Sloppy, short, and just plain weird: Tyler the Creator's Christmas album

“What the hell is this?” I said to myself after excitedly opening Spotify to see a new Tyler the Creator EP. Hot off his critically-acclaimed release Flower Boy (2017), Tyler had fans eagerly waiting to see what direction he would take next, and whether or not Flower Boy would be his musical peak. When I heard Tyler the Creator had a new EP out, my heart skipped — could this be his Flower Boy successor? Would it be any good? But the next thing I heard changed everything: “it’s a Christmas album.” A Christmas album? Oh yeah, Tyler produced some songs for The Grinch soundtrack, so I guess it could be more surprising.

As I clicked play on Spotify and put in my earbuds, I had no idea what to expect.

Track 1, “Whoville,” begins the album with jazz piano reminiscent of the fantastic Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmastime is Here”, as well as Flower Boy-esque horns and strings. “Lights On” feels as though it could have made it on The Grinch soundtrack, with its 80’s-style synths and Ryan Beatty’s almost Timberlake-like singing. “Hot Chocolate” starts off strong, with undeniable Flower Boy vibes, but quickly fades as Tyler raps about the holiday beverage and Jerry Paper delivers a very awkward verse. “Big Bag” is the only true rap song on the EP, and while The Grinch-themed lyricism isn’t terrible, you can tell Tyler put little effort into the track as compared to any track off Flower Boy. “When the Gloves Come Off” is forgettable and adds nothing new to the album, but the instrumentals are definitely decent, with festive plucked strings and orchestral bells. Lastly, “Cindy Lou’s Wish” finishes the album with instrumentals that feel thrown together and sloppy. After 10 minutes, the EP ends. “What the hell was that?” I said to myself.

Tyler the Creator’s Music Inspired by Illumination and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch is fun for its novelty, which makes up for its lack of musical merit as an entertaining addition to the vast troves of Christmas music. It lacks any sort of structure or organization, and may not be the quality of Flower Boy, but that is hardly to be expected from an album of soundtrack outtakes and Tyler just having fun. It is a strange collection of songs, and is by no means unpleasant, but unless you really need an extra dose of Tyler in the holiday season, I’d skip this one.

You can listen here.