Tyler, The Creator has released a surprise new album titled Don’t Tap The Glass, describing it as a record built for movement and made in defiance of social self-consciousness.
The ten-track album was announced during his headline set at Brooklyn’s Barclays Centre on Friday 18 July, as part of his current Chromakopia tour. Outside the venue, fans were met with a figure sealed in a transparent box marked “Don’t Tap The Glass”, alongside digital signage that linked to a new website. The site laid out three rules: “Body Movement. No Sitting Still”, “Only Speak in Glory. Leave Your Baggage at Home”, and “Don’t Tap the Glass”.
The album is now streaming, clocking in at just under thirty minutes. On Instagram, Tyler explained that the idea came from watching his friends avoid dancing in public out of fear they might be filmed. “A natural form of expression and a certain connection they have with music is now a ghost,” he wrote. “It made me wonder how much of our human spirit got killed because of the fear of being a meme, all for having a good time.”
Tyler also described a phone-free listening session where 300 people danced without cameras. “Everyone was dancing. Moving. Expressing. Sweating. It was truly beautiful,” he said. “There was a freedom that filled the room.”
He added, “This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing, driving, running, any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it. Only at full volume.”
Don’t Tap The Glass follows 2024’s Chromakopia, which was widely considered one of the best albums of the year. The new record features tracks such as Big Poe, Mommanem, and Tell Me What It Is.
Tyler is also preparing to head out on his first tour of Asia, with dates in Tokyo, Seoul, Manila and Bangkok starting this September. Later this year, he will also appear in his first feature film, Marty Supreme, set for release in December through A24. All in all, he’s a very busy man that continues to make himself even busier.
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