"Pothole" is described as a "low-profile standout" that features vehicular metaphors potholes are used as a metaphor for being stuck in life. Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX describes "Who Dat Boy" as a "raucous jam that sounds like a score to a horror film", while Zachary Hoskins of Slant Magazine compared the song to Kanye West's song " Freestyle 4". " See You Again" is described as a "positively kaleidoscopic love song" about an unidentified person. "Sometimes." is a short track which includes an unidentified male stating that he wants to hear the song about him, hinting that following song, "See You Again", is about Tyler's male lover. Tyler says "Let's take it back to them days/Counting sheep on Sadie Hannah's floor" which refers to the time before and during the release of his debut mixtape Bastard (2009) when he lived in his grandmother's house. The album's opening track, "Foreword", is described by Scott Glaysher of XXL as an open letter to the fans and the nation, citing the lines "How many raps can I write 'til I get me a chain?/How many chains can I wear 'til I'm considered a slave?/How many slaves can it be until Nat Turner arise?/How many riots can it be 'til them Black lives matter?" "Where This Flower Blooms" refers back to his times before fame and money in the first line. Andy Kellman of AllMusic describes the overall lyrical content of the album as Tyler's "least vulgar release" compared to the shock value lyrics in his previous projects. Music and lyrics Ĭorrelating with the album's title, Tyler has noted flowers as a recurring theme of the album. " Who Dat Boy" was rejected by rapper Schoolboy Q. "See You Again" was written for former One Direction member Zayn Malik but was later kept after Malik rejected the song twice. "Glitter" was written for Justin Bieber Tyler kept it after Bieber did not return any of his calls. After West declined it, the beat was sent to rapper Nicki Minaj who, after a month, also turned it down. The beat used on the song "I Ain't Got Time!" was initially made for Kanye West during recording sessions for West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo. Many songs on the album featured guitar playing by Austin Feinstein. He decided to keep his rap verses short and to-the-point to give guest artists and instrumentation more of a focal point. Like previous releases, the album was produced by Tyler himself. Tyler noted the works of Max Martin, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake as musical inspirations for the album. The official title was originally thought to be Scum Fuck Flower Boy but was later confirmed simply as Flower Boy shortly prior to release. Tyler felt that the general response to Cherry Bomb was poor and he wanted to deliver an album that succeeded it well.
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And in this one I was like alright, let me write down every feeling". With Flower Boy, Tyler decided to take a more personal approach compared to his previous album, Cherry Bomb, stating "For Cherry Bomb I purposely was like, I don't want to get personal at all. The album was named among the best albums of 2017 and the decade by multiple publications and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. The album received widespread acclaim from critics for its smoothness, unique blend of genres, collaborations and its production. Produced entirely by Tyler, the album features guest vocals from a range of artists, including Frank Ocean, ASAP Rocky, Anna of the North, Lil Wayne, Kali Uchis, Steve Lacy, Estelle, Jaden Smith and Rex Orange County.įlower Boy was supported by four singles: " Who Dat Boy" / " 911", " Boredom", "I Ain't Got Time!" and " See You Again". The album was released on July 21, 2017, by Columbia Records. Flower Boy (alternatively titled Scum Fuck Flower Boy) is the fourth studio album by American rapper Tyler, the Creator.