The Best of Frank Ocean Download
Frank Ocean | New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
© Tyler Kaufman / Contributor
We had to wait a long time for Frank Ocean to release the follow-up to his Grammy Award-winning 2012 debut album, "aqueduct ORANGE." But it finally happened in 2016, when the enigmatic artist released non one but two new projects: "Endless," a video album, and the music anthology "Blonde."
In 2005, Body of water fled New Orleans afterward his studio was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. He went to Los Angeles, where he wrote songs for large artists like Justin Bieber and Beyoncé. Eventually, Body of water fell in with Odd Hereafter, which seemed bizarre but it somehow made a lot of sense. In 2011, his strange, Eagles and Coldplay-loving "Nostalgia, Ultra" mixtape blew minds. The following year he released "channel Orange," which earned him tons of praise and awards.
So, silence. Lots of silence. More silence than an Ingmar Bergman film.
Frank Ocean
© Tim Mosenfelder / Contributor
Ocean's second anthology was supposed to driblet in 2013. So 2014. Then 2015. Then 2016. And so at that place were more delays. But and then Ocean finally delivered the goods. "Blonde" made it onto our list of the 25 best albums of 2016. It was worth the wait. And while nosotros wait for the adjacent big musical statement from Sea — who knows, it could happen today or could happen in 2020, there's no style to tell — hither are his 12 best tracks then far.
12. "No Church in the Wild" (with Kanye West, Jay Z and the Dream)
Peradventure this is cheating considering it is not technically an Ocean vocal. But imagine if this opening track from Jay Z and Kanye West 's "Watch the Throne" album did not begin with Frank singing the following:
What's a god to a not-believer?
Who don't believe in anything?"
The song would not exist as mesmerizing and powerful and urgent without Bounding main. This is heavy stuff. So heavy, in fact, who else but Ocean could fifty-fifty pull it off? Nobody. That's why Kanye and Jay asked him to do information technology. Ocean has a certain depth others lack.
11. "American Wedding"
So y'all might think this is merely Ocean singing directly atop the music from the Eagles' massive hit, "Hotel California." If so, y'all are exactly right. Ocean tells an American love story, from the kickoff to the tragic cease (SPOILER: divorce). And the original "Hotel California" is an epic, near vii-minute-long song, so this is also an epic, long, slow burner. As well, since none of the borrowed runway is chopped, the entire guitar solo remains. It'southward ridiculous and perfect.
x. "Super Rich Kids" (with Earl Sweatshirt)
"Starting time my day up on the roof, at that place's cipher similar this type of view," sings Ocean. He's living *the* life. A puddle, surrounded past friends, specifically super rich kids, who, it turns out, are terrible and maybe don't make the best friends. No parents. Maids. Jaguars. Everything perfect, even the shower head, which Ocean, a singer for whom no item is besides jejune, says, "feels astonishing." It sorta sounds like Elton John's "Benny and the Jets," right? And in the middle Sea specifically references Mary J. Blige'south "Real Love." Then Frank's Odd Futurity pal Earl Sweatshirt spits a lethargic simply complex verse. And the day ends where it began — on the roof — until the fall.
ix. "Strawberry Swing"
So you might think this is just Ocean singing directly atop the music from Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing." If so, you are exactly right. Just you actually need to pay attending to Ocean's lyrics. The Coldplay vocal is a typical beloved story, but Sea flips it into a post-apocalyptic romance epic that ends with spaceships "lifting off of a dying world and millions are left behind while the heaven burns." Let's hope Ocean gets this weird and, actually, even weirder on his new album. More than spaceships, delight.
8. "Ivy"
This second rail from "Blonde" has that same sorta indie rock vibe equally "Lost." A guitar line pushes forward, providing a minimal framework equally Ocean tells the story of growing up and falling in love and having regrets. "Nosotros'll never be those kids again, it'south not the same," he sings. It ends abruptly with some falsetto and an autotune scream and clanks and feedback — because Frank loves to keep united states guessing.
vii. "Pyramids"
The nearly 10-minute-long version of this track from "channel Orange" is like two tunes crammed into 1 but seamlessly. It's an odyssey and Cleopatra is involved and it's cute. The first function is funky; the 2d role, smooth. Cleopatra is working at "the pyramid" and Sea is making very hip demands, such every bit, "Let it be some jazz playing." Oh yeah, it also features a guitar solo past John Mayer, which is something.
6. "Novacane"
Frank is in love with a adult female involved in the adult film business just who aspires to exist a dentist on this single from "Nostalgia, Ultra." They met at Coachella. They had a blast. They stayed together. She blew his mind. When she's effectually, it'south like novacane, a local coldhearted often used by dentists when they do stuff similar rip teeth out. "I still can't feel my confront," he sings, and if that line sounds familiar, information technology'south considering the Weeknd borrowed it. This is one of the songs that actually shows Ocean's unique storytelling skills. It's a love story, but he slams his ain special stamp on information technology.
5. "Sweet Life"
Pharrell Williams had his paws on this "channel Orangish" single that earned Ocean comparisons to Stevie Wonder due to its strong '70s R&B vibe. It's a semi-dystopian tale about the bourgeois lives of the Beverly Hills elite who lay effectually the pool and look at mirrors all day while landscapers and housekeepers do their muddied work. But there's something strange going on, too, and it's not clear what it is exactly: "But this neighborhood is gettin' trippier every day / The neighborhood is goin' ape shit crazy." Another great example of Body of water'southward ability to tell a story and take it in a peculiar, mysterious management while belongings the listener's attention.
four. "Lost"
When it comes to switching styles, Ocean is brilliant. Information technology is this chameleonic aspect that has "the world" scratching its caput, wondering what the heck this new album's gonna audio like. "Lost," a funky, rocking pop vocal, sounds like it could be from indie-rock band Spoon's "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga." It's romance and the road combined. It's getting lost in the jet-set life, and losing yourself and losing love along the mode. (Note: It was after covered past Diplo and Major Lazer, featuring vocals by MO.)
three. "White Ferrari"
This standout "Blonde" track that's about a auto merely also well-nigh and then much more a car was cowritten with Kanye West . The credits likewise include John Lennon and Paul McCartney, because it includes a reference to the Beatles'south "Here, There, Everywhere." That's pretty proficient company! Like most of "Blonde," information technology's perfectly austere, with simply a guitar and Sea'due south voice. "Mind over matter is magic," he sings, "I do magic." It'south a powerful, cute, magical moment.
two. "Swim Good"
This unmarried from "Nostalgia, Ultra" is absurd and bleak at the same fourth dimension. Information technology's about losing at beloved and life as a whole, cranking up some banging music in a banging car and then driving that car straight into the ocean. Similar the Pixies' song, "Moving ridge of Mutilitation," information technology is ane of the all-time songs ever made virtually driving a car direct into the body of water. Frank, unlike many pop stars, can make compelling, fun music about dark subject affair. This is ane of the reasons why he rises up.
1. "Thinkin Bout You"
Non enough love songs begin with a tornado. But "Thinkin Tour You," a certified platinum and Grammy nominated single from "channel Orangish," does — this is why nosotros need Frank Body of water. Also, the homo'due south lovely falsetto burns so bright. There is nearly cypher more agonizing than thinking about a futurity globe that securely involves another person by your side and so finding out that that person's vision of a future world does not involve y'all. Ocean captures this feeling in such a deeply personal and relatable way here. For at present, this is his finest song.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Posted by: hughesslogummid.blogspot.com
