Tyler, the Creator Reflects on ‘Cherry Bomb’ Backlash During Instagram Interview

Los Angeles, CA – Tyler, the Creator discussed the backlash to his 2015 album, ‘Cherry Bomb,’ during an interview for Instagram‘s new video series, ‘Ask It Anyway.’ He stated that the criticism he faced was one of the best things that ever happened to him, pushing him to improve his craft.

In the interview, Tyler candidly shared, “My goal was to prove to myself that I am the most diverse producer at the time. People were just shitting on it… it made me say, oh shit – these songs aren’t good.” He admitted that the negative feedback prompted him to relearn fundamental songwriting skills. “Because of [the backlash], I was like, I need to reteach myself how to write songs. What is a chorus, hook, structure?”

Tyler explained that this experience drove him to dive deeper into his music. He asserted, “That happening to me was one of the greatest things that could happen, because it made me dive into my skill and craft more.” Two years later, he released ‘Flower Boy,’ which was widely praised and marked a significant point in his career.

He elaborated on the success of ‘Flower Boy,’ saying, “It was the first album I put on the cover to let people know: all songs written, produced and arranged by me.” He emphasized the importance of identity in music, stating, “You have to tell people who you are. And I remember, the conversation started changing a bit… Now people are subconsciously listening to the production in a different way now, because I let them know that.”

Currently, Tyler is on his Chromakopia World Tour but has stated he will not perform songs from ‘Cherry Bomb.’ “Chant all you want,” he replied to a fan on social media. “I’m not gonna play it, chanting doesn’t make me magically wanna play it.” The interview highlights Tyler’s growth as an artist and his commitment to evolving his music.