What does Chromakopia mean? All we know about Tyler The Creator's upcoming project amid online fanfare

It's been over three years since Tyler The Creator released his highly praised Call Me If You Get Lost album in 2021, which debuted at No.1 on Billboard's 200 album charts after earning 169,000 album equivalent units.

While heavily involved in fashion and the entertainment industry, Tyler has been hinting at new music for several months now. The rapper unveiled a brand new project on his Instagram account on October 17, 2024. He uploaded an eerie teaser trailer titled St. Chroma, to make the announcement.

The teaser trailer ends with the word "Chromakopia" flashing across the screen, suggesting to fans the official title for his highly anticipated seventh studio album. The word itself has no dictionary meaning but is instead a portmanteau of sorts, blending the word "Chroma," meaning color, with "Kopia".

Although Kopia is not a defined term, as per fan reports online, theories suggest that the word could be used to signify copying. When combined with "Chroma," the term might imply themes of color replication or deeper issues of racial representation.

Several popular artists like Lil Yachty, Doechii, IDK, Lil Dicky, and more, were found commenting on Tyler's Instagram post, sharing their excitement for the rapper's forthcoming studio project.

At his recent performance at the Austin City Limits festival, earlier this month, Tyler confirmed the concert would mark his last show "for a while". Announcing new music now increases the curiosity behind the rapper's plans to deliver new music, given his annual Camp Flog festival is set to take place in Los Angeles next month.

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Tyler The Creator drops trailer for upcoming studio album 'Chromakopia'

Tyler The Creator's teaser trailer for Chromakopia is an intriguing glimpse into what the rapper intends to deliver with his upcoming seventh studio album, which also follows up on the Call Me If You Get Lost Deluxe album which was uploaded to streaming last year.

The video opens with a masked individual, presumably Tyler, walking through a desert with a group of what appear to be soldiers in a synchronized march, heading toward a large shipping container.

The visuals, shot in a colorless sepia tone, are supported by "whispered rapping," possibly a cut from a record included on the official tracklist for Chromakopia. According to Genius, the snippet was taken from a collaboration between Tyler The Creator and Daniel Caesar titled ST. CHROMA.

"P said I could do it too and boy did I believe him / I built a path to freedom 'cause them words that he said / "Give a f--k about traditions, stop impressin' the dead," ah / I'm gon' make it out, promise, I'm gon' make it out / Mama, I'm gon' make it out, p---y, I'm gon' make it out" - Tyler raps on 'ST. CHROMA'.

A screenshot of Daniel Caesar's Instagram story where he reposts Tyler The Creator's teaser trailer for 'Chromakopia' (Image via Instagram/@danielcaesar)

Caesar shared his excitement over Tyler's new post and upcoming album by reposting the trailer to his Instagram story stating:

"Can't wait for you all to hear the whole record"

The trailer ends with the group of soldiers marching into the shipping container, which has the word "Chromakopia" emblazoned on its side. The shot holds on the container for a brief second before a hand appears in front of the screen, pressing down on a detonator, destroying the cargo box and everyone inside.

Interestingly, immediately after the explosion, the visuals turn from sepia to fully colored, which builds on the idea of "color" playing a major role in Tyler The Creator's upcoming studio album.

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In other news, Tyler The Creator is set to feature in his first major film, starring alongside Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow in an upcoming A24 movie titled "Marty Supreme".

The American sports drama, centering on table tennis legend Marty Reisman, is set to be released before the end of the year.