On July 21, 2025, Tyler, the Creator released his 9th studio album “DON’T TAP THE GLASS.” I had no idea Tyler was dropping an album until the day of, and it was a pleasant surprise. The album features a whole host of sounds, including pop rap, R&B, bebop, disco, house, and funk. As a long-time fan, I never know what to expect from Tyler, except pure artistry.
“[I] appreciate the artistry [from Tyler],” another long-time fan, English teacher Jeff Lacey, said.
Upon release, Tyler posted on Instagram, “This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing, driving, running– any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it, only at full volume.” Although he stated that “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” wouldn’t be a concept album, the idea of letting loose and allowing ourselves boisterous self-expression carries through the LP.
While all tracks on this album are provocative and fun, these are my personal favorites.
1. “Big Poe” (ft. Sk8brd)
“Big Poe” is the very first track on the 28-minute album, and features Pharrell Williams under his rap alias, ‘Sk8brd.’ Tyler begins by telling us the rules: 1. Body movement, no sitting still (Dance, bro)/2. Only speak in glory, leave your baggage at home/3. Don’t tap the glass.
The lyrics are quintessential Tyler: witty, weird, and boastful.
“Tyler is the best at flexing and trash-talking,” Lacey said. I agree because most, if not all, of the songs on “DON’T TAP THE GLASS” are boastful in the usual rapper kind of way: the ‘I have more money, more clothes, more houses, more 401ks than you, so I’m one of the best to ever do it.’
My favorite part of the song is the sample from “Pass the Courvoisier Part II” by Busta Rhymes ft. Pharrell Williams and (regretfully)P. Diddy towards the end of the song. I appreciate the sample because part of the “Pass the Courvoisier” beat can be heard at the beginning of the song, and that snippet acted as a forerunner for the next part of the song. It really added energy to the track and made it feel like I was really supposed to Jump! Jump!
2. “Stop playing with me”
“Stop playing with me” became a swift favorite of mine because it reminded me of “What’s Good?” from his previous album “IGOR” (2019). This song was the first to get a music video with surprise appearances from Lebron James, Mav Carter, Pusha T, and Malice. While Tyler danced, mogged, and lost his mind, his guests stood there, staring down the camera, daring us to stop playing with them. Once again, Tyler stunts on his peers, big-stepping all the way to the end of the song.
3. “Ring ring ring”
This song has become the most popular track off this album since its release. I predicted “Sugar on my tongue,” but it ended up being a close second in terms of popularity and replayability. The disco and funk influences are strong in this song, reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall,” to a certain extent; “Ring ring ring” uses the back track from “Off the Wall.” The tail-end of the song, where he raps and the telephone sound is going off, is the best part of the song, the cadence of his voice, the instrumental in backing him up, and the interval between telephone rings. A beautifully done song, in all.
4. “I’ll Take Care of You” (ft. Yebba)
I know that a lot of these tracks are great, but “I’ll Take Care of You” (ft. Yebba) reigns supreme, truly. The beautiful, melodic singing by Yebba and Tyler in the beginning, followed by the “Knuck if you buck” sample? I transcended into another dimension, time and space had no hold over me for three whole minutes and 20 whole seconds. I shudder to think that someone out there didn’t enjoy this track as much as I did. Additionally, the drum beat utilized in “I’ll Take Care of You” is the same drums used in the song “Pilot” from Tyler’s 2015 album “Cherry Bomb,” which endeared this track to me.
“DON’T TAP THE GLASS” delivered everything it was promised to deliver. Much like an aquarium exhibit, we are instructed not to tap the glass. Whenever there’s someone who puts out something, something a little differently, we tend to tap the glass, to stir the pot, to judge, to disturb. As visitors to an aquarium, we are there to enjoy the fish. We should not feel the need to lay claim to the fish or pester the fish for our own amusement. As an audience that is privy to an artist’s creation, there is no reason for us to feel entitled to their creation. This doesn’t mean we can’t be critical of an artist; we just have to be cognizant that artists create for their own sake, they exist for their own sake, not ours.
