Noid by Tyler, the Creator | Song Review

Tyler, The Creator dives into paranoia on the latest single off of Chromakopia

Stream “Noid”: Apple Music | Spotify

Tyler, the Creator season is officially upon us. As Tyler gears up to drop his seventh studio album Chromakopia, he gifts fans with the album’s first (And possibly only) single: “Noid”. This new single is an obtuse and damn near experimental track that blends a lot of the rapper’s usual nuances in his production with some much needed variation. With some lyrical fixation on Tyler’s paranoia as well as being our first glimpse into the sonic world he’ll introduce us to come next Monday, “Noid” has me quite intrigued.

In true Tyler, the Creator fashion, “Noid” features a lot of the warbly synths and beats that have been apparent in his last few bodies of work. Initially, I was about to get a little hesitant as I assumed “Noid” was going to play out like another Tyler track I’ve heard time and time again, but then immediately the song takes a left turn. The first half of the song has this start/stop quality, with these short bursts of guitar riffs and drums reminiscent of old school funk in a sense. It sounded like a breath of fresh air, hearing Tyler explore another sound in his music not covered on something like Igor or Call Me If You Get Lost.

The second half of “Noid” however, does fall back into familiar territory and admittedly left me feeling a little disappointed. The song’s rhythm starts to pick up but it’s very similar to a previous Tyler track we’ve heard in the past. While it doesn’t ruin the song completely, it does make me wish Tyler kept the same abstract vibe “Noid” started off with. If anything, perhaps it’s a mere taste of what’s to come with Chromakopia.

Lyrically “Noid” touches on Tyler’s experience with paranoia as a celebrity. His head’s on swivel 24/7 and he fears for his life with lines like: (“I think my neighbors want me dead, I got a cannon underneath the bed, triple checkin’ if I locked the door. I know every creak that’s in the floor.”). The song’s chorus (a sample of “Nizakupanga Ngozi” by the Zambian band Ngozi Family) further addresses Tyler’s fears, mainly with trusting those around him. He also goes into trying to protect his own privacy as well as the issue of fans trying to stalk and know everything about him, something Tyler touched on in his interview with Mav Carter earlier this year.

What’s interesting to note is that “Noid” heavily contrasts thematically with anything of off Call Me If You Get Lost. To recall, Tyler’s persona on that album, “Tyler Baudelaire” was a bold and exuberant version of himself that reveled in riches and popularity. On “Noid”, Tyler’s delivery and verses present the polar opposite of his CMIYGL character. It’s evident that Tyler’s persona on Chromakopia (potentially called St. Chroma) could be a more reclusive character and will show off a side of Tyler we may have never heard before.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with “Noid”. From a production standpoint it sounds like we’re going to hear a whole new sound from Tyler, despite it falling into some familiar territory, the song’s first half was a welcome surprise. Lyrically it explores paranoia from Tyler’s perspective quite well, and it greatly piqued my interests into knowing more about his new persona for Chromakopia, and what else he’ll explore on this new album

I’m giving “Noid” a 7 out of 10. It’s a nice track to hold fans over until Chromakopia drops next Monday, and gives us a little glimpse as to what we can expect from Tyler.

Final Rating: 7/10