Split Record Review: ‘Cherry Bomb’

Welcome again to Split Record Review, where two writers give similar or different takes on an album every week. Believe it or not, Tyler, The Creator’s music wasn’t always well-received, and as he alluded to in an interview with comedian Jerrod Carmichael, who would go on to narrate “Igor,” saying that 2015’s “Cherry Bomb” felt like a make-or-break album for him. Considering it still debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, he likely would’ve been fine either way, yet it’s undeniable that moments on the record were a major leap for his artistry, influencing his future critically acclaimed works. Nevertheless, it’s still a smorgasbord of songs, so what do Henry and James think about them? 

Henry’s Review

There are few artists that’ve had as interesting a career path as Tyler, The Creator. Starting off as an underground hip-hop darling, he rose to prominence through creative use of sampling and crass lyricism. Towards the end of the 2010s, he exploded into the mainstream with 2017’s “Flower Boy” and 2019’s “IGOR,” cementing Tyler as one of the biggest musical artists on the planet.  

In his latest effort, “CHROMAKOPIA,” Tyler showcases his unwavering musicianship and songwriting. Quickly becoming one of the biggest album rollouts of the decade so far, “CROMOAKOPIA” was announced and released without much forewarning, sported by a world tour and rabid hype.  

Going back to Tyler’s past, “Cherry Bomb” was an interesting era for the rapper. The record features a lot of growing pains, as he tried to branch out more from his edgy schtick. There are still plenty of edgy bars throughout the runtime, however they aren’t as prevalent as earlier releases like “Goblin.” 

One of the biggest problems I have with this record is its mix. I know that’s a lame reason to dislike an album, and it doesn’t really take me out of the music most of the time, but it’s important to mention. On a decent amount of the heavier tracks, specifically the title track, the instrumental is so overblown that the vocals and other parts of the beat are drowned out.  

Mixing aside, this album is very fun to go back to, given Tyler’s evolution as an artist. Glimpses of his future can be found all over the record, like on “Find Your Wings,” which features a fantastic feature from Kali Uchis.  

“Deathcamp” is a good opener, even with all the problems I have with the mixing. It’s a catchy and energetic start to the record and sets up the mood perfectly for the ride the listener is in for. The guitar sample and synth line provide a great backdrop for Tyler’s blown out singing.  

“Blow My Load” has one of the slickest sounding samples on the entire album, though the lyrics are a bit gratuitous, the whole song is very tongue-in-cheek, showcasing Tyler’s abrasive humor that he had become known for. The back half of the track transitions into uneasy R&B, leading into “2Seater,” another track full of dense lyrics and sultry samples. Tyler’s flow is at its best here, cementing this track as one of my personal favorites on the record.  

“Smuckers” has some of the harshest bars on the entire album, broken apart by verses and sung passages from Ye. The feature from Ye is undoubtedly not his best, but overall, the track has some funny lines here and there and an interesting beat.  

“Cherry Bomb” was somewhat infamous upon release and remains a divisive album in Tyler’s discography. While I understand why some people have serious gripes with a lot of this album, it’s definitely over-hated by a lot of people. It could be nostalgia goggles, but this record ages better than most give it credit for.  

Rating: 3.5/5 

James’ Review

I watched a clip recently about the struggles of having too many passions, and this project is the musical embodiment of this trait. Back before he proved his staying power with his recent handful of albums, Tyler’s future success was questionable, and “Cherry Bomb” especially polarized people. I’m reluctant to even call this an album; obviously, it is, yet Tyler curates a disjointed collection of songs that sometimes are polar opposites from one another. The only constant is Tyler himself, who digitally changed his and others’ voices on this record, creating mixed results. 

The main tracks that don’t hit for me are those where he applies vocal effects to other artists, such as the overly bombastic “Run,” which is a little too involved to be an interlude but is only a minute long and is overall forgettable. “Keep Da O’s” features a lackluster verse from Pharell Williams (quite the shocker given his contributions to other Tyler projects and his prolific career) and a beat that isn’t it. The final minute of the song is impressive, especially when viewed as a stylistic precursor to one of his best songs, “Gone, Gone / Thank You” on “Igor,” but it’s too little, too late. The experiments occasionally pay off, though my favorites are tracks where he lets strong singers naturally cook and talented rappers (including himself) do their thing, backed by very raw instrumentals. 

“Deathcamp” is an incredible opener with its grungy guitars and admirable confidence from Tyler, claiming that “‘In Search Of…’ did more for [him] than ‘Illmatic,’” hence the hip-hop rock fusion on the song. Using the same sample as (arguably) one of the best rap songs of all time, “Numbers on the Boards” by Pusha T, “Buffalo” sees Tyler doubling down on this theme of self-confidence that is both a blessing and a curse in terms of how this record came out. Unfortunately, the track also introduces a pervading problem on the record: poor mixing. The sample’s drum break overtakes his vocals every time and isn’t a huge deal to me, but was a common criticism of “Cherry Bomb” when it was released. 

“Pilot” is both a noisy and melodic track featuring frequent collaborator Syd. The song also has the first instance of finding one’s wings, a motif throughout this record, which in this context, I interpret as exploring one’s artistry and someone giving it their all. When Tyler says, “I just wanna soar through the space, let the wind hit my face, ‘til there’s nothin’ left in the gas tank,” he doesn’t want to hold back on sharing his wildest ideas with the world, and in hindsight, this attitude paid off for him. 

“Find Your Wings” is a pleasant tune with little replay value, but the title track is a trip. The first half mostly being noise is pretty brutal to sit through, though the second half, colloquially known as “Firecracker,” makes the overall song a bit less unbearable with more vocals from Syd. She is also on “Blow My Load,” which is unapologetic in every aspect, though its replay value is also stunted by a certain section. 

Tracks eight through 11 alternates between being melodious and straight-up rap bangers. “2Seater” and “Fucking Young / Perfect” are both two-parters with rap-soul fusions in the first and primarily singing in the second. The latter features people who would go on to be on his two most successful songs: Charlie Wilson, who was on “Earfquake,” and Kali Uchis, who was on “See You Again,” Tyler’s duet with Kali here being a highlight on “Cherry Bomb.” “Smuckers” rivals “Sticky” as his most star-studded cut, as both feature Lil Wayne, though Ye’s verse is the peak of the song. The cut with a very long title has a ScHoolboy Q verse when he was in his prime, dropping bars such as, “I don’t grieve over suckers, gunpowder on my knuckles.” 

If you’ve heard it, I hope you can agree with my sentiment that “Okaga, CA” is one of Tyler’s best songs. It’s a multi-part magnum opus featuring the talent of the late Leon Ware, along with Clementine Creevy and Alice Smith. While the narrator doesn’t want to leave the country like many people do right now, he wants him and his significant other to run away to California (which I also would love to do). Sonically, the synths are immaculate, the drums give the sound some grounding and Leon is the cherry on top with his refrain of “Let’s go to the moon!”  

Thankfully, following this record that didn’t stick the landing in the community, Tyler has reached a whole new audience of listeners who relate to his lyrics and love his artistry. Without “Cherry Bomb,” it’s questionable where Tyler would be these days, and he’s still evidently fond of this record, so check out the whole thing if you’ve played “CHROMOKOPIA” one too many times recently. 

Rating: 4/5