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ALBUM REVIEW: "Flower Boy" by Tyler, The Creator

   I have always had a hard time getting into Tyler, The Creator's music, but I have noticed a trend of his newer albums appealing to me significantly more. Whether that is simply as I become more and more accustomed to his music or if it is a conscious direction shift on the part of Tyler is irrelevant, really, because Flower Boy seems to be at the peak of his career ark so far - miles ahead of his earlier works, and an inspired and sincere follow up to 2015's Cherry Bomb. The release of this album was inevitably under the shadow of the media storm around Tyler's coming out of the closet, but Flower Boy isn't the coming-out record everyone thought it might have been. Significantly shorter than his other records at only 45 minutes, Flower Boy is restrained and concise where before he may have ben indulgent and overblown. It is a dramatic course correction for Tyler, and it's surprisingly beautiful and meditative in places. Gone for the most part are the "shock raps" he was becoming increasingly synonymous with, replaced with genuinely lovestruck, youthful, sharp and refined lyricism. There are certainly Bastard-era punchy rap stingers (Who Dat Boy and Pothole in particular), but overall Flower Boy is all about this newer, more refined and introspective direction, and it amounts to Tyler's finest outing so far.

   Favourite Songs: Who Dat Boy, Where This Flower Blooms, 911 / Mr. Lonely and Enjoy Right Now Today

    Least Favourite Song: I Ain't Got Time!

   Rating: B+

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