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Tyler, The Creator Peels Back His Layers With 'A BOY IS A GUN*' Video

Tyler, The Creator's fifth studio album, IGOR, arrived with little notice back in May. As the smart-aleck-turned-sleek-sonic-purveyor continues to peel back the layers and introduce us to his white-wigged alter ego, this is proving to be a crucial collection in a career-defining era.

For the "A BOY IS A GUN*" visual interpretation, Igor (a.k.a. Tyler) laments over a love interest leaving him just as the pair were enjoying their sprawling, waspy estate. In the most dramatic fashion, his love — a strong-jawed beau or Afro-crowned girl, depending on the shot — appears stoic, disinterested and generally disconnected. This propels Igor to spiral into a clothes-throwing, lawn-sprinting, bubble-bath-soaking mess — you know, as you do during a breakup.

"Take your hoodie off, why you hide your face from me? / Make your f*****' mind up, I am sick of waitin' patiently / How come you're the best to me? I know you're the worst for me / Boy, you're sweet as sugar, diabetic to the first degree," Igor begs.

The video, directed by Wolf Haley, illuminates Igor's manic behavior. As the piano flutters, wide pans rush by chandeliers, gilded wood and floor-to-ceiling draped windows. The drama ends with Igor's boo driving off in a chauffeured vehicle while he runs through the house and out onto the veranda. Clearly, this bad romance isn't over.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Sidney Madden is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. As someone who always gravitated towards the artforms of music, prose and dance to communicate, Madden entered the world of music journalism as a means to authentically marry her passions and platform marginalized voices who do the same.