If CHROMAKOPIA was Tyler, the Creator’s deep exhale—reflective, emotional, and mature—DON’T TAP THE GLASS is the breathless laugh that follows. Where CHROMAKOPIA was about digging deep into fatherhood, memory, and healing, DON’T TAP THE GLASS doesn’t really care if you get the message. In fact, there may not be one. What it does care about is rhythm, movement, and forcing you to drop the “I only head-nod at shows” persona Gen Z’s been hiding behind. If Tyler has anything to say with this album, it’s this: loosen up. dance. stop acting like fun is embarrassing.
The night before DON’T TAP THE GLASS dropped, Tyler hosted a $5 pop-up show in L.A. with one very clear rule: “DON’T COME IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO DANCE.” That energy bleeds into every second of this record. From the opening synth stabs to the hyperactive drum machines and slippery funk basslines, this is an album meant to be felt in your body, not just studied on Genius.com.
The production is soaked in bright, glossy textures pulled from ‘80s dance floors. Tyler goes full throttle on tempo and tone, weaving together sounds from electro-funk, house, and Miami bass into something that feels retro but never stuck in the past. Standout tracks like “Stop Playing With Me” and “Sugar on My Tongue” hit like strobe lights, while songs like “Ring Ring Ring” offer a little breathing room without ever losing the groove.
There’s an unfiltered joy running through this project. A deliberate silliness feels refreshing in an era where everyone’s curating their cool. Tyler isn’t interested in playing tastemaker, he’s hosting the afterparty. The album doesn’t try to be profound, and that’s exactly why it hits. Even his bars reflect that attitude—more punchy than poetic, more about presence than perfection.
That said, the album does have its limitations. There are a few tracks that feel more like sketches than complete ideas. The lack of narrative or emotional depth may leave some longtime fans wanting more. But this isn’t IGOR. This isn’t CHROMAKOPIA. This is the in-between moment, the exhale, the victory lap in roller skates.
And even if it’s not Tyler’s most groundbreaking work, it still serves an important purpose, especially now. DON’T TAP THE GLASS challenges a generation raised on irony and emotional detachment to reconnect with something primal: joy. In doing so, it becomes its own kind of statement. Not every album has to be a therapy session. Sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is turn the volume up and let yourself go.
Album cover image courtesy of Columbia Records
REVIEW RATING
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Tyler, the Creator — DON'T TAP THE GLASS - 8/10
8/10
Alyshia is the Interviews Editor for InBetweenDrafts. A self-proclaimed pop culture enthusiast, she watches B-movies in her spare time and hopes to make one some day. Apart from writing, she is a publicist fully immersed in the world of entertainment.
