In contrast with his last two videos — for “Sugar On My Tongue” and “Darling, I” — Tyler, The Creator’s video looks and feels relatively simple and lo-fi. However, it ties into the throwback themes of his new album, Don’t Tap The Glass, in a really elegant way.
Those of us old enough to remember iMac computers and AIM away messages will likely remember the nostalgic aesthetic of the video for “Sucker Free.” Shot in grainy digital footage and edited with Y2K-era effects — ironic text from Tyler overlaid on scenes of the Hawthorne rapper dancing on a breakwater and a New York City street — the visual captures the memorable undercurrent of happy memories from T’s childhood in the same way the album’s songs use cues from ’90s and 2000s dance scenes to shake off the modern blues of our current events.
In an interview with Apple Music, Tyler explained that this return to simplistic goals was intentional after tackling heavier topics on Chromakopia. “After the weight of that got off, I just wanted to be silly again,” he said. “I just want to be fun and say outrageous shit and say sh*t that… inside jokes that me and my friends laugh at, and just talk big fly sh*t… It’s just some sh*t that I would love people to dance to because it’s music that I will want to dance my body to. And that’s all type of dance music on there.”
You can watch Tyler, The Creator’s “Sucker Free” video above.
Don’t Tap The Glass is out now via Columbia Records. Find more information here.
