Tyler, The Creator is back again. Earlier this week, the rapper surprise-released “DOGTOOTH,” the first single off his forthcoming CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale. Now, he’s back again with another song off the expanded edition of his 2022 LP, “SORRY NOT SORRY.” Of course, the song is already making its way to the top of the Genius Top Songs chart.
In a tweet following the release of “DOGTOOTH,” Tyler explained that every new song on The Estate Sale was a track that “didn’t make the final cut” when the standard version of the project was released. “Some of those songs I really love, and knew they would never see the light of day, so Ive decided to put a few of them out,” he explained.
Produced by Tyler himself, “SORRY NOT SORRY” features one, long verse that finds the rapper apologizing for his past and present behavior and mistakes. He opens the verse by apologizing to his family for not coming around as much as he probably should.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry I don’t see you more
I’m sorry that the four minutes where you see your son could feel like a chore
Sis’, I’m sorry I’m your kin
Sorry we ain’t close as we should’ve been
He seems to allude to his former music collective Odd Future, which split in 2015, a few lines later. Tyler apologizes for letting ego get in the way of making more music as a group.
Sorry to my old friends
The stories we coulda wrote if our egos didn’t take the pen
Next up, Tyler sends out apologies to both the men and women who may have been hurt while he was struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. He’s since become more open about the topic in songs like 2017’s Flower Boy cut “Garden Shed.”
Sorry to the guys I had to hide (Ooh)
Sorry to the girls I had to lie to who ain’t need to know if I was by the lake switchin’ tides, too (Tides)
Tyler’s apologies become a little less sincere as the song goes on. He throws out sarcastic sorrys for turning down a night of awkward “small talk over dinner,” for not wanting to “bro down” with a new acquaintance, and for driving around in gas-guzzling, environment-destroying luxury cars.
Sorry Mother Earth, polluted air with chemicals and dirt
These cars ain’t gonna buy and drive themselves
What the hell you think I work for? Not to not explore and stay the same (I’m)
Tyler closes out the verse by calling out all his haters who think they can do his job better than him. He’d like to see them try, but until they reach his level, he only has one thing to say to them.
But niggas claim you arrogant when they can’t relate to moments of feelin’ great
So they aim, duck-duck-duck ‘em
Shot right back, buck-buck-buck ‘em
Sorry, not sorry (Buck ‘em, buck 'em)
I got two words, fuck ‘em
“SORRY NOT SORRY” arrived alongside a self-directed music video, where people are seen entering a live exhibition featuring the many different eras of Tyler milling around a field.
You can read all the lyrics to “SORRY NOT SORRY” on Genius now.
