The Unrequited Love for Frank Ocean

in the vast landscape of unique artists and music today i don't think there's a musician that tells the line between being deeply relatable and completely mysterious quite like frank ocean often described as elusive and introverted each sighting of him sparks frenzied excitement in his fans uh good evening and [ __ ] frank rarely does interviews but i think his music speaks for him better than any interview he could give yet even with his lyrics providing deeply personal anecdotes it always seems like we're barely scratching the surface of understanding him so we cling onto his every word and move i think maybe a bit too much he gives us bits and pieces of him fleeting moments and snapshots into his life small glimpses into who he is but as fans we always seem to want more more music more tweets more tours and basically anything we can get from him and as we steadily escalate the pedestal we've purged him on it becomes more apparent he's not that comfortable with this rapid fandom he's an artist who enjoys making music and living his life in private he's never been all that interested in maintaining parasocial relationships and i don't blame him so in this video i'll be re-examining his discography to understand why we feel so attached to his music while we want so much more from him and reflect on what exactly draws us to the enigma that is frank ocean when i first came across frank ocean he was just one of the dozens of names that made up odd future the rap collective led by tyler the creator they were mostly composed of talented but crass foul-mouthed envelope-pushing teenagers who had a penchant for using disturbing imagery and lyrics coated with dark humor they say success is the group exploded in popularity following tyler's hit single yonkers which was accompanied by the infamous music video that featured him with black eyes a cross on his middle finger and eating a cockroach the video and song exemplify the group's habit of using shocking aesthetics and incendiary lyrics to elicit a reaction from listeners they made a name for themselves with their wild antics and their flavor for ironic humor and mock self-awareness i have to crash the banana oh my god so when frank's debut mixtape nostalgia ultra released just six days after yonkers it was pretty surprising to hear such a heartfelt genre bending project making that was a labor of love it was like difficult you know to make not like writing the songs or arranging the songs i mean that had a level of difficulty too but just piecing together all the resources to do it you know at the level that i wanted to like the quality of record i wanted to make maybe it spoke to the group's ethos of pushing boundaries but nostalgia ultra felt unlike anything in odd future and even the r b landscape as a whole as our future impacted my career absolutely they've um liberated my thinking in some ways creative creatively and in a sense of knowing that you can do a lot of it by yourself you know not just the songs but just taking control of your whole movement for context frank released the mixtape independently for free without any warning to the point where the people who helped worked on the project had only known him as the pseudonym lonnie bro in an interview with the ringer reggie rojo jr an engineering intern said i had no clue about the name frank ocean throughout the entire process until after the album dropped when it came out it was like what who's frank ocean and sure enough i reached out and he was like change my name the project put frank on the map as execs from his record label famously tried to sign him to a deal without realizing he was already signed to them back in the early 2000s music genres were much more rigid and defined r b was r b indy was indie and rock was rock sure there were genre crossing collabs and mashups but for the most part if you were a black singer you were expected to follow the mold of usher neo or trey songz with tracks featuring any combination of piano chords smooth synths claps and classic catchy lyrics you could sing along to i have to admit i was used to what r b was supposed to sound like i was used to the club bangers and the videos with broken hearted dance choreography in the rain so when i first heard frank's mixtape and heard these weird interludes with sounds from classic video games along with instrumentation more fit for an indie album it didn't really click with me i don't think i was ready for nostalgia ultra in 2011 but the idiosyncrasy of the mixtape eventually grew on me with its kaleidoscope of genres merging to form something novel and captivating frank's experimentation is most notable in songs like strawberry swing american wedding and nature fields [Music] instrumentally these songs are identical to the original songs they sample with frank's vocals being the only addition it's similar to freestyle raps with the artist expressing the stream of conscious thoughts and emotions over familiar beats in this instance frank uses these samples to create a unique atmospheric listening experience highlighting a collage of influences it reflects frank's unwillingness to define himself by any genre he even listed nostalgia ultra's bluegrass and death metal on itunes he didn't want to be shackled to any mold or preset idea of what genre he had to be when asked about how he felt about being called an r b artist he rhetorically replied if i said you were a dove but you were a swan would that be accurate from his record label pigeon holding him as just a songwriter to the eagles drummer don henley calling frank a talentless prick and threatening to sue him for the sample of hotel california eagle sample has no chance in hell of being cleared frank seems like an artist who's always been misunderstood at every step it's a theme that's been present throughout the entirety of his career as record labels critics and even fans have tried to interpret and define him nostalgia ultra jumps from confessional personal commentary to fictional stories at times his lyrics are genuinely sweet and vulnerable while other times he's cynical and jaded one of my favorites from the mixtape was novacaine it flashes his storytelling skills as the lyrics unfurl like a scene from a movie he details meeting a girl at a music festival where she offers him drugs laced with novocaine a numbing anesthetic used by dentist with the skipping baseline the song feels like a spiral into a drug-induced high on the surface it plays like a wild adventure filled with sex drugs and beautiful women but the lyrics depict frank as a detached person trying to find anything to help him feel something muted in the video frank rubs a topical numbing cream all over his face which makes him appear to melt it was like clear what i was trying to do i was just trying to connect or articulate visually the feeling of being numb like the feeling of somebody trying to love you but you can't feel it and ultimately all these vices don't help them at all and as the song ends he repeatedly says i can't feel a thing highlighting the drug's effectiveness and numbing his pain but also his inability to feel pleasure or anything at all i wouldn't describe nostalgia ultra as a cohesive or comprehensive project but it showcased the different facets of frank's artistry as he created a subversive musical experience the elegant way he pieced together lyrics with a unique subdued aesthetic made his words deeply resonant it displayed frank's willingness to be unapologetic and what kind of artist he wanted to be he wouldn't be following the path of anyone before him but instead trailblazing his own the critical success of nostalgia ultra fueled his next project channel orange in his first studio album frank approached music making like the director or writer of a film his personal life may have inspired the music but each individual song exemplified a self-contained narrative in a 2019 interview about his writing style he said the expectation for artists to be vulnerable and truthful is a lot when it's no longer a choice like in order for me to satisfy expectations there needs to be an outpouring of my heart or my experiences in a very truthful vulnerable way i'm more interested in lies than that like give me a full motion picture fantasy he later elaborated by clarifying that lies in this context was synonymous with creating fantasies when i read that statement i was pretty surprised as i've always thought of his music as being deeply personal and intimate but after listening to channel orange again i realized that the majority of the songs were obviously fictional scenarios but i still felt connected to them on an emotional level because they depicted honest intimate feelings in relationships like in one of the highlights of the album pink matter where he asked his teacher philosophical questions he obviously hasn't had real conversations with the sensei probably but the song brings forth genuine questions about the universe men's relationships to women and existentialism addressed in a way that feels right out of an akira kurosawa film the song is about the swirling existential thoughts we have and how something as simple as sexual pleasure can distract us from these looming ideas and even lure us into deep depression and irrational actions just as a film can make us cry or feel bonded with the characters it's never been necessary for frank or any artist to have to make autobiographical music for it to be meaningful and relatable to its listeners channel orange is a collection of narratives moments and commentaries that may or may not have actually happened yet still resonate with us because they highlight greater truths we've all experienced and know to be true on top of experimental and vibrant sounds like in one of my favorite songs of all time thinking about you the lyrics feel like the white lies we tell when we try to play cool while revealing our feelings for someone a tornado flew around my room before you came excuse the mess it made it's a cleverly worded vulnerable song about the anxiety of being in a one-sided love affair in this song frank's afraid to admit the extent of his feelings often beating around the bush and indirectly revealing a fear that his aspirations for a lifelong relationship won't be reciprocated [Music] but at the end of the day thinking about you is about asking the dreaded question of what are we and coming to terms with the possibility the question will forever change the dynamic of the relationship ending the good times they had with each other [Music] in the multitude of stories told in channel orange probably the most talked about song was forrest gump where he uses tom hanks's famous character as a metaphor for his first love with church organs and the twangy blues guitar he describes the person as having a pure heart but maybe being too foolish to understand frank's feelings for him but she kept running past the end zone [Applause] still frank thinks of him fondly and holds a special place in his heart for him it's a simple song compared to the complex lyrics that make up the rest of channel orange but it's one that stuck with people due to its connotations about frank's sexuality just before the release of channel orange he posted an open letter on tumblr reminiscing on his first love which was a summer fling between him and another man essentially preemptively confirming that forrest gump is based on his own experiences it wasn't exactly the first time he's hinted at being something other than straight but it's the first time anybody noticed it was a pretty big deal at the time and it unfortunately remains controversial for men to express themselves in any way that's deemed feminine that includes discussing relationships with other men as homophobia is still widespread given this context and the following controversy it was bold for frank to openly express affection for a male partner in his music something which caught a lot of people off guard but i don't want to spend too much time on how important or meaningful it was for him to come out because it wasn't about representing an overlooked community but rather being true to himself in a 2012 gq interview he elaborated on this saying as a writer as a creator i'm giving you my experiences but just take what i give you you ain't gotta pry beyond that i'm giving you what i feel you can feel the other [ __ ] you can't feel you can't feel a box you can't feel a label don't get caught up in that there's so much something in life don't get caught up in the nothing it's like when steven spielberg releases a movie even if it's based on his own experiences it's appreciated independently from him as a freestanding body of work as art separate from the artist and that's how i think frank wants us to enjoy his music at the end of the day even if we admire him for his art and respect him as a musician he's only human he's just a guy not a god after the release of channel orange frank was bombarded with critical praise commercial success and dozens of awards including two grammys he was even slated to perform at the 2013 grammy awards show which seemed to be the perfect stage for his ascension as the next big star in music but rather than performing some of the more up-tempo songs from the album he decided to sing forrest gump in a production he later admitted was hampered with technical difficulties he didn't exactly follow the classic rise to pop super stardom but i don't think conventional routes ever fit frank's mo when asked about frank's next move after channel orange collaborator pharrell williams said frank's like the wind man there's no predicting it so when frank started working on his next album rumored to be titled boys don't cry we should have known it wouldn't go the way we thought it would even as he publicly stated its supposed completion multiple times and set release dates the album never came to fruition in the four years after channel orange in this time he rarely made musical appearances or released any music at all the uncertainty of his next album made it seem like he might never release another project in the same vein as lauren hill who famously left the public eye and never released another album after a classic solo debut in 1998 the miseducation of lauren hill just like frank lauren grew tired of fame and the constant attention she received the only difference was that frank kept updating us with the release dates that came and went while promising new music that never seemed to materialize interestingly his musical absence and constant delays didn't hinder his career but may have even aided it as fans continued to pine for his return so when he started sharing cryptic posts and videos of him woodworking hinting at another release date many of us were skeptical if it was actually going to happen but finally in august 2016 he released endless a visual album originally debuting as a 19-day live stream it showed frank building a staircase in a static black and white setting containing snippets of instrumentals [Music] tuning in to watch it was a bewildering experience as there was no explanation to the visuals no time stamps or titles to the songs or any details about what the project was supposed to be eventually the completed visual album was released it was released exclusively on apple music so fans that didn't have access to the streaming service weren't able to experience it i didn't have apple music at the time but i found alternative ways to see what it was all about it felt like one of those audio visual exhibits at contemporary art museums that play on continuous loops all day you walk in without knowing if you're at the beginning middle or end but the point being to immerse yourself in the moment and absorb the aesthetic qualities permeating your senses in the present the tracks melt into one another with frank's vocals drowning in reverb like we're listening in a giant empty studio hall the sound waves bouncing off dozens of walls as we hear countless echoes the cover of relias at your best excellently sets the mood of the project as it sounds like a dreamy sultry ballad with silky strings layered on top of frank's voice [Music] he took inspiration from the movie atl oh his nostalgia for the original song as well as the scene in atl makes his cover sound like a hopeless romantic idyllic notion of what love is it's a feathery track that embodies the feeling of being head over heels for someone and asking them to reaffirm their feelings for you one more time endless can feel almost ambient at times which makes distinguishing tracks from one another difficult but i think the individual songs don't matter that much for endless i don't think it's about listening to the lyrics or dissecting the meaning but rather sitting in the moment and getting lost in the sights and sounds it's a visual album where the visuals and frankly the songs don't matter that much they're best appreciated in the background as you go about your day occasionally noticing something that catches your eye or ear the visual elements of the project aren't very dynamic they just show multiple franks as he builds a staircase there's a modest sense of satisfaction watching him slowly woodwork seeing the staircase escalate as the album progresses upon completion he finally takes a look at the work he painstakingly created and climbs up the steps and what we find on the other side of this venture is just frank presumably getting ready to work on another staircase just as the title suggests the work put in is endless the finished product provides no greater meaning i think it represents the idea that we should appreciate the process and not worry too much about its conclusion like that classic saying to just enjoy the journey and not the destination in this case there isn't a destination at all so all we can do is enjoy the moment but frank wasn't quite done yet the disappointment some fans experienced when endless dropped was short-lived considering frank's next big move there's been a ton of videos and articles about what endless meant for frank behind the scenes how it finessed his record label out of 20 million and allowed him to release his next project blonde independently the very next day so i won't delve much into that aspect of the project blonde easily overshadowed its predecessor as it was more widely available on streaming services and afterwards seemingly the whole world caught on to frank it's his most successful album and habitually makes appearances in the billboard top 200 to this day as listeners constantly revisit the album on the surface you would think the success was based on pop appeal and radio hits but blonde is actually his most experimental work with pitched up vocal effects and accompanying ethereal sounds it feels like something he recorded by himself laying down on the couch with a guitar and maybe an npc singing into a microphone about his deepest personal experiences simply as an outlet for his emotions with no intent for anyone to actually hear it it's a genuinely intimate listening experience that reflects his change in writing approach for the project so if you notice blonde seem much more autobiographical than his previous work it's because it is in a 2016 new york times interview he said i wrote channel orange in two weeks the end product wasn't always that gritty real life depiction of the real struggle that happened while i still get the sense frank doesn't want to feed into the celebrity status he seemed to find a sort of peace with the fandom he's gained over the years in the same interview he said sometimes i'm fascinated with how famous my work could be while i'm not so famous super envious of the fact that daft punk can wear robot helmets and be one of the most famous bands in the world while also understanding that will never be my situation it's too late it's hard to articulate how i think about myself as a public figure i've gotten used to being frank ocean the narratives present and blonde are much less fantastical than those in channel orange as they follow more private and confidential experiences i think this is why so many of us connect to blonde because it uniquely touches on our deep-rooted emotions and innermost vulnerabilities and regrets like in the opening lines of the second track of the album ivy frank sings about the euphoric feeling and possibly even genuine disbelief he has when his partner reveals their feelings for him but the song outlines how the relationship failed partly because frank wasn't ready for it which causes irreparable damage to their friendship they'll never be as close as they were but they both know the feelings they had for each other still remains [Music] unrequited love is a consistent theme in frank's music but blonde seemed especially reminiscent of long-lost lovers and past mistakes more than any of his previous work there are so many favorites of mine on the album but solo stands out as one of the gems that show off frank's incredible lyrics akin to other slow almost spiritual ballads on the album like self-control siegfried and godspeed solo features a subdued church organ as frank recounts a night of partying and dancing with a partner he's enamored with while in some instances he sings about the joys of single life it's clear he wants more i gotta tell ya gotta tell you how much i vibe with you and we don't gotta be so low in solo he's left alone in his room getting high to avoid the feeling of being solo a play on words meaning alone as well as feeling low in the chorus for solo frank sings by his forsaken circumstances while also alluding to the state of the world around him but even in the depths of his despair he finds an isolated happiness in drugs his hallucinated state is his one escape from a lonely reality the lyrics are a double entendre as he reveals how each puff takes him away from his miseries and brings him closer to nirvana [Music] and if i'm talking about my favorite songs from blonde it'd be a crime to leave out nights nights feels like a low key parallel to pyramids one of the epic standout songs from channel orange while pyramids is a nine minute odyssey with a story about ancient egyptian queen cleopatra juxtaposed with a sex worker called by the same name in modern times knights doesn't aim for such grand imagery with the strip guitar strum frank sings about struggling to maintain a relationship through the monotony of life while juggling work and worrying about paying bills he reminisces about his time as a starving artist taking no days off and finding moments of relaxation [Music] even with this not so extravagant depiction of his life the song builds a synth wave sore past frank's vocals culminating in a sputtering guitar pattern that skips into an iconic beat switch [Music] the second half of knights is much more nostalgic as frank looks back at the pleasures and sorrows of his past life over a chopped piano sample blonde is definitely his most personal project with the last song for tour free ending with what feels like a montage of home videos even the album's title alludes to his publicly undefined sexuality with his use of both gender spellings of blonde it continues his career-long objection to rigid labels and a longing for simpler times he's proven to be an enigmatic artist unwilling to work in the confines of our expectations it's the reason he declined to submit blonde for grammy consideration citing the grammy's history of excluding black artists from bigger awards and how in the same year he wrote chanel a song that feels like a freestyle about the many dualities of his life he also collaborated with jay-z and tyler the creator to make a tranquil song like biking that's just about riding a bike for the most part since blonde he's released or appeared in a dozen or so songs so he hasn't quite disappeared but there hasn't been much noise about another full-fledged album so we're left in a familiar position where we're waiting for frank and i think that's okay i think back to this interview where he talks about recording covers the songs he loves saying in the past i would just like a song and i wouldn't think about it as seriously as when i do close to you or moon river or at your best it's much more deliberate than when i was just focused on the rap mixtape approach of taking a beat or flow swapping the lyrics and performing it the performance almost being the stream of consciousness in the moment thing whereas now i would much prefer having the song be with me for more time before i have to record it so just as he sat with those songs until they held a meaningful place in his heart before covering them we shouldn't obsess about the next release the next album or the next song but rather cherish the music we have let the music he's provided us through the year sink into our lives and marinate in our thoughts when asked in 2019 if he was going to work on any new music he said my answer to that is that i'm always working on music and other things right now i'm working on doing four underwater laps in the pool frank's always done what he wants if he ever releases music again whether it's a single or an album he'll do it at his own pace we may never fully understand him or know what to expect but we don't really have to i don't know if it's about me but i think just creativity in general um just doing what you want is so important you know doing what you feel is is right i want people to know that i'll continue doing that no matter what the they think i should make i'll always make what i want to make and what i feel is is the tightest hey guys it's terrance just wanted to thank everybody for watching the video it's been five years since the last frank ocean project so needless to say it's been a tumultuous time for frank ocean fans everywhere let me know what your favorite frank projects are also check out our patreon if you get the chance any support helps us make bigger and better videos thanks again peace

Channel: Quality Culture

Views: 185,826

Keywords: frank ocean, frank ocean blonde, frank ocean endless, frank ocean nostalgia ultra, frank ocean channel orange, frank ocean analysis, frank ocean video essay, frank ocean explained, frank ocean essay, Frank Ocean breakdown, Understanding Frank Ocean, Frank Ocean Meaning, Frank Ocean reaction

Id: qzyKcZS39Y4

Length: 25min 45sec (1545 seconds)

Published: Tue Sep 07 2021