In Two Nights, Tyler, The Creator Immerses Manila In His ‘CHROMAKOPIA’

It’s been days since Tyler, The Creator’s first-ever concert at the Araneta Coliseum for his ‘CHROMAKOPIA’ World Tour, and I still can’t get the show out of my head.

I’ve followed Tyler Gregory Okonma since his Odd Future beginnings all the way to his latest album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS. Over that span, he has shaped entire cultural movements for teens growing up with the internet, his craft evolving alongside his audience. Today, he’s not just known as a musician but the very image of a multidisciplinary creative — balancing his music, his fashion line Golf Wang, and a world of characters that he has built with a level of detail that borders on perfectionism. It’s no surprise that his fans channel that same creative energy back into him.

That energy was already palpable even before stepping inside the venue. Gateway Mall was teeming with kids dressed in Tyler-inspired fits: earthy tones of green, brown, and white layered into preppy streetwear; furry ushankas straight from Tyler Baudelaire’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST era; blonde wigs and sharp suits reminiscent of IGOR. Everywhere I looked felt like a living gallery of his personas, and I couldn’t help but feel part of it myself as someone who sported a similar outfit.

Naturally, given Tyler’s heavy involvement in the creation of his tour merchandise, getting my hands on a piece was part of the ritual. I researched what I wanted, set aside the budget, and showed up four hours early just to secure a piece. But of course, thousands of others had the same idea. Lines snaked out of the green gate and wound around the stairs of the nearby parking garage.

The show kicked off with Paris, Texas, an alternative trap duo who blew me away with their chaotic yet magnetic presence. They turned the arena into their playground with “girls like drugs,” “HEAVY METAL,” and more. By the end of their set, chants, jumps, and screams made it clear — they’d earned a whole new wave of fans, myself included.

When Tyler stormed the stage, the energy skyrocketed. Opening with DON’T TAP THE GLASS tracks “Big Poe” and “Sugar On My Tongue,” he had the crowd leaping from the jump — literally. His greeting to Manila segued seamlessly into “St. Chroma,” and the entire dome erupted with stomps, screams, and even barks. As he plunged deeper into the world of CHROMAKOPIA, the stage exploded with shifting lights and bursts of fireworks. At one point, bathed in neon green and surrounded by pyrotechnics, Tyler simply stood still, surveying the chaos he’d conjured in the mosh pits. Somehow, his stillness was louder than the spectacle.

Each new track brought its own visual identity. “Rah Tah Tah,” “Noid,” “Darling, I,” “Sticky,” and “Take Your Mask Off” were each paired with light work that bent the stage into a different atmosphere, elevating the performance into something immersive. Overhead cameras capturing Tyler from above only emphasized how meticulously the show had been designed — every angle considered, every detail in sync.

He then shifted into a career-spanning medley, two tracks each from nearly all his albums (save for Cherry Bomb, unfortunately). Hearing songs like “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” “EARFQUAKE,” “She,” and “Tamale” in one go was surreal, though each was shortened to a verse and chorus. Still, even compressed, the thrill of hearing those iconic songs live outweighed any disappointment. Honestly, had the set list been twice as long, not a soul in the arena would have complained.

The emotional core of the night came with “Like Him.” For a venue as massive as Araneta, the moment felt almost private — his voice filling the air as the crowd gently echoed back harmonies. “See You Again” followed in much the same way, the audience willingly stepping in as backing vocalists in equal parts “La, la la,” and “Okay, okay, okay.” Then, the mood flipped as he launched into “NEW MAGIC WAND,” easily my highlight of the show. Watching Tyler perform it live — jerking, snarling, and commanding the stage — was like watching all the viral clips come alive, only ten times more unrelenting.

To close the show, he delivered “I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” a bittersweet sendoff that hushed the arena into stillness. But Manila wasn’t ready to let go. As chants of “Isa pa! (One more song!)” filled the dome, Tyler charged back out for an encore of “Sugar On My Tongue.” By then, no one cared about filming. Phones stayed in pockets, and the crowd surrendered fully to the beat — one last collective release.

For all the fireworks, lights, and choreography, the most staggering thing about the show was Tyler himself. His stage presence alone was enough to leave many like me trembling, caught between awe and disbelief that I was even there.

Days later, I still find myself replaying the shaky videos I took with my own screams drowning out the audio. Friends who were there have confessed to doing the same — we’re all clinging to those one and a half hours we shared. Tyler himself admits he may not know when he’ll be back in Manila, but when that day comes, he won’t just find an audience waiting. He’ll find a city already holding space for him.