Navigating Apologies: Sincerity vs. Sarcasm
“SORRY NOT SORRY,” the second single and final track off CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale, highlights Tyler's complex relationship with apologies. The song weaves between moments of genuine regret towards those he may have wronged and sarcastic dismissals of those he feels have wronged him. This back-and-forth creates a fascinating tension throughout the track.
Visual Storytelling: A Journey Through Tyler's Era
The song's music video reinforces this theme of duality. Flashing through imagery from every stage of Tyler's career – from his iconic Cherry Bomb mask to his Sir Tyler Baudelaire persona – the video becomes a visual timeline of his discography. It underscores the journey of self-reflection and evolution that "SORRY NOT SORRY" encapsulates.
Soulful Sampling and Introspection
The song's foundation lies in a sample from the 1978 track “He Made You Mine” by Brighter Side of Darkness. This soulful backdrop adds a layer of nostalgia and introspection to Tyler's lyrics. He starts with heartfelt apologies to family, friends, and ancestors, acknowledging past hurts and the weight of expectations.
Defiant Individualism: Rejecting Expectations
However, a drastic shift occurs. Tyler becomes unapologetic for the person he is and the path he's carved. He rejects external judgment, focusing instead on his individual well-being and creative growth. He challenges societal obsessions with performative pain and questions the need for vulnerability dictated by public expectations.
Success, Contradictions, and Self-Awareness
Tyler celebrates his success, asserting that material wealth pales in comparison to his talent, work ethic, and the decisive choices he's made. He recognizes how this can be perceived as arrogance but doesn't shy away from owning his achievements. The song closes with Tyler wrestling with internal contradictions. He feels the burden of history and societal responsibility but also the seductive pull of luxury and individual ambition. This unresolved tension reveals the ever-changing, multifaceted journey of an artist navigating fame, self-reflection, and the unwavering demand for personal autonomy.
Listen to Tyler The Creator Sorry Not Sorry
Tyler The Creator Sorry Not Sorry Lyrics Meaning
Navigating Regret and Choice
Tyler begins the song with a mix of genuine and seemingly forced apologies. He regrets how his focus on other pursuits has led to distance from his mother, son, sister, and old friends. However, he immediately shifts tone, sarcastically apologizing to past romantic partners he misled, acknowledging his wrongdoing within this specific context. These apologies establish the song's main themes of regret, personal choice, and the complexity of navigating relationships.
Boundaries and the Right to Privacy
With a focus on boundaries, Tyler questions the need to broadcast his personal life for public consumption. He feels frustrated by those who stalk him, pry into his affairs, and criticize him for wanting privacy or not engaging in small talk. He makes a strong statement about his right to set limits in terms of what he shares, emphasizing that his art is his form of personal expression.
Success, Expectations, and Navigating Criticism
Tyler moves into an exploration of success and the expectations that come with it. He references his wealth but stresses that money isn't the true measure of a person's value. He also calls out the hypocrisy of those who accuse him of being arrogant as soon as he's found material success. He addresses a societal obsession with performing vulnerability, dismissing the idea that everyone's problems are unique. Finally, he navigates a changing cultural landscape, challenging assumptions around pronouns and modern sensitivities while defending his hard-earned right to express himself.
Contradictions and Unapologetic Success
The final section delves into the contradictions of success. Tyler acknowledges a conflict between his environmental conscience and his luxurious lifestyle. He's aware of the impact but justifies it as a result of hard work. He embraces the change and growth he's undergone but is defensive towards fans who may perceive him as different. Highlighting past struggles and the challenges he's overcome, he declares his unapologetic stance about his current success. He closes by fiercely rejecting external judgment, emphasizing his talent, passion, and the confidence he has in his own journey.
Tyler The Creator Sorry Not Sorry Lyrics
[Intro: Tyler, The Creator & DJ Drama]
Pardon me, excusez-moi (I'm sorry)
Yeah, I coulda made a better choice, I mean, what the fuck?
I'm sorry, I'm fucking sorry
Yeah
[Verse: Tyler, The Creator]
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
Sorry to my old friends
The stories we coulda wrote if our egos didn't take the pen
Sorry to the freaks I led on (Nah, for real, I'm sorry)
Who thought their life was gonna change 'cause I gave 'em head on
But instead, I sped off, yeah, I know I'm dead wrong
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)
Anyway, I don't wanna talk (Ooh)
Sorry if you gotta dig for info I don't wanna give
So you stalk, make up fibs, just to talk about my private life 'cause you're weird (Uh)
Met that girl this year (But), that's none ya biz
Give enough with my art, know your place
My personal space, y'all don't need to to be a part
I'm sorry I don't wanna link and small talk over dinner
I don't even drink, can't guilt trip me, I'm ice cold, roller rink
Nigga-nigga-nigga, read the room
Don't assume niggas is cool
Stay in your pocket, this is pool
Blah, blah, blah, blah 'bout trauma
You ain't special, everybody got problems, uh
Sorry I'm not empathetic (Nah, I'm fuckin')
Sorry you think I'm pathetic
Sorry I don't wanna bro down
Sorry I don't know your pronouns
I don't mean no disrespect
But, damn, we just met, calm the fuck down
Oh, I'm out of touch and I'm a jerk?
A bank account could never match my worth (That nigga gettin' money, he a dick now)
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)
Sorry to the fans who say I changed, 'cause I did
Sorry you don't know me on a personal level to pinpoint what it is
I'm sorry to my ancestors (I'm so sorry), I know I'm supposed to fight (I know)
But this ice shinin' brighter than a black man's plight, I'ma make it right
In the meantime, I'll give some advice while these blood diamonds gettin' cleaned off
Nigga, fuck the price, spend it then, then again, I can't save niggas
I'm not Superman, but I could try
I'm sorry I'm pretentious
Sorry that the talent, knowledge, passion isn't missin'
Sorry when I talk my shit and I could back it up with confidence, it get you niggas trippin', man
Fuck the numbers, fuck a hook
You put me on a stage and I'll show you the difference
Let me see y'all hit a stage (No, y'all can't do it)
Let me see y'all write a page (Y'all not gon' do it)
Let me see you make a decision I made
And claim that I don't know about minimum wage or Section 8
Water in the ketchup bottle to stretch when niggas ate
Gettin' pressed by niggas hoppin' gates
Thinkin' it's normal 'cause you ain't supposed to make it past eighteen or escape the Figure 8 cycle
And I promise this is like a diet, I'ma make a way and I did, did
Feel good, work paid off, now we gon' celebrate
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
[Outro: Tyler, The Creator & DJ Drama]
Okay, cool
And like that
We really mean it this time
I guarantee another era is upon us
So once again, we gone