Tyler, the Creator tells us to shut up and dance on DON’T TAP THE GLASS

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned about Tyler, the Creator after all these years, it’s that we truly never know his next move. Whilst the public waited almost four years in between CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST and CHROMAKOPIA, the announcement of DON’T TAP THE GLASS came a mere nine months after his last release. The drop was teased with an art installation outside of his concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays World Trade Center, and a series of Instagram posts with “July 21st” plastered across each image. The installation in question was a large, distorted Tyler-like figure sporting red shorts, a cap, sunglasses, and a big chain, residing in a transparent box that had the album title sprawled at the bottom in black (a nod to the album’s cover art). 

What does Don’t Tap the Glass Even Mean?

The phrase “don’t tap the glass” has many interpretations. The most common one refers to the “glass” as our dear phone screens (in the Black Mirror-esque reflection that appears when our devices are turned off). This is essentially Tyler’s way of saying, “get off of the damn phones and dance.” With nostalgia that plagues the present, we’ve gotten too obsessed with recording everything to potentially be able to relive it through a screen later on. But let’s be honest, how many times do we look back on old concert videos and rewatch every single one of them? 

Talking with a friend, I was introduced to another interpretation. Instead, she believes that Tyler literally means don’t tap the glass, referring to a drinking glass being tapped to the rhythm at a bar instead of truly feeling the music. In her words, he is telling people to “stop half assing shit.” Both interpretations link to being at one with the music and letting your body move, a sentiment expressed by Tyler himself on his Instagram. His caption, however, added another layer to the conversation: 

"I asked some friends why they don’t dance in public, and some said because of the fear of being filmed. I thought, “Damn, a natural form of expression and a certain connection they have with music is now a ghost.”

We come across not only the problem of everyone filming everything, but also the looming feeling that one is always being watched. Consequently, one's sense of self and insecurity is amplified, and suddenly, we’re afraid of “doing too much,” limiting our self-expression in fear of judgment. 

In response to this, on July 20th, Tyler hosted a listening/dance party in Los Angeles for five dollars a ticket, making it hugely accessible. The one condition? “DON’T COME IF YOU AREN’T GOING TO DANCE.” 

Through Tyler’s Looking Glass 

The album is fierce, sexual, and an ode to 80s and 90s hip hop. “Big Poe (feat. Sk8brd)” opens the œuvre, sampling vocals from Busta Rhymes and introducing the album's persona, which gives the song its title. Big Poe has a big personality, and Tyler has introduced countless alter egos of his since the start of his career, tracing back to Dr. TC on Bastard. Since his first self-produced mixtape, we’ve met a myriad of characters like Igor, Tyler Baudelaire, and St. Chroma. 

Compared to the sentiment-abundant Chromakopia, DON’T TAP THE GLASS has a certain funk to it. It’s memorable and fun. While songs like “Don’t You Worry Baby (feat. Madison McFerrin)” and “I’ll Take Care of You (feat. Yebba)” remind us of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST with its dreamy sonorities, others like “Ring Ring Ring” honor the romantic presence that IGOR gifted us, and some like “Sugar On My Tongue” embrace the debauchery that isn’t unusual for Tyler, the Creator. He dropped a music video for the latter on August 12th, which perfectly matches the song’s sexual groove. 

Is DON’T TAP THE GLASS Tyler’s best album lyrically? Not necessarily, but it’s not trying to be. Maybe it’s not about not tapping the glass, but breaking it; letting go of the screens that dominate our worldview and pushing the boundaries it sets regarding the assertion of our identity.  The only glass in your hand should be one with a drink of your choice – otherwise, you should be on the floor and just dance!

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