Tyler, the Creator spoke on how social media has fomented a fear of dancing in public after a listening party for his surprise 2025 album. In a post on X, he wrote about how people seem reluctant to move with abandon because cameras are always rolling, which is why he banned phones at the release event for “Don’t Tap the Glass.”
Featured VideoFans are truly vibing with this sentiment, agreeing that fear of becoming a meme is stifling a key form of human expression.
Dance like no one’s filming
In Monday’s post, Tyler, the Creator talked about friends who said they won’t dance in public. The culprit is all those phones with their sneaky cameras, threatening to expose us to online ridicule.
Advertisement“I asked some friends why they don’t dance in public and some said because of the fear of being filmed,” he wrote. “I thought damn, a natural form of expression and a certain connection they have with music is now a ghost. It made me wonder how much of our human spirit got killed because of the fear of being a meme, all for having a good time.”
This was the inspiration for the listening party for his surprise new album, “Don’t Tap the Glass,” released on July 21. As a 10-track follow-up to 2024’s “Chromakopia,” the run time is just over 28 minutes—his shortest release yet.
The rapper often promotes his work on his active social media accounts, plus regularly throws listening parties for new albums.
AdvertisementThis one was no exception, but the latest party had some unusual rules. Held at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles, phones and cameras were not allowed. Dancing, however, was required.
Tyler, the Creator described it as “one of the greatest nights of my life.”
Advertisement“Everyone was dancing, moving, expressing, sweating,” the post continued. “It was truly beautiful. I played the album front to back twice, it felt like that pent up energy finally got released and we craved the idea of letting more of it out. There was a freedom that filled the room. A ball of energy that might not translate to every speaker that plays this album but man did that room nail it.”
Social media reacts: “Truly one of the greatest to do it”
The artist’s message certainly struck a chord with fans. Many agreed that the constant threat of cameras is stifling everyone’s urge to express. We know well here that any creative behavior can quickly turn into someone’s meme nightmare.
Somebody needed to fight back and get people to dance again, and Tyler’s doing it. One fan on X, @Stingworth, marveled at how “dude’s friends didn’t dance so he made them an album to dance to; he’s truly one of the greatest to do it.”
Advertisement“This isn’t just a tweet…. It’s a release,” said @missezhoneyeyez. “A reminder that our joy, our bodies, our expression… none of it should be for public approval. It’s sacred. It’s ours. You’re not just making music. You’re breaking chains.”
User @labubuowner wrote that “the one thing I really love about Tyler is that he’s really trying to push people to actually enjoy music for what it is again.”
Tyler’s social media message also helped his fans figure out the true meaning of the album title.
Advertisement“WAIT IT’S CALLED DON’T TAP THE GLASS CUZ HE WANTS US DANCING AND OFF OUR PHONES OOOOHHHHHHH I GET IT,” said @RiskE80_.
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