Tyler, the Creator Releases ‘Peach Fuzz’ and Tries to Grow up

I woke up this morning to yet another single by Tyler, the Creator.

In what seems to be a summer of never ending surprise releases by popular artists, “Peach Fuzz,” which is rapped over Prophet’s “I Wanna Be Your Man,” is the latest of a string of singles released by Tyler. Among the other subsequent tracks are “GELATO,” “OKRA,” “Rose Tinted Cheeks,” “ZIPLOC” and “435.”

Yesterday saw the release of “GELATO,” a song that’s basically the personification of the Song of the Summer concept, in which he romantically freestyles about Call Me By Your Name, bisexuality and catching feels, all to the Jaquees song “No Validation.” It should also be worth noting that in this, the Year of Our Lord Timothée Chalamet, “GELATO” is the second time that Tyler has noted the actor’s infamous 2017 movie. “You got me on tippy toes/So who’s Oliver? Who’s Elio?” he asks to the person of question, while on “OKRA” he rapped the line that you’re sure to see on t-shirts and Instagram captions alike, “Tell Tim Chalamet to get at me.”

Tyler’s recent series of releases sees him taking his usual, retro R&B take on rap with his usual quirks; “OKRA” combines soulful piano and strings, but elicits a paralyzing baseline throughout the verses. “435” samples Saint Ettiene’s “4:35 in the Morning” and, according to a tweet from Tyler, “is not an indication of how future things will sound,” although we can only hope he’s joking (per usual). “Rose Tinted Cheeks” is shy and longing. “ZIPLOC” was a questioning ode to the boredom of fame.

Last year’s album, (Scum Fuck) Flower Boy, saw Tyler moving far as possible from his Odd Future-insect eating years, as he took an intimately personal view of himself and his career. The homophobic wrath of past songs turned bleak in comparison to lines like “I’ve been kissing white boys since 2004” off of the soul searching track “Garden Shed.” It didn’t even seem like an album from the same dude that had been banned from foreign countries, for shouting obscene (although satirical) lines over seizure inducing beats. He became meditative and introspective, searching for different ways not necessarily to make amends for his past, but to simply explain himself. I mean, isn’t that what being an adult is basically all about?

While it’s still hard to say that Tyler, the Creator has officially “grown up,” it’s clear through these new singles that he’s trying.

And that he really likes Timothée Chalamet.