Tyler, the Creator, has released another mega-hit with his recent albums. His previous album, “Chromakopia,” released last October, had several tracks that went viral on the app TikTok. Tyler returned in July with “DON’T TAP THE GLASS,” an energetic hip hop album designed to get listeners moving.
Unlike “Chromakopia”, this album centers on dancing and encourages listeners to shed self-consciousness and ignore social media judgment.
The title serves as a metaphor for how people treat animals in captivity, such as in aquariums, disrupting their environment instead of being present. Comparatively, concertgoers often miss the moment by focusing on recording for social media rather than enjoying the experience. “Bastard”, “Goblin”, “Wolf”, and now “Don’t Tap The Glass” have recurring themes of how famous people are usually treated like animals, without any personal space, when it comes to the public eye and social media.
This album has a more upbeat type of energy. Below is a showcase of the songs in the album:
- Sugar on My Tongue
“Sugar on My Tongue” is the leading track of the album with funky beats. The song embodies the swift away from heavy themes from previous albums and switches to more upbeat songs. Tyler wants listeners to be freer and express themselves without being ashamed of who they are.
- Ring Ring Ring
Ring Ring Ring has a catchy, repetitive beat, but with a deeper meaning behind its catchy song lyrics. Ring Ring Ring expresses the experience of heartbreak and the difficulties of moving on. The starting lyric “I hope you good, I hope you well, I hope you lit.” carries the bittersweet message of how he wishes his ex the best, even though he misses them. The ending lyric “Before you go and walk out my life I wanna tell ya How much I love you, I love you-” shows the expression of still loving them even after the breakup.
- Don’t Tap That Glass / Tweakin’
“Don’t Tap That Glass / Tweakin’” is the summary of the album and the meaning, which is metaphorical, for listeners to enjoy the moment and put down the phone to enjoy the full experience. The breakdown of the song is represented by phones being “glass,” and tapping on the glass represents posting and recording for social media. Tyler also wanted it to shine a light on the respect of a performance, just like how you shouldn’t disturb an animal in their environment. The “tweaking” part of the song brings out the dance in the moment, having uncontrolled movement of your body, and just to dance freely.
4. I’ll Take Care of You
I’ll Take Care of You is a song showing the movement of providing care and support, while being attentive to their well-being. This song offers a softer aspect with a much deeper meaning towards relationships by offering protection, giving help, and making promises to handle tasks.
- Stop Playing With Me
“Stop Playing With Me” has an uneasy tension that grabs listeners’ attention, which stands out in the album. It reflects on Tyler’s intent with the aggressive delivery. “Stop playing with me” being repeated in the song acts as a warning, emphasizing how Tyler doesn’t want to be underestimated or toyed with. The theme that this song holds is to dismiss haters and self-assertion.
6. Mommanem
“Mommanem” is 75 seconds shorter than any other song in the album, but it has an impactful energy in just a short song. Mommanem also has aggressive delivery and tensions. In the verses, Tyler embraces the betrayal, and he refuses to be the bigger person. In many lines, you get the impression of frustration and self-protection that Tyler sympathizes with.
- Tell Me What it is
“Tell Me What it is” is a song that revolves around the uncertainty of opening his heart or his feelings to another person, without questioning the thought of what he can bring to the relationship, and without wondering if their love is even accessible. In the song, the line “Tell me what it is before I open my heart up again” shows the feeling of uncertainty that comes with falling blindly in love with somebody.
- Don’t You Worry Baby
Don’t You Worry Baby is a joyful song that implies a theme of love, hope, and promises. This song offers reassurance and care by giving that person everything they need in a relationship, with a respectful lyric that was representative in the song “I’ll give you the world before you fall asleep.” That line shows providing emotional support to a loved one.
- Big Poe
In the beginning of “Big Poe,” it uses the metaphor of animals and famous people, with the references to putting the phone down and enjoying the moment at certain events. A verse that emphasizes it in the beginning: “Number one, body movement, no sitting still, number two speak glory, leave your baggage at home, number three, don’t tap the glass.” In the rest of the song, it represents a carefree environment with the repeated line of “Jump Jump” that goes back to the intro of body movement.
- Sucka Free
Sucka Free embodies the pure confidence that he earned his status. Tyler has repeated the line “I’m that guy,”. He doesn’t want to flex with desperation; he means that for the clout chaser and people who are prospering. Tyler wants listeners to know the true intent that he doesn’t want the money and how he wants freedom from impersonators, basically saying he wants to be “sucker free.”
