from the simple act of trying to get there little by little - whether that be spending time with friends and family, working on a creative project, volunteering for a mental health organization, applying for a job, or even opening myself up to spirituality. “I’ve been in this f***ing room so long / My eyeballs are turning to drywall / My friends suck…I’m over / ‘Hi y’all, y’all aint hit me all day / what the f*** is the problem? Finally, the track that features my sweetheart, A$AP Rocky. The casual approach is power over the matter.
âWhere This Flower Bloomsâ challenges the stereotypes pinned onto what masculinity entails, and as a black male rapper, a bar like âI never mop up with my manicured nailsâ is essentially revolutionary. To be bored is to be part of the luckiest subset of people to have ever lived. Humans are prone to try to short circuit boredom with anything - alcohol, drugs, sex, social media, television, food. The end of verse 3 also stood out to me because of its sincerity, âNow Iâm staring at my ceiling f*ckin going, Like I donât know where Iâm going. He drops a killer line, âIâve been kissing white boys since 2004â, carrying on with his pattern of normalizing sexuality. He introduces more âcatastrophizingâ references in lines like âGot the burner got the heat, like wait…I use it on myself on the day you dippedâ reminiscent of the desperation in â911 / Mr. The interesting thing about this line is that by this point in the album, you are actually sick of him talking about his McLaren, so the realization is even deeper when you can see that this is, in fact, all he has going on. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I see this track serving as an anthem of overcoming all potholes on the way to self-acceptance. Scum Fuck Flower Boy) in which Tyler seems to reference his own same-sex attraction. Tyler, the Creator at the 2011 Video Music Awards AP. According to the official album credits, each and … Not because itâs elaborate or complex, but there is so much power and influence in its minimalism. âPotholeâ, featuring Jaden Smith, is essentially an extended driving metaphor discussing the theme of obstacles presented by loneliness, difference, lifestyle or individuality. These lines perfectly highlight what it literally feels like to be bored, but also the abstract sense of directionless when you have nothing better to do than stare at drywall. (Tyler also pulls one of those line breaks that makes the listener fill in the gaps with the bar, âCause Iâm not solved, Iâm … boredâ after the previous rhyme being âdayâ…here’s a Vox video talking about this lyrical device), This one is quite the lighthearted track, Iâd say.