Tyler, The Creator at Ariake Arena, September 10th 2025

 

It’s been a while since my last show at an Arena of this size. Ariake Arena was built to host events for the Tokyo Olympics, so it is pretty much brand new. I really like that feeling of anticipation when walking through the large round corridors searching for your gate and walking past those enormous gaps -the gates. Getting a peak of what’s going on inside. Passing food vendors, restrooms, etc, until finding the actual gate, walking in and the huge contrast of the full illuminated arena with the stage. It’s a really cool experience.                         

My seat was the cheapest, so I sat way up and luckily for me I was at the end of a row with a wall next to me I could lean on when inevitably everyone will stand once the show starts. The amount of cosplay, furry hat, shorts and tie wearing patrons was larger than I expected, as well as the generational gap. The vast majority of people were under 25.

The lights went out at exactly seven o’clock and the opening group took the stage. Paris, Texas is an experimental rap outfit, according to their tag on the rateyourmusic page. The rapping was more of the pop kind, but the beats were definitely kind of industrial sounding. I thought they were good, I liked the last couple of songs they performed, Force of Habit and Lana del Rey.

About forty minutes after the end of the opening band’s set, the lights went out again, everyone stood up and the big screen behind the stage switched from Chromakopia to the warning Don’t Tap The Glass. As expected, the audience went nuts and Tyler, The Creator stormed on to the stage he will command for the next hour and a half, just by himself. The show opened with the first two songs from his latest surprisingly released album with the aforementioned title. The theme of the album, more focused on a loose vibe rather than a  concept, like in the latest Chromakopia, was perfect to propel the energy for the rest of the show.

He’s touring Chromakopia, though, so  he then moved on to play a large chunk of that excellent album. I’d say that at least half of the show showcased the album, highlighting its remarkable production leaning to soul stylings from the past. Millennial were vibing to the seventies, because that music is a never-ending fountain of riches. Tyler delivers a sound that appeals to multiple generations and knows that when a groove its been proven to groove, why trying to reinvent the wheel?

He’s been doing that for a while now. The first song he played from his back catalogue is arguably his biggest hit. Earfquake is rooted in that slow jam style and resonates strong. It was probably the best received song of the night. In abbreviated form he played a big number of previous hits, including another tune from Igor, the album closer Are We Still Friends?

Tyler is an incredible rapper, as he proved with tunes like Take Your Mask Off and the huge Who Dat Boy? He definitely has bars. The show ended with another big hit that got everyone singing along, See You Again and the fittingly album closer to Chromakopia, I Hope You Find Your Way Home. The show was a great combination of spectacle and amazing music, I’m glad I went. Keeping visual elements to a minimum. Carried by one man only, the focas was the music and the wide array of styles this unique artist creates and how it speaks to huge number of folks. At one point towards the end, he mentioned that this will be his last show in Japan for a long time, that touring has exhausted him. It’s totally understandable, especially after seeing the amount of energy he puts on the show. I’m very curious about what kind of music he’ll be making when he comes back.
 
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