Tyler, the Creator – Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The ...

No artist should be kicked for taking the financial advantage. Only when it is their sole purpose should they be mocked. Tyler, the Creator may want us to forget he played his part in the catastrophic Illumination era of adapting Christmas classics, and yet Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch has a slight charm to it. Unlike the Benedict Cumberbatch film, Seuss’ influence can be felt, however briefly, in this Tyler, the Creator EP. What may be most surprising of all is there is a heart to the songs here. Whoville straps in for some piano tenderness, the heartstring-pulling as obvious as it gets but a neat precursor to the Ryan Beatty and Jerry Paper-featured songs to come. Crucial to all of this is the style Tyler, the Creator has remaining intact. It does. Miraculously so.  

Like the movie directors and writers who want something in there for adults watching children’s programming, Tyler, the Creator insists on having something interesting for parents. He finds an abundance of quality, a way to include everyone with the lighter beats of Lights On. Key to this is the lack of festivity to be had. The commercialisation of the times and the general expression of heading home to Christmas is now a more important act than the festive season itself. This is tapped into well and makes the wider range of those festive instrumentals a breeze. Something like Hot Chocolate is a great use of the iconography of the period but elevates the usual sleigh bells and warm drinks with an element of attitude. Implication of rebellion is far stronger than the act of it here.  

Tyler, the Creator’s style is still intact. Tempo changes and deep beats on Big Bag work well but feel ostracised from the sanitised earlier songs. As short as they may be, these are moments of genuine fun. Sharp writing which has evolved tremendously from the ropey early years to the push for an interesting angle, a familiar feel to his words but an inherent quality to the simply put, but still reasonable meaning. As ever it is found buried within, and Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch comes off as genuine. That is a tall order given this is just ten minutes of work from a tie-in to a feature film, but what a rewarding listen it can make for, however brief its influence may be. Even with the lightness which may accompany Illumination films, Tyler, the Creator, manages to find a line of sincerity in something that is no more than a product.  

Doing so showcases a creative clarity from the household name, a sense of spirit and pride to work even with monetary purpose as the leading cause behind it. Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch wears its profiteering openly and the likes of Big Bag come through as not a slap on the wrist for Tyler, the Creator, but a reasonable process of investing in yourself, in your work. Take the paychecks as and when they come for regret cannot be spent quite as well as cash. It may not be a groundbreaking release but it certainly has more heart to it than the film, more interest to it than the usual run of child-friendly sounds for movies making billions. Tyler, the Creator is paid his dues here and in some strange way keeps his head above the waters, not slipping into a spot of loose interest. He is locked in, representing himself and his music with the same care he takes for larger studio projects on this release.