10 best songs of Tyler, the Creator explored

On Monday, October 28, Tyler, the Creator, dropped his eighth studio album, Chromakopia, which is a follow-up to his 2021 album, Call Me If You Get Lost. Featuring guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Santigold, Lola Young, GloRilla, and Schoolboy Q, among others, Chromakopia's tracklist contains 14 songs, with Noid released as its lead single.

A day before the album's drop, Tyler, the Creator hosted a listening event for a live audience at LA's Intuit Dome. As the album hits the streaming platforms, here's a look at 10 of the rapper's best songs.

Disclaimer: The items on this list are not arranged in any particular order and are purely based on the writer's opinion.

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Yonkers, Colossus and 8 other best songs of Tyler, the Creator

1) NEW MAGIC WAND (2019)

Tyler, the Creator Performs In Melbourne (Image via Getty)

As part of Tyler, the Creator's sixth studio album, Igor, NEW MAGIC WAND was released on May 17, 2019, and featured background vocals from Santigold.

The lyrics of his track talk about unrequited love, where Tyler appears to address a former lover, resenting them for moving on and choosing a new partner. His jealous and possessive feelings are also highlighted in the track when he raps:

"I need to get her out the picture / She's really f***in' up my frame"

The track's music video opens with the rapper on stage with a mic placed in front of him, repeating the same line - "Please don't leave me now" - multiple times. NEW MAGIC WAND peaked at number 70 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

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2) 911/Mr. Lonely ft. Frank Ocean & Steve Lacy (2017)

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Released on June 30, 2017, as part of Tyler, the Creator's fifth studio album, Flower Boy, 911/Mr. Lonely is a two-part track, where both parts stand in contrast with each other.

The first part of the track, 911, highlights how the rapper struggles to find pleasure in anything life offers without his lover's presence. However, the second part - Mr. Lonely, brings to light a deeper battle he seems to be fighting, which is with loneliness.

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3) See You Again ft. Kali Uchis (2017)

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Belonging to the same album as 911/ Mr. Lonely, See You Again dropped on August 29, 2017. According to Live 365, the track is Tyler, the Creator's favourite from the album, and takes over a romantic note as the rapper says:

"Wonder if you look both ways when you cross my mind... an I get a kiss? And can you make it last forever?"

Kali Uchis, whose vocals are featured in the song, also appears in its music video, seen on a rescue boat in the sea with other rowers as she sings the chorus. In 2023, the song emerged as a sleeper hit after going viral on TikTok.

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4) Yonkers (2011)

Considered one of the rapper's classic tracks, Yonkers was the first single from his sophomore studio album, Goblin, and dropped on February 14, 2011. A track full of disses and violent lyrics, it became controversial soon after its release.

Talking to Billboard about the filming experience of Yonkers' music video in November 2019, Luis Perez, its cinematographer, said:

"He was like, 'I wanna sit in the chair, I wanna eat a roach, I wanna puke, I wanna hang myself..." I was taken aback and was like, 'Finally, somebody gets it! It’s a music visual'."

The song's music video has reached 150 million views on YouTube. Later that year, it also earned Tyler, the Creator the Best New Artist award at the 2011 MTV VMAs.

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5) A BOY IS A GUN* (2019)

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Part of the album Igor, A BOY IS A GUN* is considered one of Tyler, the Creator's lyrical masterpiece. Released on May 17, 2019, the title of the track draws inspiration from "a girl is a gun," a phrase used to describe the power and danger a woman possesses over men.

The song's lyrics tell the story of a complicated relationship between the rapper and a male partner, concluding in the latter choosing his ex over him. While Tyler learns to distance himself from the man, he continues to be infatuated with him.

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6) EARFQUAKE (2019)

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Another track from Igor, EARFQUAKE was released on June 4, 2019, and became the highest-charting song of the album. Following its release, Tyler, the Creator, disclosed that he originally wanted Justin Bieber's vocal for the song, who apparently rejected it.

Rihanna, his second choice, seemingly turned it down, which led to the rapper using his own raw vocals in the track. EARFQUAKE went on to peak at number 13 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and was later ranked 14th on its Best Songs of 2019 list.

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7) SMUCKERS ft. Lil Wayne & Kanye West (2015)

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This track was part of Tyler, the Creator's third album, Cherry Bomb. SMUCKERS was released on April 13, 2015. Marking his first collaboration with fellow rappers Lil Wayne and Kanye West together, the track brushes on subjects like success, authenticity, and insanity.

Three months after the track's release, Tyler performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

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8) IFHY ft. Pharrell (2013)

Titled as an acronym for I F**king Hate You, IFHY was released on April 2, 2013, as a part of his sophomore album, Wolf. The track features heavy instrumentals as it explores the rough and angry feelings of unrequited love. Tyler's alter-ego, Sam, takes the lead in the song and appears to struggle in a love-hate relationship after finding out his lover has cheated on him.

Pharrell Williams, who Tyler looks up to, features in the track with him, making it a major fan moment for the rapper, who also talked about it in a tweet back in 2013.

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9) Colossus (2016)

Another track from Wolf, Colossus was released on April 1, 2013. As per Last FM, the song is based on a true story. Named after a roller coaster at Valencia's Six Flag Magic Mountain, the song's lyrics talk about Tyler's experience of dealing with a crazed fan - or a stan. A second version of the track was performed live by the rapper at the Odd Future Carnival in 2023.

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10) WUSYANAME (2021)

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WUSYANAME was released on June 22, 2021, and is part of Tyler, the Creator's seventh studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost. The track features Ty Dolla $ign and YoungBoy Never Broke Again and has a retro-themed music video.

The lyrics of the track feature the rapper trying to seduce a woman he knows is taken. WASYUANAME became the highest-charting song of the album, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Tyler, the Creator, released the music video for Noid on October 21, which has already surpassed 10 million views on YouTube. The release dates for other album tracks are yet to be announced.