On July 10, 2012, Frank Ocean released his debut album, Channel Orange. Frank named this album Channel Orange, since it is a reference to the neurological phenomenon grapheme–color synesthesia. He wrote Channel Orange as a youthful and unrequited love for another man. The genre of Channel Orange is of course R&B. Features of this album include Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, Andre 3000, and Tyler The Creator. Channel Orange has 17 tracks which equate to 62 minutes and 18 seconds.
Start is more of an audio clip than a song. The audio is the start of a video game.
Thinkin Bout You is a solid song off of Channel Orange. Everything with the well known chorus and just overall lyrics are great. Thinkin Bout You is a song examining the narrator’s thoughts and feelings of longing and confusion towards the object of his affections and whether or not he will be reciprocated.
Fertilizer is another audio clip about a person switching through channels and lands on an ad about sponsoring fertilizer. The ad is also a catchy tune from Frank.
Sierra Leone is a good example of just a good song. Good verses, chorus, production, and just writing overall. Sierra Leone’s lyrics are a meditation on the complexities of love and relationships.
Sweet Life is a great feeling song, like how Frank delivers his verses on this song is better than the songs before this track. Frank Ocean really uses his vocals in Sweet Life, which sounds amazing.
Not Just Money is the first time we see an audio clip with Rosie Watson, one of Frank’s friends’ moms. The audio clip is a person driving while listening to the radio, and Rosie Watson is talking on the radio.
Super Rich Kids is a favorite of mine because of the verses from Frank and Earl Sweatshirt. I just feel as if Frank’s and Earl’s verses fit very well together in Super Rich Kids. Super Rich Kids is a commentary on the often superficial and materialistic lifestyles of the wealthy.
Pilot Jones has a rocky start for me, but gets better in the later end. I really like how the chorus is written, how it was, and just overall how it sounds is great. Pilot Jones is a lyrical narrative about a troubled relationship between two people.
Crack Rock is another favorite of mine coming from Channel Orange. It just sounds amazing from the beat production, well written lyrics, good feeling this song gives, and the catchy chorus. Crack Rock is a song about the desperation and loneliness experienced when someone is addicted to crack cocaine.
Pyramids is a musical roller coaster with the different beats it has in 9 minutes. It overall is an amazing song, and also being a very popular song off of Channel Orange. Pyramids is a metaphor for the struggles of life, and a person’s search for success and purpose.
Lost is just a solid song off of this album. Everything is good, not bad but pretty good. It’s just Frank Ocean doing what he does. Lost is about the narrator in this track recounts his journey with a woman he loves and the obstacles they face along the way.
White is just a vibe throughout the minute. No lyrics, nothing crazy, just a great beat for you to listen to.
Monks has such jazzy music that I just love. The 2000’s production mixed in with Frank Ocean is music to anyone’s ears. Monks is somewhat abstract, but it seems to revolve around themes of escapism, spirituality, and freedom.
Bad Religion is a good track with the latter half being more my type of music. I just don’t see why it is as popular as it is. Bad Religion is a song about the pain of being in love with someone who can never reciprocate.
Pink Matter is a great song, and including the feature of Andre 3000 just makes this track so much greater. Pink Matter is a song that explores the concepts of identity and duality.
Forrest Gump is a nice song and a cool tribute to Forrest Gump. The song is just a good feeling song while talking about stuff that had happened in the movie. In this song Frank Ocean is singing about his feelings for someone he loves with admiration and respect – like the character Forrest Gump.
End, is the outro track and it’s a great way to end this album. The song from the radio is great and I wish we could hear the full version of it. And the way how this audio clip connects the other audio clips is great. And with the little lyrics we get from this song, it still touches on a number of themes, from the lies we tell ourselves and each other to the power of love and the importance of unity.
Frank Ocean’s debut album is an amazing album to start off with, and really sets the bar for his next albums to come, if they do. But overall, Channel Orange is a great addition to the 2010’s best R&B albums and really does everything it wants to do perfectly.
