IGOR is the sixth studio album by rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator, released on May 17, 2019, through Columbia Records. Produced entirely by Tyler himself, the album blends hip-hop, neo-soul, R&B, funk, and pop into a singular, genre-defying sound, with critics and Tyler alike noting its lush synthesizers and lo-fi vocal textures. It features an extraordinary roster of guest appearances from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, Kanye West, and Jerrod Carmichael, along with backing vocals from Santigold, La Roux, CeeLo Green, Charlie Wilson, Slowthai, and Pharrell, among others.
IGOR sounds like the work of a perfectionist finally giving shape to his most radical ideas — Tyler content in the face of all his agony, channeling denial, longing, and acceptance into something cohesive and emotionally overwhelming. Each track functions like an act of a play, making the record both a fleshed-out story and a vibrant character study, with Tyler blurring the line between fiction and autobiography — one of his signature songwriting techniques. The production is nuanced and elaborately constructed, adjusted to enhance all the agitation and grief, featuring spiraling synthesizers, vaguely psychedelic flourishes, and bumping drums throughout.
Critics praised Tyler's inventive production and artistic growth on IGOR, with Andy Kellman of AllMusic comparing it to a classic soul LP for its expression of pain, vulnerability, and compulsion, while Rolling Stone appreciated the vulnerability Tyler displayed, describing him as a shape-shifting artist still growing. Across its tight but varied 39 minutes, IGOR explores a narrative concept that feels endless and all-encompassing — hard not to put on repeat. The album arrived on vinyl in a gatefold jacket and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, cementing it as one of the defining records of its era.
IGOR is the sixth studio album by rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator, released on May 17, 2019, through Columbia Records. Produced entirely by Tyler himself, the album blends hip-hop, neo-soul, R&B, funk, and pop into a singular, genre-defying sound, with critics and Tyler alike noting its lush synthesizers and lo-fi vocal textures. It features an extraordinary roster of guest appearances from Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Solange, Kanye West, and Jerrod Carmichael, along with backing vocals from Santigold, La Roux, CeeLo Green, Charlie Wilson, Slowthai, and Pharrell, among others.
IGOR sounds like the work of a perfectionist finally giving shape to his most radical ideas — Tyler content in the face of all his agony, channeling denial, longing, and acceptance into something cohesive and emotionally overwhelming. Each track functions like an act of a play, making the record both a fleshed-out story and a vibrant character study, with Tyler blurring the line between fiction and autobiography — one of his signature songwriting techniques. The production is nuanced and elaborately constructed, adjusted to enhance all the agitation and grief, featuring spiraling synthesizers, vaguely psychedelic flourishes, and bumping drums throughout.
Critics praised Tyler's inventive production and artistic growth on IGOR, with Andy Kellman of AllMusic comparing it to a classic soul LP for its expression of pain, vulnerability, and compulsion, while Rolling Stone appreciated the vulnerability Tyler displayed, describing him as a shape-shifting artist still growing. Across its tight but varied 39 minutes, IGOR explores a narrative concept that feels endless and all-encompassing — hard not to put on repeat. The album arrived on vinyl in a gatefold jacket and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, cementing it as one of the defining records of its era.
