“Noid” is the third track on Tyler, The Creator’s brand new album ‘Chromakopia.’ The song title is short for ‘paranoid’ and talks about one of the pitfalls of fame and popularity. The character in the song gets devoured by paranoia to the point he tries to run away from everything.
‘Chromakopia’ is Tyler’s eighth studio album released on October 28, 2024. The album was introduced to the fans on October 16, 2024, with “St. Chroma” and introduced a new masked character representing a more mature and grounded version of Tyler, The Creator. The album follows Tyler’s highly acclaimed project ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’ from 2021.
“Noid” is the first commercial single off of the album and accompanies a music video in which the protagonist “St. Chroma” gets overwhelmed by the eyes on him and tries to run away from everyone. His paranoia grows so much so that he starts seeing things that aren’t real which worsens his situation.
Listen to “Noid” by Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, The Creator “Noid” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
In the intro to the song, Tyler holds nothing back to reveal us one reason why St. Chroma persona wears a mask–he wants to hide from the spotlight.
Living between cameras and recorders
A popular figure like Tyler, The Creator probably cannot enjoy any personal space in public. He would likely be jumping from one camera to another, be it professional or paparazzi or just fans. At this point in his life, ‘freedom’ is the expensive thing he cannot buy with all the money he has.
The chorus of the song is a sample of the song “Nizakupanga Ngozi” by Zambian band Ngozi Family from their 1977 album ‘45,000 Volts.’ In English, the lyrics translate to the singer asking visitors to be respectful when they visit his house, because he doesn’t like talking too much. And also that talking too much breeds gossip.
In the first verse of the song, Tyler talks about all the paranoia signs he goes through. He thinks his neighbors are out to get him. No sleep until he triple-checks the door locks and windows. He knows every creak on the floor of his house. Even after all this, he cannot sleep without a weapon under his bed.
Tyler’s paranoia extends to the women he associates with as well. He believes that most of them are out to get into his money or leech off of his fame.
In the interlude of the song, Tyler’s mother Bonita Smith is heard giving him advice about protecting his privacy. She tells her son never let strangers into his life or reveal too much about your next steps. She tells him not to even trust his accountant more than he needs to.
In the second and final verse of the song, we hear Tyler’s paranoia tighten. The lyrics basically scream at the audience. He wants an ounce of privacy to eat a meal in peace. But this is too much to ask for. There’s somebody around the corner looking for a picture, autograph, or a misstep.
Privacy? Huh, yeah, right, I got a better shot in the NBA
Tyler admits that privacy is such a rare thing for him at this point. He has a better shot at being drafted in the National Basketball Association than getting some privacy.
It must be a pretty exhausting life to be on the lookout for every corner and every person that comes across you. He really cannot tell who is genuine and who is not. It has come to the point that he doesn’t believe anyone–just like his mother told him.
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.