I first listened to Frank Ocean around a year ago; while I liked what I heard and really loved a few tracks, I didn’t see the masterpieces that everybody else saw. Since then, I slowly began to appreciate his music more and more, up until January of this year, when I relistened to Blonde. This quickly put me down a rabbit hole, and he’s shot up the list of my favorite artists. These days, most people know Frank for his gorgeous production and generally depressing tone because of Blonde, and I find that many tend to forget about his earlier style that’s just as good. So, because of my recent obsession and the recent rumors of a new album, as well as my recent covering of Tyler, The Creator’s discography, I figured that I’d take a look at every Frank Ocean project, and why each one is special.
Nostalgia, Ultra (2011)
Favorite tracks: ‘Strawberry Swing’, ‘Novacane’, ‘Songs for Women’, ‘Swim Good’, ‘American Wedding’
Frank’s first ever project, Nostalgia, Ultra is often overlooked due to its status as a mixtape, which is very unfortunate. Aside from a couple songs, I actually hadn’t listened to this until a couple of months ago since it’s not on Spotify; however, I’ve listened to it a couple of times now and put it on the service through local files, and this still stands as a fantastic project that really should’ve been released as a studio album. If If Nostalgia, Ultra has one central theme, it’s exactly what’s in the title: nostalgia. The first track, ‘Strawberry Swing’, has a very nostalgic tone, as Frank reminisces upon memories he has with a childhood friend, with a lighthearted, uplifting beat. The mixtape’s various interludes are also named after various N64 and Playstation games, really nailing the vibe that it’s going for; even if the tone or lyrics can be dark, the entire album still consistently maintains the feeling of a summer break. While the tone is different from his later works, the lyricism and meaning behind this mixtape is still incredible; tracks like ‘American Wedding’ and ‘Swim Good’ are very emotional; ‘American Wedding’ focuses on how American marriages are often loveless and only exist out of the superficial nature that comes with it. ‘Swim Good’ tells the story of a man who, after dealing with guilt from past relationships and a lot of internal emotional struggles, is able to move past it.
‘Novacane’ and ‘Swim Good’ are absolute classics, and are the only tracks that have any streaming presence; while I wish that this album was able to get more widespread recognition, I’m at least happy that two of its best tracks are among Frank’s most popular. For a debut project, Nostalgia, Ultra is a very impressive accomplishment; Frank’s production and performance are just as good as they’ve always been, and there’s just as much emotional depth here as there is in any of his other albums. While I think that he has definitely topped this mixtape since its release, I still love it, and it made Frank an overnight sensation. The fact that he’s maintained this strong of a fanbase over the years is very impressive; he released two albums two years in a row, and then became a recluse, finally releasing another album four years later, and only a string of singles since 2016. The impact that Nostalgia, Ultra had is undeniable, and while Channel Orange is more popular, this original mixtape is the reason that Frank became popular enough to continue to have his work focused on so prominently.
Channel Orange (2012)
Favorite Tracks: ‘Thinkin Bout You’, ‘Super Rich Kids’, ‘Pyramids’, ‘Lost’, ‘Pink Matter’, ‘Forrest Gump’
After Frank released Nostalgia, Ultra for free, the record label saw the huge opportunity they missed, and gave Frank full creative control over his next project, which would be published as a full studio album. Channel Orange is an album about drugs, sex, and money, but most importantly, love. This has always been the most common topic in Frank’s music, but opposed to something like Blonde which is very bleak depressing with its representation of love and heartbreak, Channel Orange is a lot more upbeat, while still venturing into those darker areas at times. Even when the tone can become more somber in songs like ‘Crack Rock’ and ‘Bad Religion’, the production is still upbeat and reminiscent of both pop and R&B, making for a very easy tracklist to revisit. This is also the project where Frank came out as bisexual, specifically on ‘Bad Religion’, which focuses on his struggles with religion and his newfound sexuality. Channel Orange has no linear narrative, but it has a very specific tone that no other Frank project has replicated; it can be fun and lighthearted, while also having a consistently melancholic tone over the whole project. As always, Frank gets very personal, and the combination of his lyricism, production, and singing creates some of the best R&B songs I’ve ever heard.
I have a deep love for a lot of songs on this album, but two stand out to me as genuine masterpieces of production, performances, and emotional significance: ‘Pyramids’ and ‘Pink Matter’. Every time I hear ‘Pyramids’, I’m left astonished by what the track is saying and how well it says it; it compares the story of Cleopatra to a relationship that Frank was in, as well as a historical story of how the black man and woman fell from royalty in ancient Egypt to the disrespect and mistreatment they face in modern America. Cleopatra brought dishonor to her country by falling in love with Mark Antony, a Roman conqueror who wanted to take Egypt for his own empire, and after both of them died, Egypt stopped being an independent country. The song relates this to a modern black couple, in which the woman in the relationship is a stripper, calling the club she works in a pyramid. She’s abused by the men who worshiped and honored Cleopatra centuries ago, and although her relationship is messy, there is love in it, just like Cleopatra and Antony. All of this is set over a runtime that’s just below ten minutes, with two distinct beats- the first half is a relentless electronic beat that somehow fits the theme of ancient Egypt, despite the use of electric production. The second half slows it down a bit, and features a similar, but much more relaxed beat with a lot of synthesizer worked in. Every time I sit down and really think about ‘Pyramids’, I just have to wonder how Frank managed to think up something like this; I have never heard a song like ‘Pyramids’, and the concept behind it is so genius that I’m always left speechless by the end.
‘Pink Matter’ is my other favorite off of this album, and while it does feature much more low-key production, but I still wouldn’t call this a relaxing song. The entire track is set over a strangely haunting guitar twang, and just like ‘Pyramids’, the subject matter is on a very grand scale to fit the beat. ‘Pink Matter’ mainly discusses a woman from a male gaze, but not the one that you’d typically expect. Frank compares a woman to the human brain, asking if a brain is just a “container for the mind”, and a woman is just a “container for the child”; this is also where the term pink matter comes from, as gray matter is what makes up a large portion of the human brain. He decides that he loves this woman, and she’s far more than just a vessel for his child; he sees that she’s a lot more than just an attractive person, or the pink matter, just like the mind is far more than the gray matter of the brain. It gets pretty introspective, as Frank questions the importance of the human race in the grand scheme of the universe in the line “What if the sky and the stars are for show / And the aliens are watching live“, detailing Frank’s internal conflicts; it’s complex, just like the anatomy of a brain. After some of the best lyrics on the entire album, André 3000 himself makes an appearance, delivering what is genuinely one of the best features I’ve ever heard; outperforming Frank Ocean is a difficult feat, but if anybody can do it, it’s André Benjamin. 3000 raps about the post-relationship state he’s in, and how he feels like he’s going through drug withdrawals. It’s a very powerful verse, and the lyricism is simply genius, allowing for multiple interpretations of each different line. Frank then returns for a few more lines, once again referencing his bisexuality- a new term, blue matter, is introduced, and he states that “Blue used to be my favorite color / Now I ain’t got no choice”.
I know that this album’s review turned into an analysis of two specific songs, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the implications of these two tracks recently, and felt a desire to finally reach a conclusion on what they are truly saying. I’ve barely even discussed any other of this album’s tracks; songs like ‘Thinkin Bout You’, ‘Super Rich Kids’, and ‘Lost’ are simply fun to listen to, and provide some great lyrics. The whole album is expertly produced, and the blending of many different genres provides a lot of variety to keep the album fresh as you listen. I do think that it gets stronger as it goes on, but the quality is overall very consistent. I would not say this album is overlooked or underrated by any means, but when compared to the insane popularity of ‘Blonde’, it does get overshadowed a little bit. This earlier era of Frank can be pretty different from his more recent output, and I understand why some people prefer his earlier work. If you’ve only listened to Blonde, or only have a passing knowledge of Frank, I would strongly recommend giving Channel Orange a listen. It may not my absolute favorite Frank album, but it’s still a masterpiece.
Endless (2016)
Favorite Tracks: ‘Alabama’, ‘U-N-I-T-Y’, ‘Wither’, ‘Rushes’, ‘Higgs’
Endless is something I didn’t even know existed until recently, and it’s hard to describe what it even is; released on Apple Music, Endless serves as something of a companion piece to Blonde: a visual, musical… experience? Art piece? This is a fascinating release, and features a far different vibe than any other Frank album. The production is very ambient, with a lot of spacey and dreamy beats; it fits very well with the black and white visual style the cover and short film have. The short film runs for the entirety of the tracklist, showing Frank in a warehouse, building a spiral staircase- a seemingly endless task. Visually, there’s some fantastic camerawork at play, even though many of the shots look similar; the monochrome color palate and static shots fit the tone of the music very well, and make for a memorable experience. Instead of a direct look into Frank’s psyche, this is a very psychedelic and strange album, with no real message or tone. Everything melts together; it’s hard to separate specific songs and interludes, almost like an endless loop. It’s definitely my least favorite of Frank’s discography, but don’t misunderstand me; Endless is still a worthwhile project. It’s very raw and can be a little jarring at times, but the vibes coming off of it are interesting enough to warrant a couple listens, and there are definitely still some standout tracks. I was excited to see Sampha, an incredibly underappreciated artist, make an appearance on ‘Alabama’; the two singers’ voices blend beautifully. One aspect of Frank’s music that is often overlooked is his ability to pull a great feature out of other artists- while it is rare for him to feature anyone else, it’s always incredible whenever he does. I’d probably like this a lot more if the short film wasn’t attached to it; it certainly makes the project more conceptually interesting, but it makes it more difficult to listen to on its own. However, I still recommend this, especially since most are unfamiliar with it.
If you don’t have Apple Music like me, here’s the Vimeo link I watched it on: https://vimeo.com/641198049
Blonde (2016)
Favorite Tracks: ‘Nikes’, ‘Ivy’, ‘Pink + White’, ‘Self Control’, ‘Nights’, ‘White Ferrari’
Here we are, the one you’ve been waiting for; this is one of the most impactful albums of the past decade, and those that will tell you it’s overrated are wrong. Blonde is essentially perfect from every standpoint; aside from interludes, this is a no-skip album, and while I do prefer the first half of the tracklist to the second, the quality is consistently incredible. Many didn’t connect with this one as much as Channel Orange when it first released, and I understand why, as they’re very different- Blonde‘s production is far more ethereal and graceful, creating an entirely different vibe than the one present on Frank’s earlier projects. It has a very bittersweet feel, as tracks like ‘Pink + White’ and ‘Self Control’ have some of the most beautiful instrumentals I’ve ever heard, while the subject matter is among Frank’s most personal. I’m not really somebody that would listen to an instrumental version of an album, but I would gladly listen to a lyric-less version of Blonde if it was ever released; there’s something so peaceful about the whole album, while also managing to instill a somber feeling in you.
Blonde doesn’t necessarily follow a specific narrative either, but the whole thing is centered around a relationship that Frank had at one point, when he was a lot younger; It’s all about heartbreak, maturing, and all of the emotions that come with it. While Frank’s music has always revolved around his relationships and emotions, he shows a new side of himself here, and it reflects in the production. I think that the album being more of a collection of thoughts and emotions around a period of time in Frank’s life, and not a linear story, is part of what makes it so special; I’ve seen so many people form a connection with Blonde and its various tracks for so many different reasons, and I’m always amazed to see how this album can mean so many different things to so many people. There are many ways one could interpret the meaning of certain songs or lyrics on this album, and I believe that it takes a few listens to truly appreciate it. You need to mature with it, just like Frank learns to over the course of the album. This has become one of my favorite albums; it may seem strange that I’ve talked about it so little in comparison to Channel Orange, but it’s difficult to describe exactly why Blonde is so special. In fact, this entire article has been difficult to write, because there’s just nobody quite like Frank Ocean. I think that most people have been able to tell that there’s something different about his music from the start; it’s good enough that he can go for almost a decade without releasing a new album, and he’s just as popular as ever, if not more.
In addition to his albums and mixtapes, Frank has released several singles throughout the years- I’ll do a quick lightning round of some of my favorites.
‘Chanel’- A beautiful, soulful track in which Frank utilizes his R&B talents to create his moodiest single, that also still manages to be extremely catchy.
‘Biking’- There are two versions of this song: one with Frank, Tyler, and Jay-Z, and one with just Frank. While I love Tyler’s verse in the original, I tend to prefer the Solo version, as Jay’s intro is a bit too lengthy and quiet for the energetic song that ‘Biking’ is.
‘Provider’- A smooth, chill showcase of Frank’s vocal range; I only recently discovered this track, but it’s great, and is very unique in a discography full of unique songs.
‘DHL’- This was my favorite Frank song for awhile; it’s a perfect night driving song, setting a chill atmosphere, and giving two different beats that make relistens addictive.
‘In My Room’- One of Frank’s most fun and upbeat tracks ever; I love the energy present on this one. This is easily one of my most listened to Frank songs just due to its short-but-sweet presentation and extremely catchy flow- this is one of the only times I’ve seen Frank approach a rap-like verse.
