Channel Orange

worth a deeper listen

It's fine background noise.

Some of it is alright, bit artsy so I can see why a bunch of white people like it

"Pyramids" and "Pink Matter" are the stand out tracks.

Been awhile since I got an album I know! I haven't listened to this in full since it came out. Aside from a few hits, I don't understand the hype of Frank Ocean. I wonder if he can be credited for kicking off the era of slow beats that defined the 2010's music? Wasn't much of a fan of that either.

I actually own this one! But ... I don't really revisit it. It's definitely got some great moments, but overall a bit too samey for my taste.

I started listening to this 4 times and it played all the way through each time, but my attention wandered. It was decent and I generally liked it, but nothing stuck with me or grabbed my attention

this is a 3.5 but I'm a 'round down' kinda guy. I'm sure that says something about me but I'll just move on now

eh, beats were good, raps were fine

Best tracks: Super Rich Kids Pink Matter

RandB 3/5

This isn’t really my kind of music, but I enjoyed it enough. 7/10 Top 3: 1. Pyramids 2. Lost 3. Bad Religion

It's not quite my sound, but I'm glad I listened to this album - there's something absolutely hypnotic about the combo of Pyramids and Lost.

Modern R&B does not appeal to me, but I recognize the talent

Ok

Ja, ook relaxt, maar als je net The Isley brothers hebt geluisterd, klinkt dit toch wel even een stuk ingeblikter. Alle nummers hetzelfde slaapverwekkende goedkope keyboardje, leuk geprobeerd hoor, maar zo bijzonder is dit toch niet.

Kwalitatief sterke R&B van iemand die kan rappen en zingen. Hij schiet graag een octaafje de lucht. Niet mijn smaak, maar hij kan het en het biedt wat variatie. Het is allemaal erg rustig van opzet. Je zou het ook gewoon saai kunnen noemen. Ik mis een uitschietertje hier en daar. Al met al een nipte 3.

So this was an award winning album huh? I didn’t think it was bad, I just didn’t think it was all that.

Ok

Trying to dick-a-girl-down kinda album.

Not my style.

I was a bit late to the Frank Ocean game back in the day. I don't think I really dug into his music until college. I must've been too angsty to listen to him in high school, but I'm a fan now. I love his voice, but the catchy melodies are a bit too far and few between on this album for my liking. The exceptions are listed below, those are my faves. Other random notes: He spelled "Suite Life" wrong. The synths on "Pyramids" sound kinda crazy, must be a product of the time. I forgot that John Mayer is on this. Thinkin Bout You Super Rich Kids Crack Rock Bad Religion Pink Matter Forrest Gump

Very chill with good beats. Stripped back abd smooth, but not too fond of the production on his voice.

i wouldnt have listened to this if it wasnt on the list it was alright to be fair

Lyrically mid, great sound and vibe. Based on my limited Frank Ocean knowledge it's what I expected.

Feels a little too much like it's the favorite album of the most pretentious man you've ever met, but overall not bad. Top songs: Sweet Life, Pyramids, Lost, Bad Religion

Sad Nice songs, I like most Don’t understand the in-betweens of like 30s

Con "Channel Orange" Ocean se mostró como uno de los mayores revitalizadores del R&B y se destacó como uno de los grandes compositores contemporáneos dentro del género. A pesar de su larga duración, destaca el tema "Pyramid". También la exuberante "Monks" o la brillante "Sweet Life", en la más firme tradición actualizada del R&B.

I was super-excited to get this, as Frank Orange is so obviously a major cultural touchpoint that I have yet to really experience. A bit like Kendrick in that sense. What I found was a real mixed bag. There were some absolutely brilliant tracks full of social and political commentary, with Crack Rock being the undoubted highlight. Then there was quite a bit that I would have expected on an Usher album from 2004.

I've only heard Frank Ocean as a guest appearance on other artists songs. I assumed he was some sort of producer that would ad some vocals. His vocals occasionally remind me of Stevie Wonder, musically though it's generic R&B, nothing extraordinary, it wasn't bad, I just don't see myself listening to it again

More R&B than I'm normally into but the overall tone pace and vibe is super chill and contemporary.

3.5

3.5

Lost is a good track, not bad overall

It's good and nostalgic, especially the PS1 booting from the first track, but it was too mellow for me.

Enjoyed. Had the blend of hip hop and cool jazz that makes it good background while gardening.

Channel ORANGE I remember there being a lot of buzz when this came out and we played it a lot for about a month at work. I listened a few times and then completely forgot about it until now. I still can’t really remember anything about it so it feels like listening for the first time Wasn’t really into the first half much on the first listen, it definitely picked up in the second half with Pyramids, Lost and Monks. Pyramids is superb, a nice synth bass riff underpinning things before it wanders off, in a good way, into a minimalist spacey jazzy RnB thing. Much of it did pass me by, with the minimalist production and melodies, but the moments when when I really listened to it I got quite a bit out of it. I liked it more on the 2nd listen, I wish Fertilizer had been a proper song. Super Rich Kids was was noticeably good, as was Crack Rock. And the very George Martin strings on Bad Religion stood out. Overall I liked it, as a slightly left of centre RnB album. It got better with each listen and I can hear how influential it was in that genre too. However some of it still felt a little forgettable and it is long. I enjoyed the production, composition and sound - quite full and rich while being simultaneously pared back and muted. Maybe it’s an album of some good songs with some great moments within songs rather than a great album - although with more listens I think it might improve. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

felt longer than it was a lot of similar songs nice voice

Decent in places.

I liked this album more than expected. I like when sound effects are used in music, and that was done great here. I’m not a big fan of RnB though, so that’s where this album falls for me

Lots of beautiful music and great singing which establishes a strong and consistent mood but on the downside, sometimes the gratuitously crass lyrics spoiled the mood.

Des pistes intéressantes, une ambiance cohérente. A réécouter. 3,5/5

R&B from 2012.

Nice listen. Had a gamut of styles-smooth, bouncy, edgy.

Good modern soul album. This works more in a mix of other music for me than as a record that I want to listen to straight through. Basically, the autotune, while not as over-the-top as T-Pain, i still omnipresent enough to where I begin to find it grating.

Ihan vibes 🤌🏼

Weird‘ish okay!

Underwhelming. It was clever, I guess that's something.

Solid sound throughout, but somehow not very memorable. Standouts are Pyramids, Bad Religion, and the Street Fighter startup music

Not bad overall. Kinda of soothing background beats. I probably won’t revisit this one, however. Nothing really stood out.

objective frank ocean is always on the cutting edge as an artist, and this is certainly embodied in his debut album. Risky and eccentric, this album brings the listener through a sonic roller coaster, with some familiar views as well as plenty of new ones. It was groundbreaking when it was released, and remains a bold artistic statement from a rare artist. personal I have been meaning to get to this album for years, and I'm not sure it was worth the wait. it has some very strong moments and some good features, but that was about it for me. I do appreciate frank ocean a lot as an artist; I love that he is bold and I actually like that his albums are packed with creativity and nuance. I just didn't connect on this one as much as I'd hoped. while the two are similar in their eccentricity, I actually preferred blond; I thought the highs were higher and more interesting.

Dreamy soulful modern R&B with a mix of simple and tastefully layered instrumentals over spoken-word vocals which dip in and out of falsetto. I appreciate the way the background sways between simple chilled-out vibes and big brass with vocal accompaniments. Interspersed throughout the album are small interludes, ranging from the sound of the PlayStation 1 booting up to distant sounds of conversations in a car - the soundtrack to core memories you can't quite place, but are familiar nonetheless. This was my first experience with a Frank Ocean album, and I overall enjoyed it. Sounds modern and bold without also being hard to listen to. While I don't love the Drake-adjacent nonchalant vocals over simple 808-like machine backings generally, this album doesn't dwell on those moments for long.

I recognize the name but couldn't place any songs from memory. Some good jams here, really liked Lost.

not a big R&B fan. that said, dude can sing, and at least this is musically interesting in its unconventionality. Pyramids in particular has some pretty cool sounds/sections in it, and I was surprised to see it clocks in at nearly 10m while most of the other tracks were <4 (& some even <=1m).

I didn't love it as much as I was hoping I would.

I didn't think much of it on first listen but decided to give it another go on my headphones and it grew on me. 3.25 stars.

not bad for this genre which is probably saying something

Not a fan

Very pleasant! Worth another listen to really form an opinion

Eh

ein bißchen alternativ und mal was neueres. Rhythmus, Chromatik und Texte nicht völlig trivial

Weird but ok

I kind of like Start, Forrest Gump, and Golden Girl

Последние две песни показались ничего, большую часть альбома собиралась поставить двойку))

I don’t really feel like the hype matches the reality with Frank Ocean and this album didn’t really grab me for the most part. “Pyramids” and “Lost” were great, though.

Channel Orange is bustling with a sort of nervous energy the whole time that suggests it is the handiwork of an early 20-something year old struggling to find his place in the world, trying to make sense of the many inconsistencies in the society he’s been placed in. frank ocean is expressive and raw in his songwriting, which is in part closed off and diaristic. i found the melodies to be a bit lethargic at times and the writing to be too reserved or specific to truly cut through, but there are songs here that truly punch: “Bad Religion” is the kind of backseat introspection that has plagued any slightly inebriated young adult unsure of life’s destination; or the searing account of longing on “Forrest Gump” too painful to find the words, that ocean lets another form of media do the talking for him. i think frank ocean would really sharpen and hone the balance between diaristic specificity and universal relatability on Blonde, and his melodies come to life and supplement the atmosphere better on the latter, but on Channel Orange the flashes of brilliance aren’t enough to truly draw me in.

Sort of chill to have on background but a bit boring to actually listen and pay attention. [0115/1001]

Very mixed feelings on this album. Disliked it at the beginning but it grew on me as I listened

Seicht vor sich hindudelnder RnB, unterbrochen durch kurze Tracks mit Geräusch-Artefakten.

Smooth and creamy.

Pyramids and Lost are both fabulous songs in two very different ways; Frank Ocean very much could have made a 10/10 album here if he had stuck with that level of quality. Unfortunately, most of the songs here are much more basic and strike me as filler material, if still good songs.

Nicht mein Stil, aber hörbar

I mean, there’s stuff on here that people obviously like. But not me. It just doesn’t do it for me. Billy Ocean is more my scene. Nice to see a positive and proud LGBTQIA+ artist thriving in the R&B community, which to my knowledge has been quite a misogynistic, sexist, and toxic landscape for a long time. Respect to Frank for using his art to express himself and speak his truth.

Not really for me, just not in my wheelhouse really. It seems okay, but halfway through I found my interest really waning.

Crack rock makes me appreciate Frank Ocean and I do think this album is better than Blond

Good album. One or two songs got my attention.

I wanted this album to be better, especially with the collaborators, but for the talent on the tracks it was underwhelming. Nothing stood out vocally and the instrumentals were lacking for my tastes.

It’s a bit upsetting that this one doesn’t hit like it did in my mid 20’s

Der allerfeinste Song ist Pyramids, der holt mich richtig ab

I am not a huge fan of this style of music sorry frank

avg

It's not a genre I like, but I pride myself on being able to appreciate excellence no matter what genre or artist. For example, I appreciate that Prince was genius, even though I didn't really like his stuff. That's not the case here, though. I couldn't listen to any track in full. A bit pants.

A cool chill album with an interesting theme, good sound and his voice is great.

As soon as Frank Ocean started singing "Thinkin' About You" and I heard the autotune, I was snapped right out of the music. It was a lot less on the other tracks, but man that was bad. Fertilizer was so processed that I'm glad it was so short, but I was liked "what WAS that?" I thought "Super Rich Kids" had a real catchy (if not overdone) chorus. That was pretty good. So was "Monks," and "Pyramids" was epic. "Pink Matter," man, I forgot how much I lived Outkast and Andre 3000. His rhymes were great. But then it was followed up by "Forrest Gump" which just seemed dumb. It felt like the album had these moments of brilliance, then followed by a moment of goofiness. I liked Ocean's singing once they laid off the vocal processing, but it took a LONG time to get past it. I mean, come on Frank, you're more talented than that.

Great beats and great voice; Frank Ocean is almost a modern day Stevie Wonder in that regard. But terrible lyrics. Sierra Leone starts as a teenage sexual odyssey (fine) but all of a sudden pivots to singing about the narrator's baby daughter (that's f'd up). Keep it separate. And maybe it's that disparity in tone that I found jarring, where some songs have a sweeter tone (Pyramids, Bad Religion) and then other songs go full thug or explicit (Pilot Jones, Crack Rock, Monks) and I felt like one of the two wasn't authentic. Forrest Gump was too silly, and I'm sorry if I didn't get the joke or deeper meaning. Maybe I'm overreacting to the lyrics because the sound is super smooth. But the themes of the album were all over the place. The smoothest songs in my opinion were Thinkin Bout You, Sweet Life, and Lost. A definite 3 and maybe a 4 on another day, but today lyrical content mattered and I wasn't convinced.

There’s complexity to this album, it means that you really need to focus to get the most of it. I would argue that makes it less accessible..

Frank Ocean as my third album?!? I had a strong love in my past that helped me believe in numerology and the fate of things, and she showed me frank ocean and loved the number 3.. We don't talk anymore, but this made me think of her and the love we shared. Overall, I've listened to this album so many times already, its an amazing album and frank is very very talented. I won't go too in depth with my review on this one because.. well its Channel Orange lol. Who doesn't know about Frank Ocean or this album. Listening to this album to review, I can definitely see more flaws now than when I was younger and first listening to it, but its still a great work of art. Overall: 3.8/5

Heard it before?: Yes Enjoy it?: I do but this is more of a moments record for me and it doesn’t quite make the mark all round as one of the greats it’s hyped up to be for me personally Favourite song: Track 2 - Thinkin bout You

Not bad, just not for me

Totally not my listening style, but there is something special about this album. It played in the background while I was doing other stuff and it continually drew my attention. Maybe I'll enjoy it more after a few more plays.

Poucas músicas boas, esperava mto mais

Funky, laid back vibe. I like this sound, the chill vibe.

Not really my style, but it wasn't bad.

reminds me of high school, I do regularly listen to some songs still

This is a pretty chill album but has alot of deeper meanings Im not the target demographic for this album but it still a good album. Super rich kids was my favourite track.

Not my style of rap

Not terrible, but not my style

Not my wheelhouse for music but I can appreciate all the genres being pulled together here.

Never heard this guy before. First (real) song I was actually quite digging. The rest of the album seemed to phase in and out of semi-interesting to background music. I gave it a day for a refreshed listen the next day but felt the exact same thing happened. Nice to have non-offensive/outrageous hip-hop, but reading the reviews now on wiki I think I'm missing something. Wasn't particularly groundbreaking, wasn't bad. Just alright. Straight down the middle.

Some cool tunes, soft hip hop / RnB; I liked the most "Super Rich Kids". Some Stevie wonder vives (in his voice..). Ok.

I think I get why people like it, but it definitely wasn't for me.

Read my essay, "Why I Know Channel Orange is Good, But Can't Quite Get Into It," now available from Penguin Classics.

Rollo patatero zzzzzzzzz

fun, bit slow

I thought this was well done. He has a great voice and the Composition is nice.

Vibey good

This album was really good. There are a handful of songs I really enjoy but at the same time there are some others I found annoying or didn’t enjoy. It is getting a 3, but a very strong 3/5.

Pretty good but not my thing. I have a feeling this will grow on me with subsequent listens

Solid listen, good background music. The lyrics were pretty clever. Favorite tracks were Pyramids and Lost

Please, I don't like reviews. 3 for everyone!

It's alright

2.5. Some good songs but mumble isn’t my style.

Not bad, but far from great. Sounds like standard modern r&b to me. Am I missing something?

Modern R&B in which I don't find anything particular or exceptional, but still... It was a pleasant listen.

Ziemlich unterschiedliche Stile gemischt. Jazzig. Aber irgendwie nicht mein Ding

Enjoyed it, preferred Blonde.

Favourite songs: Lost, Pyramids, Thinkin Bout You, Pink Matter, Bad Religion.

Funky and cool, even when singing about crack. Frank has an amazing voice range never know where it’s going and when. Easy listening, cocktail bar music

Interesting. There is so much to like about the beats, lyrical content and the general feeling of the album. However, it just sounds too sporadic and made for a modern audience with a short attention span. 3.5/5 May revisit later.

Great voice. Interesting at times with a good flow between tracks. Jason tells me it gets better with Blonde.

Good arrangements, lovely in the fullest sense of that word. Excellent bass and keys (Rhodes?) tones. Drums competent; good beat, no groove. Varied somewhat, stylistically, but not at all in terms of melody or dynamics. Ultimately: highly polished, tight, laid back and unobtrusive to the point of being pretty boring. Really well made but I just don't care. Best track: Sweet Life. It's almost catchy -- starts to groove in the outro when Ocean stops singing.

J'avais écouté quand il est sorti v'la plusieurs années. J'avais pas tant apprécié (genre 2/5), mais un peu plus lors de cette écoute. Grande variation de styles et de sons. Pas tous mes prefs, mais quelques uns bons

I have heard of him so that's a start. I always thought he was a rapper but he sings very well! Pop/R&B? Favourite songs: 'Thinkin Bout You', 'Sweet Life', 'Crack Rock', 'Forrest Gump'. This is a very good (unconventional and strange yet very well-executed) album but it's not really my kind of music. I did enjoy most of the songs but I won't listen to most of them again. If it was shorter I would probably like it more. One other 3-star review sums up exactly how I felt: 'Good music but not my style. Would listen again and revise.' 6/10.

It's a mixed bag. The lyrical and musical content of some of the tracks offer something deeper than average hip-hop; however, other tracks seem to fall back on the same old tropes.

Okay I really don’t like his vocal stylings or the lyrics or the modern R&B/hip hop sound in general. But this is an extremely solid album for its genre, one of the best of this style I’ve heard. I can tell a lot of care went into the music

Pleasant enough. Fave track: Lost

I found myself grooving with this pretty frequently actually. It was weird that so many tracks were so short. Ex: I loved the little thing he did with John Mayer called White, but it was only 1 minute long! "leave them wanting more"? I guess I think this record rates a solid 3 - there's plenty of inventiveness and creativity and it's well produced and sounds great. It's not my thing for the most part, and still I found it pretty enjoyable.

I really liked the ambience and feel of this album. Lots to listen to besides just the singing, and Frank Ocean has a great voice too. Not my usual cup of tea, but I would listen to this again for sure.

So, not my kind of music which gives me bad judgement on the album. Not all songs were terrible, I really liked crack rock and pyramids haha.

Dare I say I felt underwhelmed?

This was pretty decent

Some of this was enjoyable, mostly it faded into the background.

It was creative, but a little too over-produced and "eclectic" for my tastes. There is a talented team behind this album, but it doesn't do much for me.

I generally get a lot of ‘life is hard being rich, hoes on my dick’ Drake vibes from ‘Channel Orange’. Having said that, there are some good songs on the album, and Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, Andre 3000 and Tyler The Creator all make nice cameos, but overall there’s not quite enough quality to elevate this from just good to great.

Pretty decent, although I thought it had a lot of skippable tracks

Está chill, tiene buenos termitas. Muy popero por partes y medio gaturro por otros.

I enjoyed different stretches here and there, but overall I found this album to be fairly tedious. It just kind of wanders -- which is how I feel about most R&B. That's OK. I'm not the intended audience; I am neither "urban" nor "contemporary". I can, however, recognize this album is better than most.

Use of natural sounds in and around the music was interesting, but did not particularly care for it.

Really just not my thing. Good, but not my thing.

Ennakkoluuloja hälventäviä hittejä yhdistettynä ennakkoluuloja hälventävään tuotantoon, joka kantaa hätkähdyttävästi laulelun ja fiilistelyn läpi. Hyvä.

It is without a doubt that Frank Ocean has an incredible voice and is an excellent producer. Channel Orange is an album that just sounds *nice.* I really enjoyed the concept of the album and the time I spent listening to it was a journey through the mind and feelings of Mr. Ocean. Tracks like Pink Matter and Bad Religion stood out to me. Putting to words the confusion of desire, comfort, and understanding sexuality. As well as songs like Super Rich Kids that weaved a story into the topics explored. I think that Channel Orange is a good album, however, despite the above statements being true, it's just not a good album for me. I would absolutely recommend others to check it out, but I don't see myself wanting to come back to anything here. I can't rate it highly with that being true.

Good but not great, catchy but not super long lasting in the memory, mostly decent but also plenty of filler, a cool concept that doesn't actually add anything to the album. Sounds like 3 to me!

meh.

Frank Ocean ei koskaan sillee iskeny, mut en kyllä enempää moitittavaakaan löydä. 3/5

A pleasant and chill album with amazing quality of production. My issue is that it's too chill for me with songs having similar rhythms, tempo, no highs and lows. Nothing is too memorable on it (will I remember any of the songs? no) but overall the listening experience was fine.

Yes I like it!!

Frank Ocean has a top tier voice. RnB and early Usher vibes from this album. If you are into this music I can easily see this being 4-5 stars.

Glad to get some modern day R&B, excited to listen to this one again. This album gets you hooked with some nostalgia bait right from the get go. Frank's voice is great. One gripe is the intermittent audio that's from movies or videos, kinda takes me out of the whole album. Super Rich Kids is a bop. The drop in Pyramids got my amped up. I like the overall variety and beats on this album, and I think it was a very good album; but I think I went into this one thinking I would like it more. I know it's critically acclaimed, but I think a lot of juice is in the lyrics, which I am not always paying attention to. I'm sure I'd give it higher marks if I was reading along with the songs.

Sure does like singing about crack rocks Pyramids gets hella fun P cool album nothing spectacular but I liked it

Really didn’t know what to expect going into this. Not my normal genre of music at all and never heard any of his stuff. But this was a very pleasant surprise. His voice is gorgeous, the sound by turns smooth, and funky, and lush Never quite knew what was next Think I’m going to listen to this a lot more to fully make up my mind

Didn't know a ton about Frank Ocean prior to this. Good chill jazzy funky style. 1996 me would really enjoy this. Modern spin on D'Angelo + Usher + minor Prince vibes. Thinking Bout You was good and think I had heard it before. I liked the jazzy rap songs more than the more R&B-ish ones, but that's just my personal taste shining through. Honestly not really sure why it is on the 1001 list besides being probably a shining star of originality in the year it was released.

Meh, not bad not great.

A big artist and record that passed me by at the time because I was busy being the parent of young children. I found it grew on me with a few listens

Pas sûr au debut mais pas mal chill album au final

Strong but ultimately not as interesting as it could be.

BL: Frank Ocean is a figure I almost detest. I think this is mainly due to his fan bases mentality that he can do nothing wrong despite repeatedly screwing them over. I respect his ability to create such a solid business acumen from releasing different colours of the same record that came out over half a decade ago. And people still eat it up. I like a couple of his tracks “crack rock” is good. I’ll see how I feel about this album, I will listen without prejudice AL: it’s a very mixed bag to be honest. I can see why some think Frank is a genius, on some tracks some very good ideas and instrumentals shine through, however to me so much of the album feels like filler to make the (very) high highs feel not quite as monumentous as they could be. While I definitely get the hype I think the Frank Ocean hype train has definitely always been too strong, and this has reinforced this. FT: “Pyramids”, “Lost”, “Pink Matter” 3/5

Beetje psychedelic soms. Relaxed maar trekt me niet heel erg.

It's cool. Not mind blowing for me. Pretty uneven.

Solid album. Great production. Frank Ocean is dope

Bargain bin D'Angelo

I’m a victim of the hype here - it’s understandable how Ocean’s debit earned massive critical acclaim, given its introduction the soft, R&B-inspired vocals on top of heavily electronic instrumentals that still dominates popular music to this day. With that being said, however, I’m not blown away by the performances here, especially given the almost life-changing status they’ve been raised to by most indie heads. The production is exciting and creative, but most tracks seem to meander and attempt to stuff several songs into one which leads to thematic burnout. Definitely see myself returning to several tracks here (especially the dark centerpiece that is ‘Pyramids’), just a bit disappointed this one didn’t live up to the atmospheric expectations that have been built up around it.

Everybody was so obsessed with this album when it came out and I just never really understood it. There’s nothing to dislike, it’s a very palatable record but I just think it’s so boring. I feel like it gets praised for its production, but I find it so underwhelming despite having every single engineer in LA and being recorded at EastWest. The credits list is absolutely stacked too, Andre 3000 and John Mayer on guitar, Charlie hunter, lalah Hathaway, Pharrell. But idk everything just sounds so flat and thin to me, and I don’t find his voice interesting at all. Guitars sound horrible on this record somehow. all the synths/keys all sound like midi even though I’m sure they’re not. I guess this is a three, but the disparity between how this sounds and how this should sound based on the credits is staggering

I figured this would get the rating it is getting, if not higher. Pretty close to a four, but not quite there. It wasn't bad, but many songs just didn't do much to stick with me. Still better than a lot of modern music I hear. Didn't expect to have a song called Forrest Gump on here, but it was an interesting framing device. My favourite songs were Pink Matter and Pyramids.

Great sound, good vocals. Not the biggest R&B fan but found it to be a good album

Slick and smooth sounding, but didn't really engage me enough to care about what the songs were about. It was nice to listen to, I liked most of it and I didn't have the urge to turn it off, which is a good thing.

A solid and forgettable album.

I have to say I'm a bit confused about Frank Ocean and perhaps controversially don't just think he's fucking amazing. I really like a good amount of his songs and enjoyed this album enough (bit long) but I'm not necessarily thinking it's ground breaking like everyone else seems to... Is that a bad opinion?! Some of these massively passed me by.. others I really enjoyed. Same with the other butterfly album. Expected to be blown away but wasn't all that bothered. Soz not soz

Not my style, but really good musically

this is a very long album

This was a weird one - I started out not really liking it at all, the beginning part of the album (after a pretty interesting opening sequence) felt like hip hop's answer to easy listening. Then you get to Pyramids, and from then onwards it's so much more interesting, there's more energy to it. That half an hour would be a 4 on its own, but the rest is a bit too beige, so drags it down to a 3 overall.

>>>>

New school rnb. Alot more chill than I was expecting. Not really my thing, but nice for low down vibes

Could very easily be a 4, some songs on here are very good. others bore me slowly

I know this is an iconic album, but I can't remember if I have ever heard it before. Heard Blond for sure, but not this. Didn't know there was a song with Andre 3000 on this album so I'm looking forward to that I guess. It's definitely a good album and I can enjoy listening to it passively, but so far nothing is really catching my ear. Right now it's not really my cup of tea so to speak. I've really liked Frank Ocean in other songs that he features in, and there are some songs on this album that I really enjoy, but I can't get into this album the way I want to. I really want to like it, but it's too slow for me.

sweet life was good. the rest were cut from gambino's Kauai but still fine.

Pretty good R&B. Loved the first song. Major nostalgia.

Not for me but acknowledge its the best of a genre that is not for me.

I was only vaguely familiar with the name Frank Ocean but couldn't really name much about him or his music. I can appreciate it but I wasn't that impressed. It was fine but like many things on here, it didn't exactly blow my mind or anything.

Het was oke, niet zo super goed (wat ik er van verwachtte door 2 personen in deze groep) Ze hadden de lat te hoog gelegd. Pyramids & lost sla ik wel op.

Really not bad

I like it, but small doses. Wouldn’t listen to the whole album again.

Håpte eg skulle lika da bedre egentlig

Better than expected the voice grew on my and there are some great songs (pyramids??)

Wasn't bad. Not my usual thing and sounded somewhat similar throughout. Not overly likely to add to a playlist.

Mellow pop/RnB/HipHop stuff. Quite nice!

Idk, I can definitely appreciate this album but Frank ocean definitely has a sound and he really beats a dying horse with it. This just isn’t my type of music but I’m also surprised this is on the list

This one is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am enjoying it!

I can see why people like this but it's not at all original I'm afraid (it's just they weren't born when the originals were released in the 90s). But no matter, it's a pleasant listen: smooth (I like his voice) and his choice of samples. This is music for chilling.

I thought this album was good even though I never got super into franks albums as others have. It’s a good r&b album

While this isn't my usual listening, this is quite an impressive album. Super Rich Kids is an outstanding and memorable track and Pyramid and Bad Religion are also decent. Some of the other tracks less memorable, but overall not bad

I like the chill vibes but it might be a bit too chill and lacks some excitement.

I like this musically but lyrically and vocally it doesn't do as much for me. Good case for a 3.5 but rounded down cause I probably won't go back to listen again.

Not bad but not my thing.

nice enough listen but there's very few standouts. not for me I think.

Good song very good, some filler sounding songs. Great stuff but can't justify anything above 3 personally.

It was alright, I don't know if I'd listen to it again, but I wouldn't oppose to it, some recognisable songs

It was alright, felt it was a bit bloated at an hours length

My son likes it. 3/5

Nearly a 4 from me. He's a good singer

Didn’t know what to expect and got exactly what I was expecting.

ok mais pas mon genre du tout.

I liked most of this. NeoSoul/R&B/Jazz sounding. Not sure if I’m right but it sounded like some of the vocals used auto tune, which I hate

I liked the overall vibe of the record. Especially the instrumentals sound great at times. I wasn't such a big fan of the delivery of all the singing vocals. The songs I liked the most: Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pyramids, Pink Matter

Listened to on 10/20/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: lost The potato song made me laugh out loud and was an instant throwback but in all honesty this album is pretty good

Wants to be The Beatles without actually being The Beatles.

Pyramid brings this thing up to at least 3, Thinking bout you pulls it even higher, but then Pink Matter, White, and basically the rest of the album pulls it back down.

A nice album, listened to this one in highschool after his next one came out. 3.5 stars

Some tracks hit, some miss and both in equal ways. Labyrinth was my favourite but it could've been a liiiittle bit shorter. Overall still a vibe though.

I can see why people like it but its not really my thing.

Eddig a legjobb Nem akarok minden egyes dalt külön kiértékelni 10/9

Shades of Stevie Wonder, some cool songs on here worth another listen.

I've tried to listen to Frank Ocean over the years and found him too smooth. The production is subtle and while each song on it's own is okay, there's not a lot of variation between them. I like Pink Matter with the surprise guitar solo and a rapper to give it a bit of edge.

Not really my style but enjoyed a lot. The hits were all worthy, interested to notice lots of live instruments and non traditional rnb production. Not the biggest fan of the skits.

Seems like good music and good musicianship, but it did not really catch me. R&B was never my type of music. I can appreciate the craft though.

Frank Flintstone

I like the overall vibe of this. It really sounds like orange music. Like music you would listen to while sipping on a Fanta in a pure orange room. It's a bit too long and bloated though. Songs like "Pyramids" are awesome, but there's also a lot of fairly boring, long songs that overstay their welcome.

Forgettable

Cool music. Shallow lyrics.

This is a big old curveball compared to many others on the list and I cheated a little looking at others' reviews. So many 5s and 1s, incredibly polarizing. I've heard a few songs from this - "Lost" is a very catchy tune, quite enjoyable. And there's more variety than I had expected going into this one. I think I can't think of it in the highest terms tho because of a few things; notably the tuned and outrageously-compressed production in his vocals. How would one describe his vocal style? It's not exactly mumble, but it approaches that at times and it's just not my preference, although I quite like it when he brings the vocal range up. How about "Bad Religion" as a positive example - this is a tremendous track and stellar vocal performance. Love it. More of this. Some positives and negatives: I don't enjoy the "sameness" of much of modern hit music - actually the production/mix: e.g. 808s, compression to the point where every aspect of the music is either confined to a small room or is quite obviously a loop. I love studio creations - hell, the Beatles were among the first to perfect the studio-as-instrument - and occasionally this album falls into that category - too many songs don't breathe. Yet the ones that don't sound like that - when the songs do have a little room, a little air, they *really* stand out. The aforementioned "Bad Religion" and my favourite track "Sweet Life" - I love the keyboards - a bit of a Stevie Wonder feel on this one - and having live drums is a *huge* attraction. More of this please! I'm going to give this a few more listens - I think this one might just be too dense for a one-day listen/evaluation. I suppose that alone is complimentary... I like a lot of the melodies here although too often they don't fully resolve which is frustrating - I wouldn't say I disliked any of the songs but only a few of them truly stuck out. Ehh I'm completely schizophrenic about this album. Let's give it a solid grade and give it another chance, shall we? 7/10 3 stars

Nothing grabbed me

Better than I thought it would be. For some reason I thought I'd hate it. It was pretty good. Not great, but no ill feelings really. Maybe I'm prematurely geriatric at 37 but I think "the kids" will appreciate this more. Not sure this album is an instant classic worthy of "you've got to hear it" status but I guess perhaps time will tell? Maybe this will be a classic for the zoomers

Ágætis mest megnis chill plata.

I mean, I think it was good. Def a bit corny here and there. 3.

Nice voice. Easy listening. Songs kinda all sounded the same. Too many skit tracks. Surprise Andre 3000 feature near the end.

While Frank has an undeniably great voice, he suffers from the same malady as most of his generation of R&B artists. Namely, he can't craft a melody to save his life. Rather, his vocals just wander around, leaving the heavy lifting of crating a hook to the beats instead. If you took an Ocean fan aside and hummed one of these vocal lines to them, even one of his most ardent fans would be hard pressed to name that tune. Do the same for Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, or James Brown and you'll have a very different experience. Crafting melodies that stick in your head and heart used to be part of R&B. Frank Ocean vocals deserve hooks that don't let go. Unfortunately, this album doesn't give me that.

It's nice 3/5

Not really my thing but perfectly pleasant listening

Not as good as blonde, but decent enough. Album in three acts, and only the middle act got my full attention.

I am not cool enough for this music but it is fun, some great lyricism too.

Get the hype

Rollo patatero zzzzzzzzz. 3

Not really my thing. This was a fine R&B record.

First time of listening and an interesting album, but a bit samey vocally switching between the falsetto and the tenor tones. can see the reason some may see this as innovative and of it's time. nothing revolutionary for me and find the white noise/soundtrack interludes a bit self indulgent. I liked "Crack Rock", "Lost" "Bad Religion" (Which I Think is reminiscent of Adelle!) and "Pink Matter" not sure of it top 1001 credentials.

Bekende naam, maar dit is mijn eerste keer met Frank en tot mijn verbazing viel me dit niet tegen. Stijl is wat moeizaam in te komen, maar goede nummers!

Ik had verwacht dat ik dit na 2 nummers al niet meer leuk zou vinden maar ik heb met best wat plezier het hele album zonder tegenzin geluisterd.

There were moments listening to this that I thought, "Wow, this is really good!" Unfortunately, there were more moments where I thought, "Hmm, this is kind of tedious."

I have heard of Frank Ocean but never have given a listen. I expected that this would not be the typical sound of pop R&B…it still took some effort to warm up to the album. After a couple of listens, I had a much greater appreciation for what was produced here. I didn’t love much of it, but I didn’t hate any of it.

This was ok. Every once in a while, an instrument or a lyric would catch my attention but there wasn't much that really grabbed me.

Great voice, reminded me of Usher. I can definitely recognize his uniqueness and what makes his sound special compared to his contemporaries, but it’s just not very exciting music for my taste, just a bit too slow. Pyramids stood out as it deviated from the slower tempos.

Smooth R&B album with lots of creative influences. Not bad but could have done with probably 20 minutes less runtime

i reckon it would be a grower and got better as it went on. 3

Black music and soul from last decade. Interesting.

Meio sem sal

Pleasant to listen to...

a pleasant, mellow listen! it was a soothing listen even though each song was distinct and the album covered a range of genres. this is an album to appreciate as a whole, and i'll enjoy it more as i continue to listen. ocean has a beautiful voice, which is rather evident in "bad religion"--a standout on this album.

Soul interessante

Solid 3 , Was a soothing listen, great production

Enjoyed it but not sure I’ll ever understand the hype around frank

Casi 4 pero no.

Angelic voice and rythym

Smooth

Zum Teil sehr schöne Melodien, Kompositionen und Beats. Jedoch viel zu glatter Gesang. Bin aber nicht der größte RnB/Soul Fan, muss man wissen.

super rich kids

nije nešto šta inače slušan, ali nije ni loše

The album was alright. Nothing was really remarkable and I do not believe I was familiar with any of the songs.

Dragged on a bit, but wasn't unlistenable.

Solid

Not bad, not amazing - won't listen again I don't think

Very well produced, a couple of great tracks but eh… yet again, this didn’t really grab me enough to make me want to repeat-listen.

Innoffensive but nondescript. Why is this on the list? It's just a (very) average album. I'm told that Blond is much better.

It was ok. Nothing that really stood out, but was easy to listen to. Favorite Song: Crack Rock

It's got a Start, and an End. Perfect album material. Musically it's pleasant, but a little bland r'n'b isn't going to get me too excited

It's young people music, usually I just can't get into albums like this. Guy has a good voice. Lofi R&B, throughout there are lots of very simple beats but sometimes it kicks up and there are more interesting tracks. Early in the album there seems to be a "tv channel" theme with some sound effects kicking in like the Playstation startup, and random ads or lines being heard but halfway through the album this disappears. Overall there are some really good songs in here, a run in the middle that I really enjoyed, and going against the grain I think I liked the 9 minute song the most which usually isn't the case for me. But then there are some tunes that are just very slow and boring and I couldn't get into them. That inconsistency lands this album at a 3 for me.

Fora skroz, onako se uživiš da si kuliji nego šta zapravo izgledaš dok hodaš. Dobra komba repa i laganice.

Pa kul je bilo, kao malo seksi zabavno ali nema mi bas nesto posebno

Not bad, I'm glad I listened to it. No recognized songs

Not quite for me, but Frank's influence on future R&B is impossible to ignore. Things really pick up halfway through the record, but the landing remains unstuck. It doesn't have the dynamism of certain similar music, and drags too much to be a mood project for me. A few excellent songs, however, and the blend of influences is pretty seamless. The production holds up in full, as well.

Helt ointresserad av stilen, men jag tror mig ändå kunna höra att det är bra i sin genre. Pyramids va en bra låt

File under ‘horny albums’

A little heavy on smoking crack references for my tastes...

2.5 | Siento un disco muy bien hecho, de alguien con bastante talento e inventiva, en un género que no me va. Ese r&b moderno que ya he hablado sobre mi no compatibilidad, aunque aquí tiene ciertos puntos como de medio progresivo en el fondo, ganas de hacer algo más allá de lo meramente comercial. Samples y elementos de nostalgia que hablan directo a mi tallo cerebral y me despiertan atención y nostalgia... pero ya entradas las canciones... quisiera que fuera simplemente de otro tipo. Muy bien hecho... no para mí.

Un disco de R&B agradable. A ratos parece que rappea, usa muchos falsettos. Me gustaron los arreglos y mezclas aunque no me pareció nada revolucionario. No me encantan las piezas de sonidos y diálogo entre canciones, me parece que no aportan nada. Un disco agradable. Songs: Pyramids, Lost

not for me, though the talent is clear

It's a good listen. Easy. Soft. Rhythmic. I'm almost tempted to give it a 4 because of Fertilizer. It's to the point. Three lines and out.

Some good tunes, but not a patch on Blonde

Alright background tunes

We used to know him as Frank Sea before he hit the big time. Yep, young Frank got a bit too big for his boots and forgot about us, the little guys, his roots. I don't begrudge him his success though. The kid has a real talent.

Pretty good RnB album. Probably didn't give it the deep listen it deserved.

Top Picks: Pyramids and Sweet Life. Not a huge fan of this one. Some cool drum and bass stuff going on but for the most part, not really my jam.

Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of Frank's music I do enjoy a few of his songs particularly on this album and can understand why this took his career to a new level. Haven't enjoyed much of what he's released since though.

Solid Album overall, very chill and spacey similar to Awaken, My Love! however I don't think it reaches the same standard 6/10

Talented.

Not very memorable

Easy listening, if this is your first foray into Frank Ocean he does bring a unique style that blends experimental sounds with his R&B/Soul talent. Some of Frank Ocean's style and sound can invoke reminders of Justin Timberlake's solo efforts, but this is a compliment, not a criticism, there are plenty of obvious differences between each to where Frank Ocean should confidently stand on his own here.

Another very nice sounding album with a lot of good moments, but nothing that ever stood out and stuck to me.

Crack rock! I just really wanted to write that. I liked several chunks of this album, and was lukewarm to others. There’s something about someone transitioning from rapping to singing R&B in the same song that is hard for my brain to process. If it’s a song where one person raps and another person sings? No problem. But if it’s all coming from the same mouth? I don’t know. It’s like a dude doing death metal growls and clean singing in the same tune. Just hard to get used to at first. But… Crack rock!

Nett ist Cousine von Egal. Aber das wird mit jedem Mal besser als nett. „Pyramids“ hält als Beispiel diese Spannung in einem Song zusammen, wenn er sich weg vom dancefloor zu einem melancholischen pre-hangover brummt. „Lost“ ist wie auch „Super Rich Kids“ einfach perfekter Pop und wieder ist der Grundton bei beiden traurig, leer, sehnsüchtig nach wahrhaftigen Gefühlen. Ungewöhnlich auch „Bad Religion“ & „Pink Matter“. Es lohnen mehrere Durchgänge allein wegen ihrer lyrics. Soulfull Songwriter 3.3

6/10

Esta lista a veces me hace sentir un inculto musical. Me sonaba el nombre de este músico pero nunca lo había escuchado conscientemente. Me ha gustado aunque no es mi estilo así que 3 estrellas para mí.

Pretty cool vibes on this one. I heard a little Prince, a little Stevie Wonder - but overall a pretty unique sounds. I'll be singing "Crack Rock Crack Rock" probably for the rest of my life (just that line).

Good start Much more enjoyable than when I listened to it on release

Faultless production. It’s packed with smooth synths and bass and crackling drums. His voice is gentle and yet right at the front of the mix which is some trick. A great example of this genre

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Sweet Life, Lost, Pink Matter, Forrest Gump Cutting Edge: Pyramids Overall Notes: I get why this got really good reviews and why it resonates with people. I am not one of those people. Definitely deserves to be on this list as it is clearly artistically accomplished, but it's a fairly weak 3 for me.

zwoele muziek, beetje langdradig soms

2012 - Hip Hop - couple of good tracks

Some tracks I really hate, others I really like. So I guess it averages to a 3/5?

-"Sweet Life" had a nice bass groove and theme. Bass grooves also featured in: "Monks" and "Pink Matter" -"Super Rich Kids" had some interesting lyrics and I liked the backing beat, but I thought the beat would like develop on some significant way -The whole thing was pleasant, it just was SLOW and boring to me throughout lots of it, but I feel like it had potential -"Pyramids" was probably the best song out of the album

Buen álbum

Need to listen again

- this album fucks, groovy. - flairs of innovation but not too out there. - Subtle orchestration, buttery vocals - Interesting characters but anything but sympathetic to them. - Lyrics flip. Some keep it so real (looking at you bad religion), some are crass.