I realized they were written in a language I did not yet speak." And, whether consciously or not, Channel Orange's language is admirably- and skillfully- inclusive. the ones I played when I experienced a girlfriend for the first time. After realizing he was in love with a man, Ocean "reminisced about the sentimental songs I enjoyed when I was a teenager. Its beautiful ambiguities had people reacting with sensational headlines, and then amending those sensational headlines, and then thinking about how and why they personally reacted to such sensational headlines. But it will not be the album's only legacy.Īside from its bravery, Ocean's letter was, in itself, stunningly written.
This is changing, and Frank Ocean is helping it to change, and if his revelation inspires others to understand themselves or the world more fully, then that could be one of Channel Orange's finest legacies.
For a culture that accurately prides itself on sonic progression, hip-hop and R&B can be woefully conservative when it comes to sexuality. In light of the letter he published earlier this month, in which he stated that his first love, at age 19, was with a man, that line- and others on the album- gains some personal and historical context. As written, it's by-and-large a unisex composition, and the line, "my eyes don't shed tears, but boy they pour when I'm thinkin bout you," didn't seem especially revealing since Ocean wrote the song for a woman. The "Thinkin Bout You" mix-up was telling for another reason, too.
studios gave him the experience to create a piece as accomplished and varied as Channel Orange, which swings from Stevie-style keyboard breeziness to 1990s bap&B to mystic psych rock to crunching 8-bit funk without thinking twice. And while he's now primarily writing songs for himself, his time toiling in L.A. After languishing as a behind-the-scenes writer for pop stars including Brandy, John Legend, and Justin Bieber, with "Thinkin Bout You" Ocean doubled down on the out-of-nowhere success of his unique and brilliant 2011 mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra., marking his territory as a performer in his own right. The fact that Ocean's take dwarfs Kelly's both artistically as well as in terms of popularity is telling. When Ocean dropped an early take of "Thinkin Bout You" on his Tumblr last summer, it was quickly followed by a version from perfectly competent Roc Nation signee Bridget Kelly, who claimed Ocean originally wrote the song for her. He tells himself white lies in the verse before flipping to a falsetto that could make D'Angelo sweat for the endless wound of a chorus: "Do you not think so far ahead?/ Cause I've been thinkin bout forever." It's all there on proper opener "Thinkin Bout You", where he battles his own brain while reminiscing about a first love. On Channel Orange, this serene deadpan is splashed with crackling emotion, as though he's alternately narrating and starring in his own Magnolia-style cross-wired-heartbreak epic. (In his defense, Chanel doesn't officially make men's clothing even though they show it on the runway.) Just know even if you dress like Frank, you'll look great, but we can't make any promises regarding your singing or songwriting abilities.Along with Ocean's empathy for his characters is a sense of repose- he's been there, he's weathered it, and he's come away with his Zen-like calm intact. Below are the three pieces Frank Ocean is wearing on the cover if you want to recreate the look this spring-surprisingly none of which are actually made by Chanel. The same goes for what he's sporting on the "Chanel" album cover. In the past he's worn Givenchy, YSL (before Hedi Slimane took the reigns), Air Jordan, and even Vetements while somehow managing to not look like a hypebeast. Last night, reclusive songwriter Frank Ocean surprised fans by releasing a new single, " Chanel." Musically, it's classic Frank Ocean: half-sung, half-rapped, and all poetic, particular when it comes to the signature line of the song, "I see both sides like Chanel." (A reference to Chanel's interlocked "C" logo.) But Ocean isn't just a musical genius-he's also a well-rounded talent who separates himself from his peers with understated clothing choices, though he still wears some of the coolest of-the-moment brands on the market.