#Channel orange download frank ocean series#
Entwining his own personal heartbreaks with figments of his imagination, he painted a series of portraits to engulf the listener and disguise himself. It’s a sonically diverse record, and Frank didn’t hesitate in flipping and switching the sound of the album from track to track – and as often as you’d hear twists and turns in production, he mirrored the movements in the perspectives within the stories. On Channel Orange, he did just that, falling into the role of omniscient storyteller. “The work is the work, the work is not me,” he said. Speaking to the New York Times in 2012, Ocean discussed his desire to disappear into his work, like a director creating something of their own while maintaining a level of anonymity. His openness brought a much-needed ambiguity into the mainstream: a voice against biphobia, for those still trying to define themselves, or for those who feel no need to. What could be seen as a tool of his storytelling was also a defiant act in itself – an artistic rejection of identification. In his later work, Ocean has remained distinctly fluid, particularly in his use of gendered pronouns. In the subsequent years, people have attempted to crown him as a gay icon, classing the letter as an official coming out announcement – but Frank himself has made it clear, in a GQ interview, that he’s reluctant to delineate his sexuality with labels and boxes. He detailed, in a simple computer screenshot, that his first love was a man, and how it ended in heartbreak and confusion. Here, we look back on the album that showed us why no one else is quite like Frank Ocean.Ĭhannel Orange was released in the aftermath of an open letter that Ocean posted to his Tumblr that stirred huge speculation about his sexuality. Five years later, it remains a symbol of what it means to be utterly individual. Five years ago, the idiosyncratic R&B singer-songwriter released his debut album, the game-changing Channel Orange, establishing himself as a quasi-mythological creature. This level of dedication didn’t come from nowhere. His sound has not, and perhaps cannot be replicated. When you’re a Frank Ocean stan and you’re in the mood to listen to his music, you have no choice but to listen to him: peers like Miguel, Syd, or any of the artists you might find on the ‘Related Artists’ tab of his Spotify page can’t satisfy that thirst.
His name has a poetic allure, and he sparks a fascination that borders on obsession for many – myself included. While new artists and new releases fill our ears and flood our playlists every day, since 2012 Frank Ocean has done the seemingly impossible in today’s music landscape: he’s made his fans wait.
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