By Mick Dillon / The Jambar
Tyler Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, The Creator, delivered his second album of the year Jul. 21 — a brief, hard-hitting project. With just a 28-minute runtime, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” differs from Tyler’s typical grandiose album construction.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Tyler has established a unique sound that was influenced by artists from all around the globe. Tyler has cited some of his biggest influencers as Pharrell Williams, Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
Tyler launched his musical career in 2007 when he teamed up with Casey Jones, known professionally as Casey Veggies, Gerard Long, known professionally as Hodgy, Vyron Turner, known professionally as Left Brain and Davon Wilson, known professionally as Jasper Dolphin, to form the media collective now known as “Odd Future.”
In a since deleted Instagram post, Tyler stated the album is meant to be a fun, loose listening experience.
“This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing, driving, running any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it. Only at full volume,” Tyler stated.
The 10-track album has an abundance of writing credits, but the only producer credited on the album is Tyler himself — on par with his previous projects.
The song “Big Poe” kicks off the album with a punchy beat, paired with Tyler and Williams’ hypnotic cadence and smooth delivery. The “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” intro track is the eighth time Tyler has linked up with Williams.
“I felt you were speaking to me … Jimmy Iovine thought this album was a ‘complete … failure, it didn’t work.’ But see, it did … It worked on me and I created ‘Odd Future’ that same summer,” Tyler wrote in an ode to Williams in 2016.
Garnering over 220 million listens on Spotify since release, “Sugar On My Tongue” is the biggest hit on the album. It features Tyler’s signature melodic, chord-driven production layered with bouncy punchlines.
Tyler paid homage to his musical cohorts on “Sucka Free” with lyrics like, “Odd Future, Wolf Gang, all the bros in here.” Artists Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt and Syd were all members of the 2010’s hip-hop conglomerate, Odd Future.
The album continues with “Mommanem,” “Stop Playing With Me” and “Ring Ring Ring,” all continuing the cohesive theme of a lighthearted, speaker-knocking rap project.
Tyler brings back his tradition of songs with two titles with “Don’t Tap That Glass / Tweakin’” — a trend that was previously broken on 2024’s “CHROMAKOPIA.” The song continues the club-hit trend with a west-coast production style and animated vocals.
Tyler closes out the album on “Tell Me What It Is” by reflecting on the struggles of fame.
“Mama, I’m a millionaire but I’m feelin’ like a bum. I can buy the galaxy, but can’t afford to look for love. Where’s the map? I don’t know. Is there traffic to my soul? I need answers,” Tyler said in the song.
While no new releases have been announced, fans are eager to find out if Tyler continues his trend of annual releases in 2026.