Flower Boy: First Impressions
"Foreword" ft. Can & Rex Orange County : We start off with a song that initially sounds raw and aggressive in tone. However it quickly shifts to something cool and smooth once the guitar is introduced. Rex Orange County's execution of the bridge immediately captivated me and had me feeling really calm. Midway, the beat lowers and drags to create almost a sense of urgency as Tyler speeds up. Then goes back to an upbeat click type beat, accompanied by Rex Orange County's smooth outro. I mess with Rex heavy and I'm so glad he's on this because he deserves his talent showcased.
"Where This Flower Blooms" ft. Frank Ocean : Okay so this song from the start feels like it's building up to something great. Franks impeccable voice on the chorus speaking of rolling through California helps tie in PERFECTLY to the bridge followed by Tyler. I ROCK! I ROLL! I BLOOM! I GLOW!!! I could chant this for days man. It creates an almost effortless vibe to the song quite instantly, quickly incorporating the flower theme of the album. Tyler's flow on the second verse, to me, is reminiscent of his flow on Frank Oceans song "Biking". Verse 3 goes full force by introducing Flower Boy T, creating an analogy of his growth as a tree in relation to his growth as an artist and as a person. Theres this bit towards the end where Tyler says "run it run it run it run it" and his voice switches from ear to ear each time (at least when listening with earphones). That effect is one of the dopest things in songs to me for some reason. It really creates depth in a song. The song fades out with a beautiful piano bit which flows perfectly into the next track.
"Sometimes..." : this interlude/ intro to "See You Again" helps keep the story of this album in tact. Shane Powers is taking requests on GOLF radio & we are presented with a hesitant boy, wanting to hear "the song about me"
"See You Again" ft. Kali Uchis : This track is a masterpiece. It starts with Tyler singing in a higher pitch, further deepening the lyrics he sings about a perfect, unattainable person who only exists in his "dream state". You could feel his longing for this person who he can't seem to get. The chorus comes in with Tyler's voice in the forefront of Kali Uchis' melodic voice. You hear hers slowly bleeding through Tyler's deeper tone. Until... only her voice clears it's way through and WOOOOO MY GOOOOODD, THE BEAUTY!!! I really felt butterflies in my stomach and my head went a little light when she began singing "Can I get a kiss...." I don't know what it is about this song and how it was executed, but it truly works beautifully. The lyrics are so relatable and convey the yearning for love so flawlessly. Tyler switches flows up completely after the chorus, explaining frantically how he craves this love for this person he's never even met, as Kali lends melodic "oooo's" in the background. The outro, although simple, I felt it captured the giddy feeling of love Tyler's trying to express.
"Who Dat Boy" ft. ASAP Rocky : The tone of "Who Day Boy" completely changes from the previous song. This song instantly feels ominous and hostile. The whole time I felt as though there was a bomb ticking away, ready to explode, as Tyler became more and more distressed by something beyond his control. The beats slap really hard on this song and the bass is also really heavy. Asap Rocky comes in the second verse, more cool and collected than Tyler in the previous verse. Tyler and Rocky have a very conversational feel in this song, even though majority of the time it feels as though Tyler is sure enough of himself. I personally like how raw this song is in comparison to the others because it's a change in pace that isn't overwhelming. Tyler & Rocky are two of my favorites and their collaboration on this song masterfully joins their two styles of rap.
"Pothole" ft. Jaden Smith : This song is still playing on the opposite end of this album (the not so lovey dovey side), much like Who Dat Boy. Tyler uses driving as a metaphor for moving forward and dealing with whatever difficulties are thrown at you, such as a pot hole. Eh, get it? He's at a crossroads and can't decide which way is best to go. I think this songs pretty powerful in terms of being relatable. A song promoting growth, in a less beautiful, but rather realistic way. (and of course Jaden Smith being on this track makes it a billion times better)
"Garden Shed" ft. Estelle : Garden shed honestly just puts me in such a serene state. The first minute or so is all instrumental. When listening to it I honestly thought it was just some type of interlude because of how simplistic it was. I was able to comfortably zone out and just feel the song. About 2/3s into it, Tyler's second verse crawls in, although he was rapping, it still felt natural and uncomplicated.
"Boredom" ft. Anna of the North, Corinne Bailey Rae, & Rex Orange County : This wasn't my first time hearing this song, since it had been released prior to the full album release. So I'll try to communicate my first initial impression. I actually heard this song during a really tough time. It brought tears to my eyes, no joke. The hook is so steady and tranquil that it incites a "let me just close my eyes and lightly bop my head" type feeling. I'm not entirely sure what the songs meaning is, but I interpreted it as simply neglecting the simple things in life. We get surrounded by the hustle and bustle of life that the "boring" things are often unwanted. When they're the ones that are most precious. We don't make time for the simple pleasures we all need.
"I Ain't Got Time!" : This song immediately reminds me of "DEATHCAMP". It's a complete 180 from "Boredom". I Aint Got Time is super belligerent and upbeat. This song is pretty much just Tyler making clear how he literally has no time for bullshit. Putting in work is his priority. I'd love to blast this song in a car and just wild out. It's a perfect "leave me alone I'm on my vibe" anthem.
"911/ Mr. Lonely" ft. Anna of the North, Steve Lacy, & Frank Ocean : Ahhh this two part track is probably something you're already familiar with. I don't have much to say about it other than it's just really damn good. "911" is so relatable. I just wanted to send this to my crush a billion times when it first came out. The lyrics in this part are quite sad and moody, however it's expressed in an upbeat, fun track, that oddly gets you wanting to dance. Ironically, the second part "Mr. Lonely" is also filled with depressing lyrics, but is much heavier and darker in terms of execution. Quickly snapping you out of the mood the first part puts you in.
"Droppin' Seeds" ft. Lil Wayne : I was so excited to hear Wayne and Tyler on this track together. It has such a jazzy feel to it. I love it. Makes me quite upset it's only a minute long, so I don't have much else to say about it except I WISH IT WERE LONGER
"November" : I remember Tyler tweeting "Take me back to November" at the beginning of the month. I quoted it with something like "no thank you I hated November". It's funny cause after listening to this song my perspective of my November changed. It was a rough month because a lot shifted in my life but now I'm thankful for it cause I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for that November. The part of the song where everyone's saying "My November was.." gave me chills. Because I quickly realized they weren't speaking about the actual month but rather a period in time that they missed or wished they could relive again.
"Glitter" : Glitter is super smooth and taps into Tyler's emotions. He speaks about wanting to be more than just friends with a certain person and how fireworks feel like glitter, and how being around them feels like glitter, meaning he feels fireworks whenever around this person. It's quite an accurate metaphor to being in love or having deep feelings for a person. It's explosive and passionate and volatile.
"Enjoy Right Now, Today" : I listened for maybe 2 minutes straight until realizing this song was a full instrumental. I think it's genius. Simple. A track you can just play in the background and "Enjoy Right Now, Today" with. No lyrics, no extra distractions, just music. Simplicity to allow you to enjoy the moment. Any given moment in life. Truly genius & a beautiful way to close the album.