Flower Boy Tyler, The Creator

Is he serious?

That’s always the prevailing thought when it comes to Tyler, The Creator’s artistry. Since he emerged as a solo artist in 2011, the Odd Future frontman has consistently delivered teenage angst rhymes that often traverse the landscape of homophobia and misogyny. But on his fourth studio album, the 26-year-old matures and serves up his most polished piece of work to date while leaving us with more questions than answers. The largest looming question is regarding his sexuality, which he aggressively stomps around on “Foreward” and “Garden Shed.” The beauty of it is that he’s said so many wild things over the years that you never know what to take seriously.

The shock value takes a backseat to the musicality of the album. His previous albums didn’t age well sonically, but Flower Boy leaves the clumsy production behind and is aesthetically pleasing on songs such as “See You Again” and the brilliant sampling of Bel-Sha-Zaar’s “Introduction” on “I Ain’t Got Time.” He’s still imperfect and awkward, but he’s finally grown into his controversial body of work.