In the year 2012, there were few albums more anticipated than Frank Ocean ‘s Channel Orange : After releasing his Nostalgia, Ultra mixtape in 2011, Ocean began writing new songs with producer/songwriter Malay , who helped him record the album in the EastWest Studios in Hollywood, leaving his mixtape samples behind to make a whole new R&B sound.
1. Thinkin Bout You
A tornado flew around my room before you came Excuse the mess it made, it usually doesn’t rain in Southern California, much like Arizona My eyes don’t shed tears, but boy, they pour when I’m thinkin’ ’bout you I’ve been thinkin’ bout you I’ve been thinkin’ bout you, do you think about me still? Do ya, do ya?
On Channel Orange ‘s first single , Frank reflects on his first love, ultimately revealing that he still has strong feelings for that boy, and wonders if he’s been able to move on or if he just happens to feel the same way he does. this track.
2. Sweet Life
You’ve had a landscaper and a house keeper since you were bornThe starshine always kept you warmSo why see the world, when you got the beach?Don’t know why see the world, when you got the beachThe sweet life
In this track, Frank explores the idea of how money and wealth “numb” people to the problems of the outside world, ironically asking, why see the world when you have the beach?
3. Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
We end our day up on the roof I say I’ll jump, I never do But when I’m drunk I act a fool Talking bout, do they sew wings on tailored suits I’m on that ledge, she grabs my arm She slaps my hand It’s good times, yeah Sleeve rips off, I slip, I fall The market’s down like 60 stories And some don’t end the way they should My silver spoon has fed me good A million one, a million cash Close my eyes and feel the crash
Inspired by Steven Soderbergh ‘s film Traffic , Ocean continues the theme of luxury and glamour: this time the song explains how a life full of material value can never satisfy someone like love and happiness, and in the final verse , Frank’s character embodies a fall from the roof of a building, where he began his day in the song.
4. Pilot Jones
You always smokin’ in the houseWhat if my mother comes over?You can’t get up and get a jobCause this little hustle’s getting you byYou’re the dealer and the stonerWith the sweetest kiss I’ve ever known
In this track, Frank talks about how his first love is compared to a drug using the Pilot Jones double entendre , which sounds similar to the English phrase Pile of Jones , symbolizing simply marijuana.
5. Crack Rock
You don’t know how little you matter until you’re all alone In the middle of Arkansas with a little rock left in that glass dick Used to date a blonde, you used to hit it raw Cause she was and you are madly involved, madly involved Hittin’ stones in glass homes You’re smokin’ stones in abandoned homes You hit them stones and broke your home Crack rock, crack rock Crack rock, crack rock
In this track, Ocean talks about a man suffering from crack addiction, inspired by the story of his grandfather, who was a mentor in groups like Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.
6. Pyramids
We’ll run to the future, shining like diamonds In a rocky world, rocky-rocky world Our skin like bronze and our hair like cashmere As we march to the rhythm on the palace floor Chandeliers inside the pyramids, tremble from the force Cymbals crash inside the pyramids, voices fill up the halls
In this nearly 10-minute long track, Ocean talks about the ancient history of the black woman, and her gradual decline from Queen in her homeland to her now demeaning role in the West.
7. Lost
Now you’re lost, lost in the heat of it all Girl, you know you’re lost Lost in the thrill of it all Miami, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Spain, lost Los Angeles, India, lost on a train, lost
In track number 11 of Channel Orange , the protagonist is a drug dealer who uses his girlfriend as a mule, and sees his partner get lost in the intensity of the jet-setting lifestyle of drug dealing, money and gifts.
8. Bad Religion
He said “Allahu akbar” I told him, “Don’t curse me” “Bo Bo, you need prayer” I guess it couldn’t hurt me If it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion, ooh This unrequited love To me, it’s nothin’ but a one-man cult And cyanide in my styrofoam cup I can never make him love me Never make him love me
In this track, Frank Ocean initiates an impromptu therapy session in the backseat of a taxi, opening his heart wide and telling the driver about a painful love affair that feels like poison in his drink glass.
9. Pink Matter (feat. Andre 3000)
What if the sky and the stars are for show And the aliens are watching live From the purple matter? Sensei went quiet then violent And we sparred until we both grew tired Nothing mattered Cotton candy, Majin Buu, oh, oh, oh, oh Dim the lights and fall into you, you, you My God, giving me pleasure Pleasure, pleasure, pleasure Pleasure over matter
10. Forrest Gump
My fingertips and my lips They burn from the cigarettes Forrest Gump You run my mind, boy Running on my mind, boy Forrest Gump
As its name implies, the song references the movie of the same name, and is written from the perspective of Forrest’s love interest, Jenny. It’s a metaphor for the feelings Frank still has for the man he wrote about in his Tumblr post.
