Tyler, The Creator shows up as the Barbie doll you never bought but keeps showing up in your collection and semi-stalking all your other Barbies in “IFHY” featuring Pharrell. The assumption here is that song title stands for “I F*ckin’ Hate You,” the contrast to what the Odd Future rapper is explaining in this self-described “emo” rhyme. “I love you / I f*ckin’ hate you” and there, folks is the crux.
The Barbie of his desires spends most of the video running from him, in part from fear, and he kicks in the door. *Note to you Barbies: it’s not OK for your boyfriend to kick in the door.
It’s a cool presentation of dissonant emotions, and the want of possession. Also, I continue to love how game Tyler is in all of his videos, willing to look any way he directs himself to look like plastic garbage for the sake of the song.
“IFHY” is bookended by another track, “Jamba,” featuring Hodgy Beats. The two drive recklessly in a car. What is it with Tyler and his cars? (The rapper also released two tracks and video at once with his last clip, for “Domo 23” and vehicular “Bimmer.”)
“IFHY” is off of Tyler, The Creator’s new solo set “Wolf,” out on April 2. But for the curious, you can hear the full album streaming right now. Check it out below.
“Wolf” is the follow-up to 2011’s “Goblin” and it features guests like Pharrell, Erykah Badu, OFWGKTA’s own Frank Ocean and others.