Wikipedia

St. Chroma

"St. Chroma" is a song by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator, released on October 28, 2024 from his eighth studio album Chromakopia (2024). It features Canadian singer Daniel Caesar.

"St. Chroma"
Promotional single by Tyler, the Creator featuring Daniel Caesar
from the album Chromakopia
ReleasedOctober 28, 2024
Length3:17
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tyler, the Creator
Music video
"St. Chroma" on YouTube

Background and composition

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The song finds Tyler, the Creator rapping in a whispering tone,[1][2] over a beat consisting of marching stomps and handclaps,[2][3] synthesizers,[4][5] choir[4][6] and flute.[5] Daniel Caesar performs in soulful vocals reminiscent of gospel, singing "Can you feel the light inside? Can you feel that fire?"[2][3] The artists' vocals also intertwine during this part.[7] The title refers to Tyler, the Creator's new alter-ego.[8]

Critical reception

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The song was well-received by music critics. Tom Breihan of Stereogum remarked, "Judging by its brief length and past precedent, the video probably doesn't include the entire song. What we hear, however, is awesome. Tyler raps in a menacing whisper over marching boots, eerie John Carpenter-ass synths, and gospel-informed choirs. Just as the video ends, the beat drops and immediately slides into the chaotic Playboi Carti song. Mission accomplished. I'm excited."[4] Niall Smith of Clash stated "The march-bound opener 'St. Chroma' sets pace pretty effectively. The song's soulful vocals crescendo into a fiery, sweltering cocktail of self-doubt, rumbling drums and mantras of anti-fame."[9] Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone wrote of the song, "a familiar constellation of sounds that arrives with a level of precision that seems final, as if Tyler's now seen his signature sound to completion. Tyler's penchant for angelic-sounding string arrangements is at its most potent on the track, with vocals from Daniel Caesar, while, lyrically, he's vibrant and dynamic, switching up his flow as he brags from a place less material and more metaphysical."[10] Heven Haile of Pitchfork wrote, "A flute mimicking ululations sounds like a battle cry under militaristic stomps on opener 'St. Chroma.' Tyler whisper-raps as if to say, Listen close, I have something important to tell you. That, along with Daniel Caesar's ethereal gospel vocals asking 'Can you feel that fire?' and a modular synth speeding up its frequency like a kettle about to blow, makes it feel like we're traversing space and time straight into Tyler's psyche."[5] David Crone of AllMusic considered it "Tyler's strongest intro to date", calling it "an immediate collage of intent, flip-flopping from scratchy militarism to soaring gospel", and described the song as part of a "militia-like opening trio" (alongside the songs "Rah Tah Tah" and "Noid") that "creates a brilliant, unified new sound".[11]

Music video

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A music video was released for the song on October 16, 2024, and was the first promotional material for the album. Initially shot with a sepia filter, a masked Tyler with a green suit leads a line of 10 men wearing matching suits, their faces hidden. Tyler steps out of the line and directs the men to a large green shipping container with the Chromakopia logo spray-painted on the front. The men go inside, as well as Tyler who rejoins the line. The container closes, and Tyler appears in the foreground and detonates the container via button press. At the end of the video, it cuts to the word "Chromakopia" in all black against a solid green background.[2][12][6][13][14][15][16][17][18][excessive citations]

Charts

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Chart performance for "St. Chroma"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[19] 15
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[20] 2
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21] 21
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[22] 71
Global 200 (Billboard)[23] 10
Iceland (Tónlistinn)[24] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[25] 10
Latvia (LaIPA)[26] 4
Lithuania (AGATA)[27] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[28] 53
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 11
Norway (VG-lista)[30] 37
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[31] 41
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[32] 48
South Africa (TOSAC)[33] 20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 93
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 43
UK Singles (OCC)[36] 15
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[37] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[38] 7
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[39] 1

References

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  1. ^ Krueger, Jonah (October 28, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Dazzles on Chromakopia: Album Review". Consequence. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Schube, Will (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, The Creator Teases New Album 'Chromakopia' With Surprise Single 'St. Chroma'". HipHopDX. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b Mitchell, Matt (October 30, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Finds Sanctuary On the Capricious, Limitless CHROMAKOPIA". Paste. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, The Creator – "St. Chroma"". Stereogum. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Haile, Heven (October 31, 2024). "CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, the Creator". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Kurp, Josh (October 16, 2024). "Tyler The Creator Teases New Music (And A New Album?) In The Ominous 'St. Chroma' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  7. ^ Buseko, Francis (November 1, 2024). "Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia". The Quietus. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  8. ^ Hudson, Alex (November 4, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Is Legacy-Building on 'CHROMAKOPIA'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  9. ^ Smith, Niall (October 29, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator – Chromakopia". Clash. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Ihaza, Jeff (October 30, 2024). "On 'Chromakopia,' Tyler, the Creator Has to Deal With the Truth". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
  11. ^ Crone, David (October 28, 2024). "CHROMOAKOPIA - Tyler, the Creator | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Blake, Cole (October 16, 2024). "Tyler The Creator Confirms New Album, "Chromakopia," With Teaser Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  13. ^ Saponara, Michael (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Teases His Next Era With 'St. Chroma' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  14. ^ Bernstein, Elaina (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Shares "St Chroma" Video". Hypebeast. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  15. ^ Rigotti, Alex (October 17, 2024). "Tyler, The Creator hints at new project 'CHROMAKOPIA' with eerie video 'St. Chroma'". NME. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  16. ^ Powell, Jon (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator surprises fans with "St. Chroma" visual". Revolt. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  17. ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Hints at New Music With 'St. Chroma' Teaser". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  18. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 16, 2024). "Tyler, the Creator Teases New Music With Ominous 'St. Chroma' Video Clip". Variety. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
  19. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  20. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  21. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  22. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 44. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  23. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  24. ^ "Streymi, spilun og sala viku 45" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  25. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  26. ^ "Straumēšanas Top 2024 – 44. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 44] (in Latvian). LaIPA. November 4, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "2024 45-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  28. ^ "Tyler, the Creator feat. Daniel Caesar – St. Chroma" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  29. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  30. ^ "Singel 2024 uke 45". VG-lista. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  31. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 25.10.2024–31.10.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  32. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 44. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  33. ^ "Top Release Of The Week: Local & Intl Streaming | Week 44". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  34. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 45". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  35. ^ "Tyler, the Creator feat. Daniel Caesar – St. Chroma". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  36. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  37. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  38. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  39. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
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