Pop culture vultures have listened to Chromakopia (2024), the eighth studio album from Tyler, The Creator, and declared the standout track. As a vulture myself, upon hearing “Sticky,” I went a little feral, my lips turning up in a mock disgust because that beat is nasty. Let’s get into it.
We’ve come a long way since Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) was brought into the cultural zeitgeist through albums like Goblin (2011). 13 years later, part of Tyler, The Creator’s infamy is his digital footprint. His self-produced tracks, Loiter Squad skits (the iconic Real Housewives “birthday gift” spoof lives rent free in my head) and chaotic Odd Future YouTube channel, makes him the representation of what rising to fame looked like before the TikTok-ification of the internet. With the spring 2024 release of his Louis Vuitton capsule collection, we see the gaps between high and low art bridged by true culture creators like Tyler.
“Sticky,” produced by Tyler himself, is genre-bending, dipped with drill beats, soulful harmonies, and classic rap proponents. Tyler must have known he had a hit when he secured three heavyweight features from GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne.
GloRilla and Sexyy Red are having a moment right now. Both artists have released albums this year; GloRilla is currently running a press tour that has the internet’s full attention. Having already claimed a piece of the pop culture pie for themselves, being featured on “Sticky” alongside rap veteran Lil Wayne is sure to cement them as permanent fixtures in female rap.
“Sticky” has been described as seamless, invoking an exciting listening experience with biting social commentary and distorting lyrical turns. The distinct musical styles of all four artists meld together in tones that work in opposition to each other. Rauchy, tight verses by GloRilla and Sexyy Red are balanced by smooth, drawn out rhymes from Tyler, The Creator and Lil Wayne. I was energized by Lil Wayne’s classic couplets: “Standing like ovation / On business, occupation,” it reminded me of the simpler YouTube years listening to “6 Foot 7 Foot” on Vevo.
Tyler, The Creator has been known for his lyrical controversies, with what The Guardian called “hypnotized and horrified” in 2011. “Sticky” is promising mess, rebellion, and tension, but within the lyrics we can uncover Tyler establishing his presence and self-identity. As an artist whose sexuality has been a media topic for years, one of his most biting lines “… give a fuck ‘bout pronouns, I’m that n and that bitch,” is radical, claiming the duality of his identity in a space traditionally dominated by hyper-masculinity.
How Tyler, The Creator carries all this cultural capital on his shoulder, I’m not sure. If you haven’t listened to “Sticky” yet, it’ll invade your orbit soon. I foresee this track carrying us out of 2024, in the wake of a certain sticky political situation…
Kiara Okonkwo is a writer and creative. She received a diploma in Screenwriting from Vancouver Film School and is pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Media and Communication Studies. Kiara values self-expression and authenticity.
