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Tyler, the Creator, the young American rapper from Ladera Heights, California, is releasing a six-song extended play that provides an interesting spin on traditional Christmas hits. Two of Tyler’s releases (“I Am the Grinch” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”) are featured on the soundtrack for the 2018 rendition of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch. The EP, released in response to a Tweet from a fan expressing how they could not wait for Tyler to drop a Christmas album, is officially titled Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss.

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Sporting a colorful combination of voices, including those of Santigold, Ryan Beatty and Jerry Paper, the six tracks are titled - “Hot Chocolate,” “When Gloves Come Off,” “Big Bag,” Whoville,” “Cindy Lou’s Wish,” and “Lights On” -  the last of which is a joint production by Ryan Beatty and Santigold.

    

Apart from these amusing track listings, Tyler, the Creator intended for this EP to be a follow-up to his hit album, Flower Boy, with similar styles and moods. Based on his character reveal in Flower Boy, it is easy to recognize why Tyler is featured on the soundtrack of a movie starring Christmas’ archnemesis, the Grinch.The official album cover features a malicious-looking picture of the Grinch with blood-red pupils and a blood-red background, suggesting that the EP will provide a darker and more disturbing portrayal of the classic Dr. Seuss characters. It is possible that the EP is paying homage to the old 1957 book that brought the famous Dr. Seuss character into existence. This theory is exhibited by the final song’s upbeat tempo with the remarkable harmony between the voices of Santigold, Beatty and Tyler motivating listeners to want to return home in time for the holidays.

 

Tyler closes the song by hashing out relevant struggles he has experienced, continuing the revelation of his life perspective from Flower Boy. We hear the young artist spit lyrics that hint at themes involving family unity and the physical and emotional turbulence of holiday travel, like these:

 

Bar is low, texts slow

No goodbyes, no XO

My flight delay, no echo

Hurry cause the plan’s urgent

 

“Lights On” boosts the album’s jubilant vibes with a rhythm reminiscent of the classic “Jingle Bells.” The blissful emotions associated with this song are augmented by Beatty’s impressive falsetto vocals in “When Gloves Come Off,” which smoothly carries the flow of happiness radiating throughout the EP. The happy, universal appeal of Music Inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss is reflected in the short duration of each song with not a single track exceeding two-and-a-half minutes.

 

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Tyler’s latest EP is widely accessible and a far shot from his not-so-family-friendly past Christmas releases, like “Fuck Santa” and “Fuck This Christmas.” Tyler has taken a lighter approach to spreading Christmas spirit while staying true to his authentic style, proving his ability to craft inspiration from anything. Arriving just in time for the holidays, this album is packaged and ready to go for listeners of all ages, kids included this time.