In Tyler's case, it seemed all anyone was able to talk about. Generally, every celebrity that makes any indication of a non-heterosexual orientation is given a showering of attention in the news cycle. Even though subsequent lyrical asides like 'I been kissing white boys since 2004' on 'I Ain't Got Time!' and musing at the notion that he would alienate his own fan base thanks to 'Garden Shed' on 'November' all but confirm his coming out (not to mention a variety of hints and perceived jokes over the past several years), some were hesitant or reluctant to immediately embrace the album through this critical lens, in spite of the obvious connotations telling otherwise and the media circus that ensued.

The rich, orchestral arrangements are every bit as lush as the record's evocative title suggests tracks like 'Boredom' and 'Glitter' are elevated well above the similar forays on his preceding album Cherry Bomb, rife with the same sense of fussy tinkering behind the booth but sharpened by a sense of concision and maturity that was previously lacking.Īll of it is in service to the bombshell revelation at the heart of Flower Boy's centerpiece, 'Garden Shed,' the song that confirms a male object of his intense desire. Musically, the album was heralded as a landmark accomplishment for Tyler, an assessment that still holds demonstrably true today. Of course, it leaked early, so by release day, many of us had already heard it and spent a great deal of time parsing out its startling lyrical admissions – that Tyler, a rapper who had courted extreme controversy for his misogynist and hateful bars directed at women and LGBT folks alike, was coming out of the closet.įar from a reductive view, that narrative remains the most crucial element of Flower Boy's already burgeoning legacy in both Tyler's career arc and the catalog of this decade's most essential hip-hop releases. This time a year ago, Tyler, the Creator was on the verge of launching his fourth album proper, Flower Boy.

The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those solely of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of Highsnobiety as a whole.

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