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Channel Orange

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Untitled

Channel Orange (stylized as channel ORANGE) is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and OFWGKTA member Frank Ocean, released July 10, 2012 on Def Jam. Ocean announced the release of album on his personal Tumblr account unexpectedly on June 8. Following the release of his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra (2011), Ocean had recorded the album at several studios, producing the album primarily by himself with Malay and Om'Mas Keith. The album contains guest appearances by rappers Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, André 3000 and pop musician John Mayer. Pharrell Williams is credited as a producer on two tracks.

The album's subject matter ranges from the topic of unrequited love, socioeconomic disparity, disillusioned youth and religion. Lyrically, several songs on the album explore social commentary and extended narratives, with multiple tracks sharing themes and concepts with each other. The album received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised the boldness of the album and the lyrical merit.

Originally for release on July 17 2012, it was first released digitally on iTunes a week early.[3] The early digital release lead to a sale boycott by the Target Corporation. Several tracks from the album were debuted during early live performances, such as "Forrest Gump" and "Pink Matter". The song "Thinkin Bout You", originally released in 2011, was released as the first single from the album. "Pyramids" and "Sweet Life" were the the second and third singles, and both "Thinkin Bout You" and "Pyramids" charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Ocean will embark on a 2012 tour through North America to promote the record, performing a total of 14 shows. "Bad Religion" was performed by Ocean during his television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to rave reviews from critics and fans.

Background

The album is a follow-up to his critically acclaimed mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra (2011).[4] Ocean had initially been frustrated with major record label Def Jam, for failing to release Nostalgia, Ultra and tensions only rose after Ocean released the mixtape online for free in February 2011, though his relationship with the label was subsequently repaired, and a release date of spring 2012 was tentatively set.[5] Ocean also made contributions to Kanye West and Jay-Z's 2011 album Watch the Throne and wrote the song "I Miss You" for Beyoncé Knowles.[6] By December, Ocean had finished writing channel ORANGE.[7] He later said of the album and its development in an interview for Rap-Up, "It succinctly defines me as an artist for where I am right now and that was the aim. It’s about the stories. If I write 14 stories that I love, then the next step is to get the environment of music around it to best envelop the story and all kinds of sonic goodness."[4]

Prior to its release, news outlets and music critics reviewing channel ORANGE raised questions about certain songs' lyrics and Ocean's sexuality.[6] The lyrics addressed a male object of love and deviated from Ocean's previous songs about heterosexual relationships.[6] On July 4, Ocean used his Tumblr blog to publish an open letter he had originally written in December 2011 recounting his unrequited feelings for a man when he was 19 years old, citing it as his first true love.[7] The letter was received with praise and support from Def Jam, other recording artists, and cultural commentators.[6] In the letter, Ocean also remarked on writing channel ORANGE after years of emotional struggle following the experience, stating "I wrote to keep myself busy and sane. I wanted to create worlds that were rosier than mine. I tried to channel overwhelming emotions."[7]

Recording

Ocean recorded much of the album at East West Studio in Hollywood, with older recording equipment.[8] Other recording locations included Henson Recording Studios and the Record Plant in Hollywood, Westlake Recording Studios and Studio for the Talented & Gifted in Los Angeles, Manhattan Sound Recording in New York City, and San Ysidro in Beverly Hills.[9] channel ORANGE was produced primarily by Ocean.[10] He had assistance from producer and close friend Malay,[10] and worked with few guest musicians,[8] including fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt on "Super Rich Kids",[11] John Mayer on the track "White", Lalah Hathaway, who performed additional vocals,[9] and André 3000, who rapped and played guitar on "Pink Matter".[8]

The album was mastered by Vlado Meller at Masterdisk in New York City.[9] To downplay himself from being "the focal point" of the album, Ocean did not want his name on the cover and had Everest, his Bernese Mountain Dog, credited as the executive producer.[8]

Composition

Music and style

channel ORANGE is an R&B album with unconventional stylistic elements,[11] including jazz-funk, electro-soul grooves,[1] electric piano, and hazy electronic sounds such as dub reverb.[12] Melissa Locker of Time writes that Ocean "remains resolute in his idiosyncratic style, while still bringing to mind old Usher, The-Dream and even Maxwell", and notes melodramatic elements such as "haunting melodies paired with driving beats" similar to The-Dream's 2007 album Love Hate.[11]

The music also incorporates unconventional melodies, fluctuating backing tracks,[12] vamps, vibrant guitar, forceful drums, and television-inspired interludes.[8] Ocean has said that he admires "the anonymity that directors can have about their films" and explained his use of interludes on the album, saying that "the work is the work. The work is not me [...] Even though it’s my voice, I’m a storyteller."[8] The segue tracks feature sounds of organs, waves, tape decks, and a spoken interlude about money and work.[11]

Lyrical themes

The album features themes of unrequited love,[8] the trappings of class disparity, and money.[11] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times finds the album to be "rife with the sting of unrequited love, both on the receiving and inflicting ends", and "filled with lovers who tantalize but remain at arm's length."[8] Music journalist Alexis Petridis views that songs such as "Thinkin Bout You", "Bad Religion", and "Forrest Gump" allude to Ocean's experience with having unrequited feelings for a man.[12]

The album's subject matter has noir elements, dark characters,[12] and an urban Southern California setting.[1] Ocean's songwriting is characterized by detailed, melancholic lyrics, conversational devices, and emotive confessions.[12][11][8] Entertainment Weekly's Melissa Maerz compares it to "an indie movie, with songs about sun-faded palm trees, cokeheads in Polo sweats, and strippers in Cleopatra makeup", and states, "Think Drive by way of baby-maker-pop maestro Maxwell."[1]

Content

The songs "Sweet Life" and "Super Rich Kids" are set in Ladera Heights, referred to as "the black Beverly Hills",[12] and depict rich people as alluring and dangerous,[8] with frivolous lifestyles.[11] The latter song references the thumping piano line of Elton John's 1973 song "Bennie and the Jets" and addresses the characters' fears of the financial crisis.[12] Alexis Petridis likens "the aimless, moneyed teenagers" depicted in the songs to those of Bret Easton Ellis's 1985 novel Less Than Zero.[12] "Pilot Jones" addresses problems with drug addiction.[8] "Crack Rock" is a nonjudgemental depiction of a crack addict.[12]

"Pyramids" has a varied musical style, including ambient elements, synth-funk, slow jam R&B, and an expressive guitar solo.[12] Its lyrical conceit contrasts the fortunes of Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, with those of a latterday working girl.[12] The song's episodic narrative features an unemployed protagonist lamenting his woman as she dresses to go to work at a strip club called the Pyramid.[12][8] "Lost" has tense, chugging guitar playing and is narrated from an addict's perspective on his girlfriend and their habit.[12] "Bad Religion" features melodramatic, orchestral music.[1] The song's narrator confesses emotionally to a taxi driver and broods over a secretive intimate relationship.[12] Alexis Petridis interprets it to be "repurposing the battle between religion and lust that's been at the heart of soul music since it ceded from gospel".[12]

Release and promotion

On June 8, 2012, Ocean released a trailer, directed by Nabil Elderkin, announcing channel ORANGE, however giving very little information to what it was.[13] Later that day Ocean announced a tour, entitled the 'channel ORANGE Tour', that will coincide with the release of the album[13] and also premiered a new song titled "Pyramids".[14] Ocean announced the release of the album on June 9, 2012, with a post on his personal Tumblr account.[15] On July 6 Ocean released "Sweet Life" on SoundCloud.[16]

channel ORANGE was released as a digital download exclusively to iTunes on July 10, 2012, a week before its planned physical release.[17]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic
BBCfavorable
Billboardfavorable[18]
Chicago Tribune
Consequence of Sound[19]
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[1]
The Guardian[12]
Los Angeles Timesfavorable[20]
The New York Timesfavorable[8]
Newsday(A)[21]
Pitchfork Media(9.5/10)[22]
The Quietusfavorable[10]
Rolling Stone
The Telegraph[23]
Timefavorable[11]
Spin(9/10)
Slant Magazine

Upon release, channel ORANGE received universal critical acclaim. Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal called the album "accomplished and varied", found its songs "as wide-ranging as they are engrossing, always benefitting from Ocean's eye for detail and specificity."[22] John Calvert of The Quietus dubbed it "a staggering step upwards from Nostalgia, an event album in waiting that exceeds all expectations of the singer".[10] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard praised "Ocean's irrepressible spirit" and commended him for "shining light on subjects that are not discussed often enough and spinning new webs of ideas around familiar R&B tropes."[18] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian called it a "brilliant, beautiful album" and commended its production as "impressively idiosyncratic".[12] Melissa Locker of Time called Ocean "a virtuoso on the rise" and commented that his lyrics "elevate the album from being just another above-average R&B record to a brilliant release [...] a mature album, especially from one so young."[11] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune compared the music on Channel Orange to that of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Prince, saying that "In the tradition of those artists, who thought not only in terms of songs but of album-length concepts and themes, “Channel Orange” creates a state of mind with words and sound."

Although he viewed that Ocean's songwriting lacks "restraint", Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times praised Ocean's "artistic vision" and "thoughtful, brave, witty, imaginative storytelling".[20] Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly complimented the love songs and commented that the music "captures" the subject matter's "vibe perfectly".[1] Neil McCormick of the Telegraph praised the album, writing "Channel Orange is as dazzling as it is baffling, rarely staying still long enough to get a grip on." "[23]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Start"Christopher Francis Ocean, James Ho0:46
2."Thinkin Bout You"Ocean, Shea Taylor3:21
3."Fertilizer"James Fauntleroy II, Reginald Perry0:40
4."Sierra Leone"Ocean, Ho2:29
5."Sweet Life"Ocean, Pharrell Williams4:23
6."Not Just Money"Rosie Watson1:00
7."Super Rich Kids" (featuring Earl Sweatshirt)Ocean, Ho, Thebe Kgositsile, Mark Morales, Nathaniel Robinson Jr, Mark Rooney, Kirk Robinson & Roy Hammond5:05
8."Pilot Jones"Ocean, Taylor3:04
9."Crack Rock"Ocean, Ho3:44
10."Pyramids"Ocean, Ho9:53
11."Lost"Ocean, Ho, Micah Otano3:54
12."White" (featuring John Mayer)Ocean, Tyler Okonma1:16
13."Monks"Ocean, Ho3:20
14."Bad Religion"Ocean, Monte Neuble2:55
15."Pink Matter" (featuring André 3000)Ocean, Ho, Andre Benjamin4:29
16."Forrest Gump"Ocean, Ho3:15
17."End"Ocean, Ho2:15
Total length:55:48
Physical Edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
18."Golden Girl" (featuring Tyler, The Creator)Ocean, Okonma, Ho5:08
Notes:[9]
  • The track "Start" contains an audio sample of an original Playstation booting up.
  • "Super Rich Kids" contains an interpolation of "Real Love", written by Mark Morales, Mark C. Rooney, Kirk Robinson, Nat Robinson, and Roy Hammond.
  • The track "Crack Rock" samples the drum pattern from "Little Miss Lover" by Jimi Hendrix.
  • "Lost" contains dialogue from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
  • "Pink Matter" contains an audio clip from The Last Dragon.
  • "Golden Girl" appears as a hidden track only on the physical release, appearing after 90 seconds of radio static playing at a highly reduced volume. Removing the static reveals that "End" and "Golden Girl" transition into each other.

Personnel

Credits for channel ORANGE adapted from liner notes.[9]

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[24] 18
Dutch Albums Chart[25] 36
Irish Albums Chart[26] 45
UK Albums Chart[27] 2

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Maerz, Melissa (July 10, 2012). "Frank Ocean Channel Orange album review". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  2. ^ "Thinkin Bout You - Single by Frank Ocean - United States". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  3. ^ "Frank Ocean Introduces Channel Orange". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  4. ^ a b "SINGLE COVER: FRANK OCEAN – 'THINKIN BOUT YOU'". Rap-Up. April 5, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  5. ^ Ian Youngs (January 5, 2012). "Sound of 2012: Frank Ocean". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  6. ^ a b c d McKinley Jr., James C. (July 7, 2012). "Hip-Hop World Gives Gay Singer Support". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. p. C1. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  7. ^ a b c Frank Ocean (July 4, 2012). "thank you's". Tumblr.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Caramanica, Jon (July 8, 2012). "Creating His Own Gravity". The New York Times Company. New York: The New York Times Company. p. AR1. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  9. ^ a b c d e Channel Orange (iTunes digital booklet). Def Jam. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |artist= ignored (|others= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b c d Calvert, John (July 3, 2012). "The Future's Bright: Frank Ocean's Channel Orange Track-by-Track". The Quietus. Retrieved 2012-07-11. Cite error: The named reference "Calvert" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Locker, Melissa (July 10, 2012). "Frank Ocean Pours His Heart Out on Channel Orange: Album Review". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Petridis, Alexis (July 11, 2012). "Frank Ocean: Channel Orange – review". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. section G2, p. 21. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  13. ^ a b "Frank Ocean Announces Channel Orange Album & Tour (Video)". 2DopeBoyz. June 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  14. ^ "Frank Ocean - Pyramids". 2DopeBoyz. June 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  15. ^ "Untitled". Tumblr. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  16. ^ "Sweet LIFE". Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  17. ^ "Frank Ocean's 'Channel Orange' Heading for iTunes Early Release". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  18. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (July 10, 2012). "Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  19. ^ review
  20. ^ a b Roberts, Randall (July 11, 2012). "Frank Ocean's album is bigger than 'he': Critic's Notebook". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles: Tribune Company. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
  21. ^ Gamboa, Glenn (July 13, 2012). "Frank Ocean's 'Channel Orange' review". Newsday. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  22. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (July 12, 2012). "Frank Ocean: Channel Orange". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  23. ^ a b McCormick, Neil (July 13, 2012). "Frank Ocean, Channel Orange, review". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 2012-07-13. Cite error: The named reference "McCormick" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  24. ^ ARIA Top 50 Albums chart Australian Recording Industry Association. July 15, 2012.
  25. ^ "Frank Ocean - Channel Orange". Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  26. ^ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 12 July 2012". Irish Recorded Music Association. Chart-Track. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  27. ^ "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. 2012-07-15. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
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