Blonde by Frank Ocean P.1
Reflections, Thoughts, and Feelings about an album I've heard too many times
Hey y’all. Sorry for the hiatus. I won’t even bother with excuses, I just didn’t write. But we are back and doing something I have thought of doing for a while.
Over the month of June I am going to breakdown Blonde by Frank Ocean, with each week looking at 4 successive songs in the album. I plan on diving into the lyrics, my feelings (yes, vague and who knows where this will lead), and then a rating for each song.
You may be asking yourself… “Why is he doing this?” My answer if I were asked in real life would be something sarcastic or insincere, I’m sure, such as “Cause I can '' or “Why not?”. In reality, I’m doing this because I want to. Since the album’s release in 2016 I have probably heard this album, straight through, over 300 times (I’m low-balling here) and then plus all the times I have just listened to a few of the songs in a row while driving,showering, on aux with friends etc. Recently I have been feeling the need (“want” is the correct word here but, hey this is my post) to share my thoughts on the album, so why not use this very cool awesome platform that we call substack.
Almost everything I know ( knowledge wise, not feeling wise) about this album is from the amazing podcast Dissect by Spotify. Dissect is a podcast by Cole Cuchna, who breaks down in the utmost detail the beauty of this album from basically every note to every word. Most of the things I will point out will be what I learned from him so If I don’t give another source just assume that I am pulling from the podcast. If you are interested in how albums are made I would highly recommend his podcast as he has done a number of them, including Igor by Tyler the Creator and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar.
I want to warn those who will actually spend the time reading this. This is completely my opinion. I have never seriously studied music and am a very poorly self-taught musician. That is all the personal musical experience I am bringing to this. Let that be refreshing or let that bother you as I comment on something that I hardly know about. I love music and it obviously means a lot to me (did I really have to say that? I’m writing a 4 part essay on an album for fun here dammit!). So if this feels out of place or sounds like I’m talking out of my ass, that is because I am :).
Enjoy!
Here are our first 4 songs of the album, starting with “Nikes”.
Lyrics:
I don’t plan to go line by line for each song so I will just pick out a few stanzas that stand out to me. This might be the entire verse for some songs, this might be one line. There are no rules here, so buckle up.
Verse 1:
“These bitches want Nikes
They looking for a check
Tell 'em it ain't likely”
In these first three lines you can already see the talent that Ocean has as a writer. These lines are a triple entendre; with the word “check” meaning three different things. Check as in Nike’s famous logo, a check of money, and a check as in the validation of others, checking to see if they like you. It’s simple and easy to miss, but under the surface it says a lot about the materialism and societal issues that Ocean will discuss throughout the album. “Nikes'' serve as an image of wealth and status that seem important to the character singing the song.
“Said she need a ring like Carmelo
You must be on that white like Othello
I know I said I wouldn’t go line for line but bare with me, I’m really trying. I want to showcase the mastery of art that this album accomplishes.
“…A ring like Carmelo” alludes to Carmelo Anthony and his career as an NBA player, never being able to obtain an NBA championship or “ring”. The ring being another illusion of wealth and status, just like Nikes.
“On that white like Othello” is the character telling his girl that she must be high (on that white meaning cocaine) to think that he is going to get her a ring.
Verse 2:
Here we hear Ocean’s normal singing voice come in.
“We'll let you guys prophesy
We gon' see the future first”
Here I think Ocean is commenting on how many people discuss what the future is going to look like or “should” look like. Meanwhile, he is going to “see the future first”, meaning he is just going to go out and live it instead of trying to imagine what that future will be like.
Another interpretation of these lyrics ties to the media’s perception of Ocean at the time of the release of this album. It seemed like everyone had an opinion or something to say about what Ocean was going to do or what he “should do'' so I also see this as a way to poke fun at the people who spent so much time and energy trying to get into Frank’s head while he was just out trying to do what he felt was living.
To close out the song, we have a list of contradictions to showcase this relationship. It’s an interesting way to try and “win over” the person he is singing to. He’s younger but he’ll look after them. They aren’t in love, but he’ll still have sex with the person to keep them around.
The last line is really the dagger for me. “I’m not him, but I’ll mean something to you”. The way that Ocean knows that he is not the first choice for the person he is with or the person that they are longing for and he still is trying to win them over. Ocean pleads his case, saying he knows he is not that guy, but he’ll make it up to you by meaning something to you. Something is such a vague word and I think it’s vagueness is what gives it so much power in this phrase. Ocean is not saying he’ll be better than the other guy but he’ll mean something(ANYTHING) to the person he is singing to. The desperation it shows is powerful and the vocal performance helps showcase that desperation for attention.
Musically, I think the melodic drum beat that is continuous throughout the song’s first verse is a perfect backdrop for the lyrics that we hear during this verse .
The switch to a simple guitar strumming that repeats and builds up during the second verse is beautiful and adds so much to the overall auditory ambience. It slowly replaces the drums and then after the second verse, when the drums come back in, we feel the missing presence that the drums left us with when all we heard was the guitar. It’s beautiful throughout and adds so much to the message of the song. If you have the chance, listen to the instrumental because it really is sonically beautiful.
Rating: 9.1
I can’t explain why this song isn’t a ten, or even a 9.5 for that matter, but I will defend with my life that this song is at least a 9/10. The lyrics, along with the beautiful instrumentation, and the multiple feelings that both the lyrics and music play a part in creating, make this song just an absolute beautiful piece of art.
Next, we have “Ivy".
Lyrics:
Chorus:
Frank picks up right where Nikes left off, talking about a relationship that is reminiscent of youth. In just the second line of the song.``The start of nothin’” ,tells us that the relationship doesn’t pan out too much. That doesn’t take away from the painful portail of a friendship turned to relationship.
“I had no chance to prepare, I couldn’t see you comin’' shows that Frank possibly wasn’t in the emotional place he would have liked to be in, but he goes along with the relationship anyway.
Verse 1:
This first line shows the insecurity that a lot of people feel in relationships, especially in younger relationships. If Frank was able to “see through walls'' or the emotional barriers his partner was putting up, he would have been able to see that his partner wasn’t as invested as they said they were.
He then tells his partner that if he could see what he was thinking, he would only see the two of them.
I ain't a kid no more
We'll never be those kids again”
Frank is telling his (now ex) partner that in hindsight, he has learned from the mistakes of their relationship and that he “ain’t a kid no more”. He won’t make the mistakes ever again, which he points to in the next line.
Verse 2:
The simple act of having your arm around someone’s shoulder, showing the world that you two are together, meant a lot to young Frank. Perhaps it meant a lot because Frank was still questioning his sexuality at the time or was just insecure in the relationship, but regardless of the reason, Frank looks back at the time fondly.
Bridge:
I broke your heart last week
You'll probably feel better by the weekend
These two lines showcase how Frank perceives his partner and their relationship. Frank broke his partner's heart, but his partner will be fine by the weekend because he was not as invested in the relationship as Frank was. Or maybe Frank just means that, due to the relationship having taken part in his youth ( i’m assuming highschool age here), that is just how things are when you’re in a young relationship. You break up and by the weekend you’re fine because it isn’t the end of the world.
Outro:
This is the most meaningful part of the song, in my opinion. Here is the full outro:
Here we dive into the way we look into past relationships. Frank feels regret about the things that he said and how they were interpreted. He also asks his ex partner, did they really mean all the things they said? If Frank regrets things that he said, surely his partner does too… right?
The last three lines encapsulate why this song was made. Frank has been dreaming of his ex lover and is replaying the relationship in his mind. Did he do and say the right things? Should his past relationship just be something that looks back on fondly, or is there something more to the relationship that he is trying to find during the song?
The lyrics of this song are meaningful and add so much, but the performance is what is really mind blowing to me. You can feel the longing and pain in every line that Frank sings. The last three lines feel like a scream out to the heavens, a mix of calling out to his ex-partner but also a plea of why? Why is he feeling this way and why is he dreaming of this youthful relationship?
Musically, the song is simple and I think it does that to serve a purpose, similar to the way “Nikes'' is. The repetitive guitar strumming creates a space for Frank to deliver his amazing vocal performance. Repetition becomes powerful when it is mindfully done.
What we hear at the end of the song, or I should say when the lyrics stop, sounds like Frank getting up from recording the song. Frustrated and almost throwing a fit, Cole Cuchna from the Dissect podcast I mentioned earlier, thinks that the sounds we hear are of somebody ripping the strings off a guitar with some things like a chair or guitar stand being knocked over. Regardless of what it is, I think it is added to show the emotional headspace Frank is in during the song and more importantly, at the end of the song. Having been a fan of Frank Ocean, I know we will never know the answer to what the sound really is, so I will go with Cuchna’s guess and take it for what it is.
Rating: 9.0
I’m gonna tell you right now, the ratings for these songs are gonna be pretty damn high. I think the album does such a good job of building off of the previous song so there aren’t these huge jumps of subject, composition, or presentation. And if there is, it is done purposely and effectively.
Next, we have the most streamed song off of the album, the beautiful, dreamy, “Pink + White”.
I think it is pretty clear why this song is the most streamed. It has the most mass appeal musically, is produced by Pharrel Williams, and has Beyonce as a backing vocalist. If this song WASN’T the most streamed I would be amazed. Regardless of its fame and newer found fame due to TikTok, I still think this song is not talked about enough. Let’s dive in.
Lyrics:
This song evokes nostalgia for a time I’ve never experienced.
Verse 1:
The first two lines I think are a commentary on life. Frank is saying we have no control of our lives so every day goes by. If the sky is pink and white, like a sunset, and if the ground is black and yellow, meaning the black asphalt of roads with their painted yellow lines then we have “no-control”. Frank seemed to be having some existential thoughts while writing this album.
Both the literal and metaphorical interpretation of these lyrics paint an image in the listener's head.
Chorus:
The song's overall message is about Frank and a friend of his that has passed away. Frank is thinking about all the lessons he learned from this person. He was shown love, and he likes it to being loved by a god.
“It’s all downhill from here” sounds negative at first. But I like the interpretation of the lyrics that genius.com has. The hard work was done on the uphill, so “it's all downhill” can mean they can sit back and enjoy the ride.
Verse 2:
“In the wake of a hurricane
Dark skin of a summer shade
Nosedive into flood lines
Tall tower of milk crates”
Ocean is from New Orleans and has mentioned Hurricane Katrina in multiple songs. Here, the flooded waters are a fond memory of Frank’s youth, diving into the water that in another interpretation of this time can be seen as a negative memory.
Frank is singing to his friend, expressing his gratitude for showing him fun times even when in the face of a catastrophe like a hurricane. “Older kids' ' shows that Frank is hanging out with a group of kids, again showing this is a memory from his childhood.
Outro:
“Remember life, remember how it was
Climb trees, Michael Jackson, all ends here”
Frank is reminiscing on his past, as he has throughout the album so far. He is remembering his childhood and trying to take it all in because it “all ends here”. It being his childhood.
Climbing trees and Micahel Jackson are things that Frank must associate with his youth.
“Gimme something sweet
Bitch, I might like immortality
This is life, life immortality”
I think Frank is equating his childhood memories to immortality here. “This is life” is Frank telling us everything he just sang to “is life” and this life being immortal is something that Frank would not be bothered by.
Musically, wow. I mean, the picture it paints in my head is so clear. It creates such a light, happy feeling that is so easily attributed with being a kid and feeling like you have nothing to do but have fun with friends. From the first second, the crescendo into simple chords on the piano and a very simple drum beat create an almost magical feeling.
Then, about a minute into the song, for the second verse, we hear an acoustic guitar pick up the same chord progression that the piano was doing. The drum line gives us continuity which lets the listener stay in the same sway that I can almost guarantee you were in.
If you have the time, enjoy the instrumental. It’s just happiness in your ears.
Meanwhile, the vocal performances by Frank and Beyonce are amazing. It’s beauty in the form of music. To have Beyonce as a backing vocal is 1) ridiculous and 2) genius. It only adds to the song and it shows the mutual respect they must have for each other for her to not have a verse on this song.
The last 10 seconds are filled with sounds of nature and birds chirping. To me it sounds like waking up and opening the blinds to a sunrise with birds all around you. It encapsulates the beauty of the song and the time that Frank is trying to bring us back to. This song feels like childhood memories of not having a care in the world and playing all day.
It makes a lot of sense that this song was produced by Pharrell. Its simplistic style and perfect switches between piano and guitar alongside a repetitive but lovely drum beat defines the feeling that Frank was trying to create. The production of this song lets the storytelling of Ocean and vocal performances from both Ocean and Beyonce stand out. Everyone say it with me… “Thank you Pharrell”.
Rating: 10
Yup. First 10 on the board and it's only up from here. This song is genuinely flawless. If you disagree, you are of course entitled to your own opinion. Just know that opinion, in this case, is wrong.
Last, but certainly not least for this week, we have the first interlude on the album, “Be Yourself”.
In “Be Yourself” we hear a voicemail left by one of Frank’s childhood friend’s mom, named Rosie Watson. People originally thought that the message was from Frank’s mother, but Frank’s younger brother, Ryan, took to twitter to clear the rumors.
Skit:
The way Watson speaks, it’s with authority. She is telling (presumably her son in the context of the voicemail) us that it is so easy to fall into the trap of peer pressure and negative self-worth. She urges the listener to not be someone that they aren’t. These messages are easier said than done, especially for college age kids, which Watson mentioned earlier in the song. But she sounds sure of herself and knows that her son is a strong enough person to fight the peer pressure.
“Rely and trust upon your own decisions
On your own beliefs”
More encouraging words from Watson. I think it is clear that she sent this to her own son or someone that she helped raise because she is confident in the person that she is speaking to. Frank I think has chosen to put this in the album because he is telling himself and the listeners the same message.
Trust in yourself as a person. Be yourself. Don’t feel like you have to succumb to peer pressure of friends or of society. These are messages from Ocean to himself and to us.
The latter part of the song bashes on drugs and alcohol.
Watson is warning her son about the dangers of going to college and getting hooked on drugs and alcohol. A fair warning from a mother to her child, but I think it is important to note as we dive deeper into the album.
Musically, this song is a loop. It seems to be a repeated chord progression on some type of synth. It’s a nice backdrop to the voice message being played. It gives space for the message to come across but also is a nice tune to listen to.
Rating: 7.8
As most interludes seem to be, this is probably the most skippable song on the album. That doesn’t make it not useful or not effective, I just think the majority of people when listening to the album (myself included) would skip this more often than not. It definitely adds to the narrative to the album and the music is in a similar tone to the rest of the album, which makes sense. This song is really supposed to move us on to the next part of the album, which we will dive into… Next week!
That concludes the first four songs of the amazing Blonde. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you go back and re-listen (or listen for the first time!) to this masterpiece! Please check back in a week to see where this album goes and see what I have to say about the songs “Solo”, “Skyline To”, “Self Control”, and “Good Guy”.
See you same time next week!
love,
f.m