Tyga reinvents his sound on “$TARFACE.”

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STREAM

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TOP 3 SONGS

3. TIME IS CURRENCY

“TIME IS CURRENCY” features one of the better beats on this project. I love its easygoing pace and dramatic atmosphere. I will say this, though: There is an underlying gassy feel to it that did concern me a little, but I’ll live.

Though Tyga sounds like a fragile robot that’s used to getting slapped up on the track, I still thought he delivered melodies that were catchy enough to keep me locked in. The lyrics are pretty juicy, too, with him basically saying the more time he spent with his human lady, the less money he was able to make. Moral of the story: F**k love, chase money.

2. AFFECTION

Tyga definitely knew his two best tracks were the singles.

Strangely, I love the Count Dracula-ass instrumental we get in “AFFECTION.” It’s heart-pumping, has an excellent tempo, and is funkier than the ass butt part of my draws (What do people call that section of your draws? The odor catcher?).

Tyga delivers a performance that’s only slightly terrible (what an improvement). Though his vocals sound a little too nerdy at times, I actually thought his melodies were excellent, taking your ears on a rollercoaster ride with unexpected twists and highs. I also liked the lyrics. He’s basically saying he took a gamble on love and lost because the woman he fell for turned out to be as ruthless as Taco Bell’s lettuce supplier. It’s a fun track and one I’d definitely come back to.

1. GAVE U RACKS

I’m famously known for picking the singles as the best tracks on a project because, I mean, they picked them as singles for a reason (Duh). In this case, though, I think it’s painfully obvious that “GAVE U RACKS” is the best song on the album. To me, it sounds the most polished from top to bottom. The chorus taps into an ’80s sound in the most natural way, the production is actually enjoyable to listen to, and Tyga’s vocal performance isn’t awful. I swear to God, if Eddie Murphy made this s**t, it would be a massive hit.

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SONG BY SONG RATING

SPINNING IN CIRCLES (2.5/5)

WHITE GRAINS (2.5/5)

POWDERED DREAMS (2.5/5)

JUST US TONIGHT (3/5)

FREEZING (3/5)

GAVE U RACKS (4/5)

TIME IS CURRENCY(2.5/5)

AFFECTION (4.5/5)

DIED 4U (2.5/5)

LAST FOREVER (3/5)

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RGM RATING

(D-)

One thing I’ll give Tyga credit for is that he wasn’t afraid to take a risk here. He put himself out there as this fragile ’80s-inspired personality and only fell on his face a few times… Actually, he fell on it quite a bit, but that’s how you learn and get better, right?

$TARFACE lives and dies by its production. The ’80s-inspired synths, cinematic textures, and dramatic vibes do a ton of heavy lifting, creating a world that feels authentically nostalgic while still sounding fresh. Without them, I probably would’ve cut this s**t off after the first verse of “SPINNING IN CIRCLES.”

Tyga definitely stumbles here. His singing is about as questionable as Cheyenne Bryant’s resume. There are moments where he sounds like he knows he’s not a great singer, moments where he holds back, and moments where he just sounds flat-out bad. That said, I respect that he fully committed to the concept instead of playing it safe. When everything clicks, particularly on “GAVE U RACKS,” “AFFECTION,” and “LAST FOREVER,” you can hear exactly what he was aiming for.

Everyone is going to point to Tory Lanez’s Alone At Prom, but I think that comparison is a stretch as long as Wemby’s wingspan. Tory had the vocal ability to channel those ’80s heroes we love. Here, Tyga sounds like he’s doing karaoke, and even then, I probably wouldn’t bet on him if he performed like this at your local Chili’s.

While $TARFACE isn’t a flawless execution of Tyga’s new direction, it’s easily one of the boldest swings of his career, and we need to encourage more artists to take chances like this. That said, does anyone have one of those Men in Black flashy things? I wouldn’t mind erasing this experience from my memory.

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