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Frank Ocean - nostalgia,ULTRA
Posted: 1/8/2021 by Sam Bailey ( See All) Show:(2011) This is the beginning of a series of Frank Ocean reviews, spanning his mostly mainstream discography from 2011's "nostalgia,ULTRA" to "Blonde", his most recent work.
Frank Ocean, barely known to the world in 2011 past his Tumblr presence, was on the edge of breaking through to the world of music stardom when he released "nostalgia,ULTRA". This album is full of covers and interpolations that date the album to the 21st century, from MGMT references to a cover of a little-known Coldplay song that even I didn't know about until I heard Frank sing it. The album is split into parts, each divided by an interlude of cassette noises and alarm clocks, sometimes accompanied by music. The breakout singles of the album "Novacane" and "Swim Good" are some of the poppiest in Frank's discography, beside giants like "Nikes" and "Thinkin Bout You" in his later works. Frank appeals to the listener's, and mine especially, nostalgia by naming video games and using recognizable songs as blueprints for his first album, one notable example being his incredibly done version of "Hotel California", instead changed to the story of the tragedy of lost, but fleeting love in the wasteland that America calls a dating scene in "American Wedding", my favorite track on this album even after multiple listens. Frank's moral values are expressed on "We All Try", unifying those who disagree on conspiracy theories, marriage rights, and other important issues inside a track that's shorter than three minutes. Frank's ties to Odd Future are still strong at this point in his career, which is why even "We All Try" isn't a full representation of his self identity, but waiting until "Channel ORANGE" better explains that discrepancy. The funkiness of this album shines in songs like "Lovecrimes" and "Songs For Women", two songs that highlight Frank's flow and taste in lush, heavily layered instrumentation (plus a reference to his record collection in "Songs For Women", so props to him). Frank's college days are far behind him by the time the album came out, but his penchant for dwelling on the past as a means of therapy and processing emotions is beginning to show, which leads to his next major album, "Channel ORANGE" in which he describes parts of his life as an analogy to flipping through TV channels and watching a show or two. Stay tuned for "Channel ORANGE", "Endless", and "Blonde"!
Recommended If You Like: R&B, Stevie Wonder, 2010s pop music, Coldplay covers
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