2012 was a tumultuous year for a lot of people born in 1997 or 1996. It is our first year of high school; life was getting more difficult for us. On top of that, the world was supposed to explode by the end of it. Among the emotional trials and tribulations of freshman year, one event stands out above the rest. The release of Frank Ocean’s debut album, Channel Orange, stands out as an event that defined our generation.
It was what seemed to be a perfect album. There is not one bad song on that record, and it seemed to be the perfect soundtrack for that year. It discussed the emotional turmoil of growing up, and the disillusionment that comes along with it. This mostly seen in the song “Super Rich Kids.” The production and lyrics on the album was top notch, and I never thought Frank Ocean would be able to top himself.
It’s normal for someone to not expect much out of sequels. The second time around, a company is usually just looking to cash in on the hype of a primary success. The passion (if there was any) is usually long gone, and what emerges is a boring hollow shell of the original.
This could not be further from the truth of what happened with Frank’s newest album, “Blonde.” In a direct comparison, it blows Channel Orange out of the water. The main reason it does for me is that it is personal. The songs in Blonde tell a more personal story of Frank Ocean and his inner struggles to find meaning amidst the suffering of his life.
I think Frank Ocean wanted to separate the Frank that made Channel Orange from the one that made Blonde. He does this by being much more experimental with the production in Blonde. Channel Orange had very safe tried and tested beats and melodies that didn’t stray far the established norm of 2010’s R&B. Blonde on the other hand is more chaotic. The beats experiment more with opposing melodies, that wouldn’t work together according to music theory but just do.
In a word, it’s bold. I feel like Frank Ocean came out of his shell for this album. Channel Orange’s desire to stick with the norms reflects Frank’s fear that people won’t like music that is reflective of himself. However, with Blonde, he let himself go, and made music about how he really feels, and the project came out beautifully.
