“I need to get her out the picture / She’s really fuckin’ up my frame / She’s not developed like we are.” Hmm, those are some truly intriguing lyrics from Tyler, The Creator. Tyler has been the poster child of controversy many times throughout his career. His homophobic rhymes were quite offensive early on, but then, he would drop hints about his own sexuality. After opening up about sexuality on his Grammy-nominated 2017 album Flower Boy, his 2019 follow-up, IGOR, continues to find him referencing it. Specifically, on the song at hand, “New Magic Wand,” Tyler seems to be trying to sort things out regarding his relationship.
The aforementioned lyrical excerpt finds Tyler, the Creator affirming a relationship or at least the desire of a relationship with another male. He does so without ‘coming out’ explicitly, much like on Flower Boy, yet on the second verse, he also teases listeners: “My brother said I’m on the spectrum.” No, his brother wasn’t specifically referencing the purported sexual spectrum/sexual fluidity, but in the context of the love saga that’s being constructed, the rapper seems to be pushing the envelope. That saga is pretty simple: Tyler wants this man all to himself yet there is a woman involved – his partner’s girlfriend (or ex-, depending on how you read into it).
“New Magic Wand” is confusing to a degree but essentially, Tyler, the Creator seems to be atoning for sexuality in all its complexity. He also, in the process, shows that sexuality is by no means ‘cut and dry.’ He wants a committed relationship, yet, a woman (“She’s not developed like we are”) stands in the way. Tyler wants to use his ‘magic wand’ – likely a gun – to kill her: “She’s gonna be dead, I just got a magic wand / We can finally be together.” It’s a totally unreasonable assertion mind you, but what isn’t unreasonable is his, or an LGBTQ+ person’s desire for a legitimate relationship without inhibition.
You can learn more about Tyler, The Creator here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.
