Artist: Frank Ocean Genre: Pop/R&B Label: Def Jam Released: July 10, 2012 Recorded: 2011-2012 Debuted at No. 2 on the billboard 200

Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist, Soul Train Music Award for Album of the Year

Track list: 

01 Start 

02 Thinkin Bout You 

03 Fertilizer 

04 Sierra Leone 

05 Sweet Life

 06 Not Just Money 

07 Super Rich Kids (f. Earl Sweatshirt) 

08 Pilot Jones 

09 Crack Rock 

10 Pyramids 

11 Lost 

12 White (f. John Mayer) 

13 Monks 

14 Bad Religion 

15 Pink Matter (f. André 3000) 

16 Forrest Gump 

17 End

THEMES

Existential longing, unrequited love, spirituality, privilege, addiction

Frank uses his experiences of falling in love in California to set the feeling of this album. Many music reviews have described this album as a synesthetic experience. He has a great use of a variety of sounds including the violin, church organs, and piano while also incorporating some EDM. This album is relaxing and has amazing vocals. It feels like summertime when you listen to it. The lyrical themes are portrayed very well but not very coherent throughout the album. This album has is labeled as pop but I would argue that it is more R&B, although it could be placed in a variety of genres.

Album quotes:

“The starshine always kept you warm, So why see the world When you got the beach”

“It’s a, it’s a bad religion/To be in love with someone who can never love you”

“Taxi driver Be my shrink for the hour Leave the meter, running”

“I dreamt of storms, I dreamt of sound I dreamt of gravity keeping us around”

By Delphine Lach