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User
Reviews 6
Approval 75%
Soundoffs 29
Album Ratings 337
Objectivity 80%
Last Active 01-03-23 10:23 pm
Joined 07-22-13
Review Comments 11,768
| (Frank) Ocean's 10
I’ve been meaning to flex my writing fingers a bit, so I thought I'd start small with something familiar to me. Frank Ocean's been one of my favorite recording artists since really beginning to develop an interest in popular music, mostly because I've always seen myself writing music in a similar style. His sweeping vocals, musical variety, attention to detail, and thematic style set him apart from his peers, who care more about their celebrity status than creating affective art. These are my top 10 Frank Ocean songs. | | 10 |  | Frank Ocean
channel ORANGE
"Sierra Leone"
The list commences with this sultry, laid-back tune. The song breathes into life with a slow, echoing drum beat matched with some exhalations of pleasure. The intro imbues an image of making love in an exotic club with an open sunroof in which you can see a spectacular sunset come into view. A sublime experience. The song takes a slightly raunchier turn with Frank's "tidbits of intuition..." line, but then bursts into a euphoric string section with allusions to "Lennon Lullabies." I think it's, quite literally, supposed to be the musical equivalent of an orgasm. | | 9 |  | Frank Ocean
Nostalgia, Ultra.
"Novacane"
Speaking of sexy Frank Ocean songs, this one probably takes the cake (heh). Frank's vocals are cloaked by a cocky, confident tone that is less common for him these days, as he likes exposing his true emotions now, rather than hiding behind a front. What really appeals me to this song is the beat, specifically the bass-line that kicks in in the second verse. I don't know who played that bass, but give that man a raise! As a side-note, this song may have been our first glimpse into Frank's sexuality, because what straight man has ever said, "She has a rack like WOW!" | | 8 | | Frank Ocean
channel ORANGE
"Pink Matter"
If there is one thing that I have gleaned about Frank Ocean after listening to him for years, it's that he is very fond of being pleased. He almost seems like a pleasure scientist. In this piece of sonic research, Ocean draws a connection between pleasure and the color pink. And, I mean, he has a point. Reproductive organs? Cotton Candy? MAJIN BUU??? Truly, all things which create pleasure are pink. | | 7 |  | Frank Ocean
Blonde
"Pink + White"
What else is pink (and white)? This pretty song, which gets the job done with a fairly minimalistic approach (a characteristic seen on many of the songs on Blonde). The instrumentals are sparse, but those instruments that he did choose, with the help of Pharell, backed by Beyonce's stunning vocals, make for a unique tropical experience. From my perception, the subject of this song is Hurricane Katrina, and Frank seems to be revering this natural calamity as some kind of divine intervention from Mother Earth. This song is like finding beauty in the eye of a hurricane. | | 6 | | Frank Ocean
Blonde
"Nights"
This song reminds me of riding a bike with 3 gears. You start out slow. Kinda clunky. You aren't sure if you are enjoying yourself. You can even hear the chain grinding in the background. But, right before you are ready to give up, your hand slips down the gear, shifting it. New Beginnings... Instantly, you begin to feel more comfortable. The chain begins spinning smoothly, and somehow even the ground starts to level. Now, with the wind blowing in your face, your adrenaline begins to swell, and you shift that gear one more time Ding! Now, you are one with the wind. Your past can stay in the past, because it's only forward motion now. This is what freedom feels like.
And, yeah, that's how I feel about Nights. | | 5 | | Frank Ocean
channel ORANGE
"Pyramids"
This is perhaps Frank Ocean’s most impressive accomplishment. It's a song steeped in maximalism and over-indulgence, without losing Frank's status as the real luxury that the song has to offer. It begins with a triumphant arrangement dedicated to Cleopatra, held together by one of the most forceful synth lines I've ever danced to. A dreamy, yet mechanical interlude takes us to the second half of the song, which lays down the power in favor a cool, classy vibe. This segment tells the story of the constrained relationship between a stripper and her pimp. “The way she say my name makes me feel like I’m that nigga, but I’m still unemployed.” Has he become another one of her customers? As the song fades to gray, we are left on this cliffhanger, stuck in the margins between love and control. | | 4 | | Frank Ocean
channel ORANGE
"Sweet Life"
Privelege. I hate this term in casual conversation, because most of the time it's used with inflammatory intent; it’s a cheap, and overused insult. But, just because the insult is annoying, doesn't mean the accusations that we are priveleged aren't probably true. I know that I absolutely have been allowed certain things that the average human on earth do not receive. I had a cleaning lady when I was a kid for God's sake! This song comes from the position of someone who's had everything given to them. "So why see the world, when you got the beach?" What’s been pushed to the periphery of your point of view? | | 3 | | Frank Ocean
Blonde
"Self Control"
Is love beautiful anymore? It sometimes feels as if our generation has lost a spark that our ancestors once had: we don't fall in love because we want to, we fall in love because we feel we need to. Relationships are viewed by many as being a foolish endeavor, ultimately leading to pain. And who can blame them? It’s so easy for intricate bonds of trust formed over years to be shattered in an instant, and the actions that burn these bridges are more condoned and celebrated by our society year by year. We know that when one falls in love, they are faced with a test of their self-control: will you use it, or will you lose it? And whatever option is chosen, the romantic is left exhausted, and in need of release. | | 2 |  | Frank Ocean
Endless
"At Your Best (You Are Love)"
So, does this mean that love has lost its luster? Is it a value not worth pursuing anymore? No. Without love, we lose an essential element of what makes us alive; what makes us human. We are, by our very nature, beings of love. Whether it be love for a craft, love for a person, or love for ourselves, every connection that we make; every opinion that we form is based on judgments of love and care, or lack there of. The question shouldn’t be “Do we value love?” but instead, “What love do we value?” | | 1 | | Frank Ocean
channel ORANGE
"Bad Religion"
Who is Frank Ocean? On the surface, he is an entertainer with a falsetto that could shatter glass and graceful instrumentals laced with tangible emotion. But, as essential as these properties are to Frank’s music, they do not fully encapsulate his purpose for creating art, nor how he can be defined as an artist. If you strip away the superficialities by which we identify and judge musicians, what’s left is a terrified boy, frantically searching for his own meaning, within a hive of people telling him what it should be. Naïve enthusiasm has degraded into a cynicism towards his sense of reality. No longer does he believe in the utility of believing in something, now anything that brings him to his knees is a bad religion. He’s become a skeptic, a contrarian, one who would wail “Allahu Akbar!" as the choir breathes it’s final amen. Who is Frank Ocean? I doubt even he’d be able to answer. | |
nol
10.28.18 | Honorable Mentions:
Nikes
Crack Rock
Biking
White Ferrari
Provider
Spent a lot of time and mental energy writing this list. hope you all enjoy !! | Sinternet
10.28.18 | 5 is 1 die | nol
10.28.18 | oh and if this is controversial, which i know it is, its cus I went with my gut instincts | Djang0
10.28.18 | 6 is 1 but besides that gud list | granitenotebook
10.28.18 | really good list
3 is my fav, i'm not into channel orange as much as you but good taste overall and i those descriptions are great | nol
10.30.18 | so hows everyone feeling today? |
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