Tyler, The Creator Stands Firm on Not Performing Cherry Bomb Live

Tyler, The Creator has built an impressive catalog over the years, but there’s one album he refuses to bring to life on stage—Cherry Bomb. Despite pressure from fans, the Odd Future rapper has made it clear that his 2015 project will not be part of his live setlists.

During a break on his Chromakopia World Tour on March 24, Tyler addressed the ongoing requests for Cherry Bomb performances. In response to a fan on X (formerly Twitter) who claimed to have started a chant for the track “Deathcamp” at one of his concerts, Tyler shut down the idea:

“Chant all you want (I hope you don’t, it’s mad annoying during the show) I’m not gonna play it, chanting doesn’t make me magically wanna play it.”

In a video from the show, Tyler doubled down, expressing his frustration with the chants. He told the audience that most of the crowd doesn’t even want to hear Cherry Bomb tracks and that his decision wouldn’t be swayed by their persistence.

Despite this pushback, Tyler remains positive about his tour experience, sharing on X that the Chromakopia Tour has been “wonderful so far” and thanking fans for attending.

A Complicated Relationship with Cherry Bomb

Tyler’s refusal to perform Cherry Bomb stands in contrast to his previous praise of the album. In a 2017 interview with Fantastic Man, he called it his “favorite” project at the time, even ranking it above Flower Boy, which later became his first Grammy-nominated album.

However, he also admitted in a conversation with Jerrod Carmichael that Cherry Bomb was “hard to get into” due to its experimental sound, despite boasting features from artists like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Pharrell. Tyler acknowledged that the album’s reception was mixed, saying:

“I mean, I opened a rap album with a rock song. Most [listeners] were like, ‘Ugh!’”

Not the Only Album He’s Critical Of

Cherry Bomb isn’t the only project Tyler has distanced himself from. In a 2023 appearance on the Rap Radar Podcast, he called his debut album Goblin “fucking terrible,” though he still appreciates its raw energy.

“If you were there, that energy and that aura cutting through what everyone else was doing is so important,” he explained. While he still enjoys tracks like “Yonkers,” “She,” and “Tron Cat,” he admitted that many of the songs on Goblin were thrown together without much structure.

Tyler, The Creator’s unwillingness to revisit Cherry Bomb on stage reflects his evolving artistry. While some fans still hold out hope, it’s clear that Tyler has moved on—and he’s not looking back.