If we can expect anything from Tyler, The Creator, it’s the unexpected: the Californian rapper always seems loathe to be put in a box, jumping between genres and styles like a chameleon with a sugar rush. Where the release of a new album mid-tour would be unthinkable for most artists, it feels almost par-for-the-course for Okonma— only two days after its announcement, dance-centric record ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ is already upon us, bizarre artwork and all. The release is about as fragile as its title might imply, but have no fear: it will get you moving as intended.

Any listeners who’ve found the last few Tyler, The Creator albums unpalatable would do well to steer clear of his 2025 release— though dance music isn’t a genre previously found in his discography, Okonma’s usual trappings remain on full display throughout ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS.’ The rapper’s singing is the most prevalent it’s been since 2019’s ‘IGOR’ on this new release, and continues to be an Achilles’ heel of sorts, dragging down the hooks of cuts like ‘Sugar On My Tongue’ and ‘Ring Ring Ring.’ It’s quite telling that ‘Don’t You Worry Baby,’ which features Madison McFerrin’s guest vocals, is such an obvious standout in the track list— so long as Okonma continues insisting on selling his melodies short in this way, less rap-centric projects like this will continue to suffer.

It's not just the vocals that call back to previous projects either: right down to its unconventional choices behind the mixing desk, this is a Tyler, The Creator album, through and through. Though Okonma’s attempts to create an upbeat dance project are far removed from the braggadocious victory lap of 2021’s ‘CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST’ or the introspective whisperings of last year’s ‘CHROMAKOPIA,’ there’s nonetheless a remarkable through-line between these projects— namely, their unmistakable character. Once again, listeners who felt turned away by those projects won’t find all-too much to change their minds in ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS:’ Okonma’s interest in boisterous synth tones continues to present itself wherever possible, especially given that the guest features and layered arrangements of ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ are largely absent here. Many of these tracks can, at times, seem rather empty, and it’s a feeling that echoes across the album— with a meagre 28-minute length and a noticeable lack of fanfare or lyrical depth to fill the time, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ opens itself up to a plethora of criticisms.

It may surprise you to hear that, despite our nay-saying, the 9th Tyler, The Creator album packs in a hell of a lot of charm. In its opening moments, the record declares its singular intention— “body movement, no sitting still”— and lives or dies by that goal: to that end, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ thrives. There’s a beautiful simplicity to a number of the arrangements across the project that place the focus solely on the rhythm, the feel, the groove, and Okonma is pulling no punches on his quest to get you on your feet. The industrial drums and arrogant rapping of opening number ‘Big Poe’ harken back to an album like ‘Goblin,’ though it’s clear that Okonma has matured significantly as an artist since then: somehow, he’s able to take a simple two-note hook and turn it into a show-stopping tone setter. As the infectious brightness of ‘Sugar On My Tongue’ and endearing notes of ‘Ring Ring Ring’ clearly demonstrate, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ is clearly at its best in its most high-energy moments.

Even an artist with such boundless energy as Okonma can’t keep the momentum going forever though, and it’s in those more relaxed moments that the new record begins to suffer from some inconsistency. It’s disconcerting to see filler in a project as brief as this, but Tyler, The Creator presents it to us anyway on the utterly forgettable ‘I’ll Take Care of You’ and directionless ramble of ‘Tweakin’— how the latter has the gall to follow a cut as unapologetically awesome as the title track is beyond us. Outside these moments though, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ is a heartwarming reflection of Okonma’s artistic progression, slowly beginning to introduce more and more elements from contemporary releases in its second half: the aforementioned ‘Don’t You Worry Baby’ and sweet closer ‘Tell Me What It Is’ do, somehow, manage to place a comfy bow on the project at large.

As for the leading man himself, Tyler, The Creator is as characterful and loveable here as he ever was. In its best moments, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ returns to the arrogant bars that defined ‘CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST,’ though the mood is noticeably lighter this time around— just as he did in 2021, Okonma seems well aware of his level of fame and success, channeling it into his most carefree and lighthearted project to date. Of course, the album isn’t delivering material nearly as personal or thought-provoking as ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ did last year, but neither is it trying to: ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ is a feel-good summer album, and Okonma is most-obviously in his element throughout every verse.

“I'm on the plane, trying to f*ck her lip off

Switch off, sit on my face, give me lip gloss

The tint off, that's not a G5, take that kit off

Right now, I'm Mario, pipe down”

Just like its hurried marketing, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ can often feel like a half-baked release, rushed out under the summer sun: it’s certainly not the most expansive or definitive release in the Tyler, The Creator catalogue, plagued by inconsistency and a certain lack of ambition. Even still, there’s an undeniable charm that shines through these ten tracks, whether that be from the funky dance beats on display, or from the artist’s own charisma. This new release is hardly one for the history books, and doesn’t necessarily capture Okonma at his best: if its intention was to make you dance though, it’s succeeding in spades.