Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Chill rap album. A few really good and fun. Nice use of PlayStation boot up.
Buen canal el naranja
I own this
Siento que el álbum es como un lienzo de cansiones un poco aburridas y similares, sobre las que se destacan canciones como Thinkin Bout You o Pyramids, pero no lo volvería a esuchar completo.
Heard "Blonde" before. Frank Ocean is awesome on doing those emotional stuff, and that album is extremely beautiful. But channel orange is just ok, pretty normal, not as good as blonde. 3/5
More tuneful than rap but generally the same sentiments. Definitely more listenable though. 3*
Not my kind of music but cool and innovative
3/4
Really enjoyed it. At times thought I really really enjoyed it but this morning I can't seem to remember too much about it other than the overall feel. Cool sounds and great production. The lyrics were great but none stuck. A solid 3 and will probably revisit and regret not giving a 4
Eclectic to say the least. Ocean's sound is definitely original, but I'm not so into it. Liked Songs Added: Sweet Life
Another album with some tracks just being short bursts of a minute or less sounds / songs? Alrighty. Songs with a bit more length were ok…
Not really my thing.
Well that was very generic.
No está mal, pero para nada es mi onda. No lo volvería a escuchar.
There are some things on here that I like and that might end up stuck in my head a little, including “Lost” and “Pyramids” (although I don’t know why that one runs nearly 10 minutes). Nothing amazing though.
Highlights are Super Rich Kids, Pyramids, and Monks. 3.5
Interesting. Will have to revisit sometimes.
Mid
This took a while to get in to. I still don't really like it, but the second half of the album wasn't as hard to like as the first.
Pretty great few songs, doesn't always live up to those highs
't Is al een paar uur geleden dus ik weet de details niet meer, maar wel dat ik het op sommige plekken best leuk en chill vond, en op andere plekken heel corny popperig ofzo. Gemiddelde 3 sterren voor deze.
I know this album (and blonde) are considered masterpieces by a lot of people, but I’ve given this album a couple chances and while there are interesting pieces ot all doesn’t come together for me. Super Rich kids is a standout and any song with an Andre feature always works. 3.3
2.5 I never really understood the critical acclaim when this first came out and still don't today.
I know I listened to this last Friday, but I can't really remember much about it. I don't think it was bad or good. 3 stars OK?
In the reviews, it states: Noted by writers as musically unconventional ... boy, I'll say! But it was SO unconventional that I couldn't stop listening to it! Not sure I'll be back to it, but it made for some easy background, work music.
♪A potato flew around my room♪...*sigh* I miss Vine :'(. Fertilizer gave me Sarah Bareilles vibes. I kind of liked Sierra Leone. Super Rich Kids is eh. I'm sorry what?!?!?!?! - Crack Rock. I liked Lost. Overall it was alright. Not really my vibe. It would be okay as an album that plays in the background as I clean or something - not paying attention to it.
I hated the production of this from the get go. The tone of the drum machine and the overused vocal effects both irked me. Which is a pity because there is some interesting things going on here, if you can get past the horrible sound.
Wasn’t as good as I remember :(
Hip hop can be quite enjoyable when it’s got a melody mixed in there!
Een paar singletjes, twee albums, en Frank Ocean verdween al weer uit de actieve scene. Zo snel als zijn vlam tot onbranding kwam, zo snel werd hij ook weer gedoofd. Blijft altijd een bijzondere discografie in het moderne R&B wereldje. Twee keer was het ook wel een hit, en bij mij in zekere mate ook. Frank Ocean neemt je aan de hand van een radiokanaal mee in het leven van de zwarte jeugd in California. Maar niet de stadse jeugd, gevangen in de 'hood', zoals je die vaak tegenkomt in Amerikaanse urban genres. In ''Channel Orange'' bekijk je het leven door de bril van een zwarte jongen in de suburbs, die te maken heeft met dezelfde maar ook hele andere ''middle-class struggles''. Al schijnt het niet over z'n persoonlijke leven te gaan, is 'Super Rich Kids' een goed voorbeeld van deze bijzondere invalshoek. Zwarte cultuur wordt eigenlijk bijna klakkeloos gelinkt aan ghetto's en lage sociaal-economische klassen, maar er zijn ook een hoop zwarte gezinnen die zich in andere lagen van de bevolking bevinden. Thema's als existentialisme en identiteitscrises worden dan ook veelvoudig bezongen door Frank Ocean en andere Odd Future-leden, met als meest bekende het werk van Tyler The Creator. Een ander voorbeeld is BROCKHAMPTON. Wat een gevolg is, is dat deze muziek makkelijker rijmt met de smaak van de witte middenklas, doordat het herkenbare issues aanhalen. Frank Ocean is een belangrijke pion geweest in de evolutie die gaande is waarin zwarte urban stijlen steeds meer kunnen rekenen op witte fans, om het maar even heel simpel te beschrijven. 'Super Rich Kids' is fantastisch, en één van mijn favoriete nummers op de plaat. Verder moet ik bekennen dat het album mijn inziens niet echt lekker met de tijd is meegegaan, of in ieder geval niet al te goed met mijn smaak is meegegaan. Veel songs voelen over de top cheesy, vooral door de productie. In 'Pyramids' werkt deze aanpak nog wel, maar die zit al op het randje met z'n dancehall synths. Vanwege zijn creativiteit was dit altijd mijn favoriet van hem, maar ik denk dat de productie op ''Blonde'' veel verfijnder is en beter bestand is tegen de tand des tijds. Er zijn echt wel een hand vol songs op deze plaat die nog steeds positief opvallen, maar dat mag ook wel bij een album van een uur. Én je weet gewoon dat als er een feuturing van André 3000 is, dat het één van de highlights van het muziekstuk is. 7/10 Highlights: Super Rich Kids Pyramids Lost Pink Matter
i liked it more than i thought i would. Added to the rotation
Eh, I don’t get the hype. Ok, but I don’t love it.
Long and sparse. I was quite disappointed
Frank’s voice is good but the instrumentals feel very bare and lacking. Very overrated album imo
If this is on the list I surely hope Blonde is there too as it’s far superior album
I found this utterly boring but I also recognise it's well made. This might even grow on me but I'll never know. Too much other, better music to listen to. It is quite varied, with interesting quirks but then he usually falls back to the R&B I just don't like. Still a 3. Not sure if this is a Must Hear album.
It was fine, not really my taste but okay to do a few house jobs to.
some good songs, but not my favourite
There were moments when this album shone like the finest elements of Outkast, however they were but fleeting. Still, a decent listen nonetheless
Good album not my style
Lost. Stand out track.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background 2.5 rounding up to 3....Eh, was all right...didn't need to hear it before I die.
Okay I guess
I was ready to rubbish this one. Not the worst. Deserved a listen. But I’ve been on a bad streak.
I think this did ‘advance the genre’ but most of the songs i didn’t actually like very much…? Perhaps if i was more into hip hop this would make me like it more in an appreciation kind of way… but i don’t think I’ll be listening to anything other than crack rock or pyramids again 3/5
Starts off cozy, literally the PS1 startup sound and the intro to Super Street Fighter II Turbo... but thereafter it just didn't fully resonate with me, not to say its not masterfully crafted, a lot of soul was clearly poured into this, this side of R&B just isn't my vibe. It consistently praised as the hottest thing to ever come down the pike but, sadly I suppose, I just down see it and it just feels overly long... 2012 just wasn't a good year overall.
So clunky. Has a couple of my faves but a lotttttt of duds
It is not my thing but I sense great musicality here. My favs from this disc is Pyramids and Lost.
It's hard to put into words what I like or don't like. I know there was a certain hype around this album so I'm glad I listened to it, but it just didn't resonate with me
Some good sngs here, but also quite a bit of filler. The best songs are Sweet Life and Lost.
It's a grower. I wonder though whether the best thing about it is the way it crosses genres. Is there anything uniquely good about it? Best tracks: Sweet life, Crack Rock, and White.
Pretty great. I am not keen on the backing tracks but the lyrics are great poetry, very personal. Needs a re-listen.
Super vibey R&B, Frank heeft een prachtige stem en een aantal absolute hoogtepunten met Lost, Thinkin Bout you en Pink Matter. Maar toch, de rest van het album haalt de highs hier niet. Ik merk dat ik toch wat verveeld begin te raken en me meerdere keren afvraag hoelang het album nog duurt. Ontzettend jammer! Want de highs zijn zo geweldig hier! En aan de stem van Frank kan het ook niet liggen, maar ik merk gewoon dat ontzettend veel nummers niet echt of helemaal niet landen... Dus ondanks dat ik sommige nummers echt compleet grijs heb gedraaid, kom ik toch niet hoger dan 3 sterren uit. Tot mijn eigen verbazing ook eerlijk gezegd! FAVO: Thinkin bout you, Super rich kids, Lost, Pink matter, Forrest Gump
Drake for pseudo-intellectuals? I quite liked this one, especially Super Rich Kids (and the PSX theme at the intro)
I liked more songs than I initially thought I would. Honestly I'd give a 3.5, almost a 4.
Pleasantly surprised, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Not entirely my taste, but still a solid album.
I thought this album was decent, not like the best ever but not terrible Top tracks: Thinking Bout You, Lost
This was a good album but not a lot jumped out to make it particularly interesting or catchy.
Sweet Life was awesome with a fantastic bass line, Lost was pretty cool as well. Helps balance out some of the more mediocre elements of the album
Clearly I'm in the minority but I've never _quite_ understood the hype. For the most part all I hear a decent but second-rate Stevie Wonder imitation, interspersed with mumbled rap and/or a grating falsetto. It's not all mild disappointment though. Pyramids provides a much needed up-tempo shot of adrenalin in its first half, and Crack Rock and Lost on either side of it are pretty solid or at least interesting too.
Mir unbekannt, aber ganz cool. Fast 4.
I’ve heard of him but thought it was rap. Pretty surprised to find out its more R&B. Not my cup of tea. Long album where most of the songs were repetitive and sounded similar. 5/10
I have the defect of prejudging an album based on its year of release. I know that there are several examples of good albums from 2010 onwards, but even so, I end up taking a step back. With that in mind and said, this is not a perfect example. I personally don't like those synthetic and almost robotic vocals that permeated the decade. But I recognize that, musically speaking, there is a very good mix between pop and contemporary R&B and hip-hop. All of this stuck together in a kind of Lo-fi vibes with lyrics. I really liked the instrumental part, but it's not something I'll choose to listen to on a Saturday night while enjoying a good whiskey. No! But it's an excellent background to spend the night with some friends, playing Minecraft!
The music - beats here are good, and I wanted to really like this album. But for me the vocals are bland and seem like one long song.
Questo è una specie di R&B molto soft e gradevole come sottofondo
Highlights: Super Rich Kids, Lost, Sweet Life, Monks. In a nutshell: "how's the gutter goin'?" With Tyler The Creator, Andre 3000, Pharrell Williams and more joining Frank, you're certain to have an eclectic debut album. But Channel Orange is a mixed bag. Most of the interludes were unnecessary. Pyramids didn't need to be over 9 minutes. IMHO, Super Rich Kids is one of the best songs of the 2010's. Moreso for the lyrics not necessarily the beat/melody. The electro-funk bass and percussion on Monks is sweet. This album and Kendrick Lamar's good kid, M.A.A.D City (released just months after Channel Orange) were trend setters. We have a plethora of artists imitating/building on this style to this day. That fact needs to be acknowledged. Even though I'm not into this genre, having Frank Ocean (be it here or Blonde) on this list is a must. Overall: 6/10
Meh?
3 good
Pretty good
5,76
Not the greatest voice but some interesting beats and arrangements. I was attentive which says something.
Meh
It's fine for what it is, but R&B is not my jam so it's hard to rate this appropriately. 2.5
It was nice, but didn't really do anything for me.
Better than I'd expected! Quite chilled and jazzy. Expected more of a rap vibe
This kinda thing definitely isn't something I regularly would listen to. It's "fine?" Sounds like over-produced pop/hip-hop. Some of the grooves are good, but it just sounds so polished it has almost no soul? Ocean's vocals are silky smooth sure, but can't place it but it just feels too produced for my liking.
Surprising find. 3.5/5
Surprisingly satisfying. One new favourite track.
sheesh
Some cool grooves.
Not my style...but OK
It was decent but I didn't really see what all they hype was about
Not my thing but interesting at least :) enjoyed it
Fun (but completely unrelated to the music) start to the album for a nerd like me, some throwbacks to the original Playstation. The first thing I noticed when starting the album on Spotify was how many listens it had. Also, this has flown straight over my head as I've never heard about Frank Ocean before. Now, over to the music. it opens with one of the most popular songs of the album, but I can't for the life of me see why that is so popular. And it continues along that same path for the rest of the album as I am a bit clueless as to why this album in particular is so popular. After putting it on now just before writing this review I admit it's quite a nice and mellow experience, and it's not half bad. But I still can't really see the supposed greateness. I must add that R&B is not really my forte. I found my favourite song in 'Lost', which also seems to be the most popular one on the album. Other than that I can't really single out something particular that I enjoy, but it was overall okay. I realize I am out of touch here with the rest of the public opinion, but for me a strong 3 feels like the right score. Was contemplating giving it a weak 4, but that would have been because I know it's a popular record.
6/10
Thinkin Bout You is one of my favorite songs. I always wondered why I didn’t vibe with the album back then. I feel like the album starts with the best song and the rest of it isn’t as memorable. I also wonder why novacane isn’t on this album.
I thought I was going to like this more than I did. I didn't recognize any of the songs. It was good, but a little slow. Frank Ocean has an amazing voice, but that's about it for me on this album.
Another Surprise
Perfectly fine R&B, but for some reason it had a truly soporific effect on me.
Nice variety.
Non offensive not memorable though.
Not an R &B lover, so I’m going middle of the road. 3
frekar ljúft, sálarraul. sundurlaus hlustun. fær aðra umferð. 3,5.
My first thought on seeing this album, Matt Pike standing in front of a wall of Orange amps playing some crushing riffs. This is not that. My second thought, who the fuck is Frank Ocean. This is not my usual jam, but I've been told my 15 old niece listens to Frank a lot, and since she's of the age of knowing everything, I'm going to believe this is good. The only track I really dug was Lost.
Good listen
Whilst at times overly self-indulgent and not an album I'd necessarily want to own, I also wouldn't be offended if someone were to put it on.
I've heard the name Frank Ocean, but I've never listened. I see he has quite the following. The first four songs weren't grabbing me, they seemed uninspiring. I started really noticing the vocal talent on Sweet Life. Super Rich Kids is cool, good melody, and I like Earl Sweatshirt. Wait... I have heard Crack Rock before. I like Crack Rock, the song and drug.
Sweet Life! I first heard/saw Frank Ocean performing Forrest Gump on the Grammys, and I was captivated. I kept an ear out for more, but our paths didn't cross again until now. Conceptually, we hear Frank changing channels throughout the album with ear-candy interludes. Similarly, his voice alters between spoken word rap, Stevie Wonder funk (especially on the too-short "Fertilizer"), and a clear falsetto. Sometimes lush and warm ("Thinking About You," "Crack Rock") and at times minimalistic ("Pilot Jones," "White," the "Benny and the Jets" chords of "Super Rich Kids") the instrumentation stretches its wings comfortably, never showing danger of going too far. Maybe the whole would benefit by getting a little dangerous; it is equally possible that it would kill the vibe. With the exception of "Pyramids" (containing the intriguing imagery of "Cleopatra working at The Pyramid tonight"), the songs hover around 4 minutes or less (mostly less). If a song is not to your taste, something new and different is served moments later. However, I didn't find anything off-color on this album, save some of the occasional language which is relatively mild for the time. "Bad Religion" is the best track on this album, proving that Frank is not relying on clever production and smooth vocals; there is a true songwriter in him.
I tried to get the hype around Frank Ocean, I mostly know him from cancelling shows last minute. Still don't quite get it.
I don't really mind hip-hop taking a turn. Frank Ocean is the perfect example of that. He takes HH somewhere else, somewhere in between the genres. The whole album is a production masterpiece (maybe even a little over-produced, since Ocean's voice is alone enough to get to the listener). I get why people like his music. But I'm not the biggest fan.
This won't be a first time listen. Soft fan of this album going in, already did it for Hook Club I think. Upon listen, not that impressed, a lot of yoo yoo yah yah stuff and ceaseless lyrical repetition on most of the hooks. BUT there are some solid tracks and it's not bad to listen to.
Hip-hop / rnb but actually good and vibe-y. Stand-out: Thinkin Bout You
Impressive first offering, beautifully produced and sung. Not really for moi, though.
It's an odd album. Certainly well produced with the snippets of conversation and his sweet voice, layers of voices. It is jazz like in some respects but never hints at melody except in the cadence of his voice. It has a sense of languid sadness. I'll give it a 3, but I'll never listen to it again.
Second half was better
I’m finding R&B music isn’t really my thing, but this album was solid for the genre. Nice easy listening.
3 - Some parts were cool, but struggled with it. Found parts a bit cheesy and grating
An interesting change up. I remember this being all the rage. Not really my thing though.
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.
I love "Super Rich Kids". It reminds me of "Benny and the Jets" (strong complement). I was really hoping to find the same quality elsewhere in the album and I long delayed writing this review because I wanted to give it more time. But in the end I just didn't find what I was looking for. I kinda like "Thinking Bout You" and "Sweet Life". There's some of the same funk/vibe from Stevie Wonder. Kind of a borderline 3-4 album for me, but downgrading because even after all these listens I'm only so into it.
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.