Transcription
2016 was an incredible year for music. One of the best in recent memory, and for all the negativity that came out of that year, we certainly needed it.
But the one album I seem to always come back to, regardless of my mood, be it relaxed or agitated, is Frank Ocean's "Blonde". There's a cinematic quality to that album that keeps drawing me in. The lyrical storytelling and the atmosphere it paints is like nothing I've ever heard before, and it's impressive how, without the use of a visual aid, the music shapes such vivid imagery.
Images of childhood and lost summers and especially cars, something that's been a staple of Frank's work since the beginning of his career, from the Ueno Clinic McLaren F1 GTR in the video for 'Nikes' to the 1988 BMW E30 M3 on the cover of 'nostalgia, ULTRA'. Cars are his language, but not in the conventional pop/hip-hop usage where cars are used as a symbol of status and wealth and, specifically, masculinity. Instead, Frank's cars articulate a sense of vulnerability or intimacy, and he also uses them as a conduit for storytelling. That sort of visual shorthand for landmark moments throughout his life.
His music, like driving alone, is very private and self-reflective, and cars are used as the framing device for his memories. F. Ocean: "I guess I'm just inspired to tell stories in my life like times that I've enjoyed and that mean a lot to me. I often go back to 'em soon. When I'm making music, that's really all you can draw from... um, right! You know, when your storytelling is your own experiences and memories and personal wisdom... ...and knowledge. So when I pull from that place, it comes along with pictures. When I'm trying to make a song, even the form of it, or even the part that doesn't have words [...] is still, you know, really trying to make a photograph out of something you can never see."
There's a cinematic influence that is present in all of his work, even down to his name. Originally Christopher Edwin Breaux, the change came from his love of Lewis Milestone's 1960 film Ocean's 11... starring Frank Sinatra. And that's something I really appreciate about Frank. He isn't subtle with his influences. He proudly wears them on his sleeves, and that offers a level of transparency... with his work.
If you go back to his first mixtape, it's filled to the brim with references and samples from Radiohead, MGMT, and The Eagles. If you're at all familiar with my channel, you know I use this soundbite at the beginning of each of my videos: That isn't "Lovers In Japan" by Coldplay. Not exactly. It's actually the intro track of "Street Fighter" which samples "Lovers In Japan", and I use it to set a mood of... comfort and nostalgia for my videos, the same way Frank does for the album, hence the name "nostalgia, ULTRA".
People think of Frank as this enigmatic figure, mysterious and hidden from the world because... he has a practically nonexistent social media presence. And that's hard to come by in our fame-obsessed culture. But the reason I feel a closer emotional understanding of his work than most other artists is because of its... personal depth and restraint. When every moment of celebrity is shared on social media, it loses a lot of the allure of storytelling. Your heartbreaking ballad about a lost love is a lot less heartbreaking when it's trending or when it was ghostwritten.
Frank disappeared for four years between projects to actually live a life before telling us about it. And with "Blonde", his adventures of cruising the suburbs of Tokyo in RWB Porsches and throwing... parties around England are all felt in the album. Frank takes you on a journey through his mind the whole time, keeping you as close as the passenger seat. And I think he said it best in his interview with GQ. He, as a writer, and as a creator, is giving you his experiences. Music is just a communication of identity, and Frank's lyrics act as a sort of inner monologue.
Fragmented memories triggered by different melodic shifts, and even if we don't know the references for... those memories, the atmosphere of the music shapes the context. And without speaking explicitly of movements or political stances, Frank is able to make small, introspective observations that are just as powerful as bold statements. His music is incredibly emotionally dense despite its component parts being very minimalistic. Some tracks like "Solo" being as simple as a single organ accompanying Frank's vocals, but the instrumentation is precise and purposeful. And that clean lines, stripped-down production is what really allows Frank to define himself as an individual voice.
And you can see that in his decision to use some of his superstar features as just musical textures throughout... the album. Kendrick Lamar, Jonny Greenwood, even Beyonce appears in the track painted in white, harmonizing in... the distance, but without checking the album's notes, you probably couldn't even guess she was there.
Artists as passionate and as insightful as Frank don't come along often. And with very little output, just a mixtape, two full-length LPs, and one visual album, Frank has proven to be... one of the most gifted new voices of this generation. And even if there's another four years between projects, I'm excited to see where he takes us next.
♪♪ Tyler The Creator - Hey You (Prod. Toro y Moi) ♪♪