REVIEW: DON’T TAP THE GLASS, an anthem of authenticity and the dance world's next new hip hop hit.

Ring Ring Ring! Tyler has called, and we as listeners have answered. Tyler, the Creator released his ninth studio album, “DON’T TAP THE GLASS,” amidst his CHROMAKOPIA tour. The ten-song album, just shy of a thirty-minute run time, topped Billboard’s 200 chart during its debut week. 

Its domination of charts is Tyler’s fourth consecutive album to reach Billboard's 200 No. 1; however, DON’T TAP THE GLASS lacks the soul and storytelling of its predecessors. Contrastingly, CHROMAKOPIA explored darker inward reflective themes, and with this album, dance ability is prioritized over emotionality, encouraging authentic self-expression and liberation from societal restraints. The synth-funk tracks make you want to get up and dance, almost allowing you to lose sight of the album's message: a clear articulation of feeling observed and caged in a glass box and liberation from the awareness of being observed. 

Tyler gives his audience three rules: 

1. “Body Movement/ No sitting still”

2. “Only speak in glory/ Leave your baggage at home”

3. “Don’t tap the glass.”

In the track “Sugar on My Tongue,” the horny tune utilizes the lyrics saying “Tell your mama/ Tell your daddy/ Tell the bitches that you know/ What you heard about me.” These lyrics can not only be interpreted to express Tyler’s annoyance with being trapped in the public eye, but also as satire, as he knows people are going to talk about him. More importantly, the track easily becomes an earworm, giving all listeners the easy desire to groove along with the beat, ensuring the following of Tyler’s first rule of the album. 

Continuing with the urge to bust a move, “Stop Playing With Me” features a drum beat that makes it nearly impossible not to bop along. Tyler sticks it to what we can assume was a message for the pushy Paparazzi and interruptive aggressive fans, “Tell them boys hop off my dick/ Yous a funky ass bitch,” but closing the song consistently returning to the message of “Bitch, don’t tap the glass.” There's a clear, distinct vibe Tyler is offering us this summer, dancing it out. The variety ranges from “Sugar on My Tounge” to a softer feel in “I’ll Take Care of You,” allowing for growth and the building of what we hope will be a bigger project later on. 

For now, dancers and non-dancers will be utilizing the dance hits Tyler has served. Hip Hop will undoubtedly flourish and take “Big Poe” and “Ring Ring Ring” to the stage. DON’T TAP THE GLASS is more than an album; it's a vibrant invitation to break free and liberate the self from constraints, allowing oneself to embrace authenticity through creative movement. With its infectious beats, Tyler encourages listeners to dance like no one's watching. As summer unfolds, these tracks will solidify Tyler’s place as a trailblazer in the hip-hop scene, igniting dance floors and inspiring authentic self-expression. 

Heed Tyler’s call: step out, let loose, and remember – whatever you do, don’t tap the glass.