Over a career of nearly 15 years, fans have seen rapper Tyler the Creator soar to impressive heights, from winning a Grammy for his 2019 album Igor to directing Louis Vuitton’s spring of 2024 collection.
Another highlight was his EP Music inspired by Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, which scored the 2018 “Grinch” remake. While the remake itself is quite lackluster, this EP adds a well crafted and cheery layer to this less than savory Christmas film.
It is one of the best pieces of Christmas music ever, offering warm, light-hearted jazz with an occasional flair, like the electric guitar on “When the Gloves Come Off” or the synths on “Cindy Lou’s Wish.”
Tyler has always been known to rework certain elements of music to fit his style, and this EP is no exception. Alongside the experimentation and warping of classic sounds, Tyler does classic “Christmas jazz” so well that his talent is kind of overwhelming.
The track “Whoville” is a perfect example of this, a simple song only really relying on a piano and the occasional brass and light percussion towards the end. These simple yet extremely atmospheric tracks could easily help invoke memories of the holidays as a child or possibly bring some holiday cheer to someone who isn’t feeling quite festive.
By far the best song on the album is “Lights On,” featuring Ryan Beatty and Santigold, who do amazing jobs providing the chorus and backing vocals respectively. Coupled with Tyler’s raps, which incorporate his usual nerdy and cadence heavy flow, they all melt together into an incredibly festive and warm track.
