Reviews (page 11 of 14)
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.
First tones smell like sampled hip-hop. Okay second song starts... nope still... After a couple of songs it gets more into soul and develops a nice sound... and juuuuuuuust when I was like: "Hmmm I might actually like this." NOPE have another bullshit sample. It slowly starts to grow on me. Might revisit at a later date.
Don't like his voice
Busy and ambitious.
decent
A chill album, almost to chill for me.
Some highs, some lows. Pyramids was my favourite, interludes were a bit naff... Apart from the PS1 start up tune!
Dope r&b album
A misnomer. There isn't one Channle Orange; there are dozens, and Frank flicks between them like it's way past midnight and he can't drag himself to bed. Leans into loungey suave a little too hard, but nowhere near enough to undermine his incredible vision or storytelling gifts.
Ok
Artista que no conocía de nada y que, paradójicamente, es de los más escuchados del mundo actualmente. Hace altern R&B en su mayoría.
Some really cool tracks
Gotta love frank ocean! Something doesn't click for me for his music though, maybe i just like the jazz covers
Mellow a little hip hop
Silky smooth tones but parts felt hollow. Liked enough to give it 3* but it's in no danger of tempting me into a 4*
Bit lengthy but I thought this was good overall
Incredible playstation console opening. Good melodies, musical writing. Good vocals. Kinda experimental rap / pop vibes which is not my favorite. Kendrick Lamar interlude vibes. Baby making music. Similar to Childish Gambino as well.
Need to come back to this
Buena voz. No entraría entre mis favoritos, pero funciona como música relajante
Rollo patatero zzzzzzzzz
I've heard a lot about Frank Ocean but I haven't listened to their music much. He does have a nice voice but I wasn't blown away.
Soul. Rhythm and blues, disco.
I enjoyed this more than I expected
Not my taste
Love this album solely because it was released on my birthday.
Pretty amateur and minimal musically, mostly driven by drums and high reverb synths. Some good songs throughout, but you can see how much Frank improved with Blonde
Better than I thought. Bordering on mumble rap. Still not convinced he gives a shit about what he's talking about but some of the lyrics are halfway decent.
Definitely some smooth jams, along with some genuine oddity
It was ok. not my favorite genre
It's aight
A bit annoying at first, not used to this music. Halfway through it's actually kind of good. Not mad
Good album, not my usual choice but I liked it.
Good album frank
Better than I thought it'd be.
not a fan of r&b but the album stands out
Decent.... this appears to be the gateway album to a lot of dirge that followed in the genre!
Her gjorde eg ein førebuande innsats og motiverte meg for å vere open og lyttande. Men, eg får ikkje til dette og appellen er uforståeleg for meg. Eg får rett og slett ingenting utav det. Utifrå status og anmeldelsane av plata ligg nok mitt krevjande forhold til dette meir på mi side enn på Frank Ocean si.
Sometimes maybe good. Sometimes maybe shit. 4/10
Tinha expectativas altas
I’ve always wanted to do a FO full listen. Knew the name and a couple songs but did not understand. Now I think I have a clearer picture. It’s boring AF and reminds me of a phony yet glossy instagram photo. I enjoyed the Crack song.
Za nešto okarakterisano kao soul očekivala sam da ima malo duše... Zvuči mehanički i sterilno, kao Drake ili nešto drugo novo i loše (ne mislim automatski da je sve novo loše ali to nije daleko od istine, šta ću) kad bi pokušavao biti inferiorna kopija Stevie Wondera kojeg također nimalo ne volim. Još preko toga svega je veoma dosadno i dugo.
Better than I was expecting l, but still lacked proper soul.
Meh.
Really thought this was Billy Ocean and was sorely disappointed ha. Not for me but not annoying.
Frank Ocean — Channel Orange Pre-Listening: Avoided this album for 14 years because I got sick of hearing how I needed to listen to it. So, I guess we’ll see what all those hipsters were talking about at UNI a decade ago. Best Song: Pyramids. Really good beat to just mosey around to. Then you look down and realize it was 9 minutes long! For that alone, it gets the top vote. Runner-Up: Pink Matter. Love the subtle guitar in the background. Really love Andre 3000’s feature. Interesting sample sounds in the background make me wonder if this is really a sad song or a fallen warrior song. Third Place: Super Rich Kids. Honestly, thought that I was listening to a Chance, The Rapper song. I love songs that do little but do a lot and this song is that. Post-Listening: If you’re into this style of hip-hop/R&B, I can see why you’re amping it up to everyone else… personally, I’m glad I avoided this song over the years. Ocean’s a great artist, but not for me. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5
mm maso
(2.75)
Billy > Frank
Not for me but not a badly produced album
2.4 1x
During "Pyramids" I accidently switched to listening to another album
Some good RnB in here but is overshadowed by some really bland and even bad tracks. As generic as some of them sound, the poppy and easy jazz chord progression harmonies are a bit guilty pleasure. I think any TTC album clears though (where is Flower Boy or Igor bro...). Favorite(s): Sweet Life Monks Least: Pyramids (the most "9-minute long 3-minute song" ever) Pink Matter 1.5/5
Fav: Sweet Life, Lost L: Super Rich Kids 2 To start, orange is my least favorite color. Most of the songs needed something more in my opinion. The lyrics got kind of annoying repetitive in parts. I wouldn’t be bothered if somebody put this on, but I don’t think I would ever listen to this again.
I can appreciate that this isn’t generic R&B and hip hop but it’s not something I see myself returning too
not my bag
It's okay. I honestly don't get much of the hype with Frank Ocean. Favourite Song: Lost
Is this album about a guy coming out as gay? Weird flex but okay. Its okay I guess.
Como ya es usual, no es el tipo de música que me gusta o estoy acostumbrado a escuchar. No suena mal y de hecho creo que tiene una buena producción. Tal vez es demasiado lento para mi gusto, a veces me gusta lo lento, pero hay muchas canciones en las que no llega a ningún lado y no hay algo que me llame la atención como para decir que me gusta. Aún así, Pyramids y Lost fueron las canciones que más resalté del resto del álbum. No volvería a escucharlo.
Eh
I was ready to write this off as an insta 2. Not into it but not as terrible as Kid Rock. Whiny voice, he's no Marvin Gaye, better rappers/RnB singers who talk about drugs. Who cares that the selling point is that you go falsetto then back to tenor with ease and grace. Then Pink Matter came along. Gamechanger. Or maybe it just took that long. All the songs have the same tempo and beat so I may have been lulled into acquiescence if not appreciation. Would have been better with some rain. Standing by my 2.
These reviews are wild so I’ll keep it simple. Not my style, but not an unpleasant listen. Kinda faded into the background.
Not my style. ★★
Not for me ta. It's not awful but also doesn't do much for me.
s/s, RnB, 2012 -> 2
I remember when this album came out and the waves it made on Tumblr at the time, so I had high hopes coming into it, but something about it didn't click for me. the André 3000 feature was a highlight though.
4/10
Could've been better
Rap meets Prince in places but not my genre
I don't exactly know what this was - Soul? RNB? Rap? All of the above? Anyway, high pitched singing and strange rhythmic phrasing. I miss rage and anger instead of the high pitched whining.
This seems fine. Reading about it, I'm not sure why this is required listening. There is some pretty good instrumentation. His voice doesn't do much for me. The production makes his voice sound separate and on top of the music, not a part of it. I probably just haven't found my way into this style of modern R and B, yet.
This type of contemporary R&B isn't my jam - or maybe it's just Him? Pitchfork: 9.5 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #148 (2023)
kind of boring
Nice flow but it didn't pull me enough. Good album to be intimate in.
Just quite dull? It doesn’t have the sharp edges of 90s or 00s hip hop but it feels muted compared to say the RnB of an Usher or similar. There’s some mumbling and vague falsetto, some reasonable musicality in the backing music but not enough to get excited about. Even the more interesting themes covered cannot save it for me.
Listening to this was like buying supermarket honey. It's dressed up like honey but when you get it home you find it doesn't have the flavour of authentic honey. It's just sugary synthesised crap. Annoying, whiney, overproduced, lyrics that might sound deep to a young teenager.
Reminds of going to the bar or club in college. Soooo... I don't really care for this. Maybe there is something here I am missing. Overall just couldn't get into it.
This style of music has never been my thing. It has a chill vibe and he has a good voice, but I don’t see ever listening to it again. 3/10 Ho Hum
Interesting listen. It sounds great and there’s plenty of surprises. Not really my taste but I enjoyed listening to it.
Not my vibe
Overdue to check out Frank Ocean, interesting ideas musically, but vocally / lyrically not for me.
I listened a few times because I kept forgetting I listened. Didn’t make much of an impression on me. Not bad sounds, but kinda snooze worthy.
ANOTHER hour+ R&B debut with skits? *eyeroll* I gave it a generous two playthroughs, and sadly, the part that got me the most excited was the PlayStation boot up. I recognize the well-done production, and there are, indeed, a few good melodies here and there... but the lyrics are unrelatable and the length is unjustifiable for what's being offered. Several tracks feel like straight up filler, 'Pyramids', itself, is in desperate need of an edit and, yes, those pesky skits could and should be cut... though then I suppose we'd also lose the part that got me the most excited... *sigh*
This really does nothing for me. It’s well produced sure, but that’s about all i got from it.
2/5 Favorite Songs: Thinkin Bout You Pyramids White
I’ve never heard anything by him before so I was interested in listening to it, but this just wasn’t for me. I didn’t connect with the music at all, just not my style. It was like R&B meets electronica. He has a great voice though.
I tried before with Frank Ocean and just don’t get it. He clearly has an ear for melody but it sounds to me just whiny and over the top, not a single emotion sounds real or earned. Some of the instrumentation is lovely though.
498/1089 - Music for shopping at Sephora. The interludes were annoying.
Number: 146 Date: 05/29/2026 Artist: Frank Ocean Album: Channel Orange Year: 2012 Style: Contemporary R&B Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 2 Before: ======= Never heard of this artist or album. Looks like he has over a billion streams on Spotify for a couple of songs on this album? During: ======= I decided to be generous and give Super Rich Kids a 4. The rest were mostly 3's, 2's, and 1's. After : ======= This is not really my favorite style of music. Some of the tracks would be OK as background music but I think I would get bored with it pretty quick. 2 my personal rating 3 suitability for this list 1 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2 composite rating
Loved the opening song. Love to hear that PlayStation start up. LMFAOO, a potato flew into my room?? This guys keeps it silly. Not my personal vibe. It sounds very 2012.
Meh was ok.
Non è il mio genere preferito e c'è di meglio anche all'interno dello stesso genere.
This is just not at all my lane. I’m sure it’s fine if you like that kind of thing, but for me it’s just cold cat shit.
Not my thing.
I didn't like this any where near as much as I thought I might
Didn’t hate it, but none of the tracks really stood out and not something I would go back to
New to me and I quite enjoyed it, the good songs like “Fertilizer” were very good. Two stars. Tom.
Como que tienen algo las canciones que me dice que deberían gustarme pero a la vez me suenan raras la mayor parte del tiempo, como que el ritmo no me cuadra con lo que canta. Ademas hay algunas canciones que no son canciones, es alguien hablando como por 1 minuto.
I was honestly excited to get this one, it’s been mentioned so many times. How disappointing though. There is nothing memorable to me here. You can’t even tell if he has a good voice due to the auto tune effect which I find so grating. Touches of Stevie Wonder. Just a big old nothing burger. And too long
I've heard Frank Ocean before and like his music. I'm not certain this was an album for me, and this I didn't super love it. Very cohesive and pleasant in some ways.
I think I missed something with this album, someone will have to update me.....
I don't know what I was expecting as I hear Frank Ocean is highly rated and critically acclaimed. This just didn't cut it for me, felt like any other smoozy R&B album. There were some highlights, like the arrangement in Pyramids but even then it just felt full of those tired modern R&B tropes that is omnipresent in today's popular music. I think if I heard this album on a late night I might feel different about it. The second half of the album is much better than the first half so at least it started to get better.
Not really my thing. It was too much like pop.
Is every track a skit?
Some tracks are enjoyable but after a while they all seemed to blend together.
Crack rock must have rang loud whe. album was made…multiple refs
awful
Album #79: channel ORANGE - Frank Ocean Genre (W): Alternative R&B, progressive soul, neo soul Singles: Thinkin Bout You, Pyramids, Sweet Life, Lost, Super Rich Kids I have listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I love the sounds of this album, but only a select songs stand out to me as truly great ones. Thinkin’ Bout You and Pyramids are the best ones by far. Sometimes the lyrics stick, sometimes they don’t. I enjoyed the mood of this album. Favorite songs: Thinkin Bout You, Super Rich Kids*, Pyramids*, Lost*, White, Bad Religion
This is R and B. Monotonous over an album but I do like 'thinkin about you'.
I enjoyed some of the intros and outros, but this album did not resonate with me.
Thinkin Bout You
This isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard… but that’s about the highest praise I can give it. I spent most songs wishing they would end sooner and often felt that there was a lot of potential that was far from realized here. I’ve heard good things about Frank Ocean, and I know it’s the debut album, but I’m not hearing what’s so special.
I had never listen to much frank ocean because I understood him to be sort of a slower, more navel gazey Kanye, and he’s not beating the allegations
Decent beats, but other than that pretty boring lyrically.
Onda moderna, muchas fusiones. Mi favorita, Pyramids.
Slow jam soul, not my thing. Silly falsetto, goofy lyrics, weak hooks. This is music for kids to have sex to, today's Barry White, nothing more. Same tempo more or less on every track, just a drag. Impressive listener counts with over a billion people listening to "Thinkin Bout You" (which I found hard to sit through) and "Lost". The rest of the album has huge numbers with songs hitting 173M, 240M, 576M, 120M, 236M, 274M, 587M, 301M, off the charts. Was this shit on the actual radio?? They all blended together, hard to tell one from the next or when one ended and the next one began. "Lost" was the only song with anything going for it. Is this guy a genius and I can't hear it? I hated this, not sure what convinced people to over-consume this drivel but they did. About as talented as Drake and just as boring. I'm obviously too old & culturally removed to dig this one. 2 stars. Is he dead? No album since 2016. That's a long hiatus, but I sure don't care.
non mi è dispiaciuto ma neanche nulla di che, per nulla un capolavoro. forse avanti per il suo anno (2012) con suoni piacevoli ma testi indecifrabili alle volte
Lyrics are great, love how he sets the scene, pretty nice album!
The songs were good js truly not my style. I would recommend to someone that likes this type of music but I would not listen again.
This was kind of a drag
Oceans of franks nutsack
Boring
Not my kind of R'n'B
nothing new here don't make my top 5001 to be honest.
Contemporary R&B bores me in ways I can't even begin to explain.
mid. Très répétitif , assez ennuyant.
No es de mi agrado el álbum, no me gusta el sonido ni el ritmo, para otra gente les puede encantar. Pero en lo personal, no lo considero agradable.
Some was interesting
Just bland and boring. Monotonous autotuned mumble-rap over reverb. The plus side was any time I looked down I'd progressed 3 tracks without noticing them change.
Meh, this is slightly more interesting than some of the artists of this genre that I've been forced to listen to on this site but I won't be returning to it. Only one or two tracks stood out. 'Lost' was one of them.
I see that it's good but doesn't do it for me.
Another album that was way too overhyped IMO. Some good beats in here, but I don't love his lyrical style or cadence.
Not my cuppa tea
The pressure to like Frank Ocean made me really listen to this album to see if I like Frank Ocean and I feel like a heathen for admitting that I don't particularly care for Frank Ocean.
Ich mag Frank Ocean nicht immer weil sein Gesang so getunt anklingt. Ich habe nur ein paar Songs in meiner Playlist und skippe sie immer weil ich sie zu oft gehört habe und mir nicht mehr so gefallen aber zu gut sind um sie rauszuschmeißen
I mostly don’t care for the “song” fragment mode that’s on full display. The fully developed songs are pretty good & Frank’s voice is nice, but it’s just not my thing.
Orange album, but zero juice. 🍊
Poco atractivo para mi
Not for me
I don't know what it is about 2010s popular music that doesn't really do it for me. It almost seems like all the excitement and pizzazz left most popular music sometime in the later half of the 2000s and it was replaced by slow jams, lo-fi beats and overly hushed vocals that sound bored and uninspired. That's exactly how I feel about Frank Ocean and his 'Channel Orange' record. He's not a bad singer or anything, he's got a pretty decent understanding of rhythm and production, but for someone putting out their debut record (you know, the artistic statement you've toiled long and hard to get out into the world from obscurity), he sounds so bored and disinterested. Mixed among glitchy interludes, which is another complaint I have as I don't really understand how they're meant to build atmosphere, is nothing more than a series of relatively unexciting R&B jams that don't really do much for me. I don't really have much to say. It's produced well, but 'Channel Orange' is a great example of the bland and forgettable popular music landscape that made me retreat into 90s alternative rock. Best songs: Nil
I remember this being a big deal when it first came out, but I still don't get it. It doesn't resonate with me. The beats and music are too far off for my liking. I don't know. I guess I just don't get it.
Mwa. Dacht dat ik het leuk zou vinden na het eerste nummer. Maar viel vies tegen
Look just think this album is very dull
no es mi estilo de música para nada sin embargo hay un par de temas que guardé. tbh me pareció muy largo para lo q tendría que haber sido a mi gusto.
Incredibly boring for me, everyone in year 8 loved this album but i feel like it might not have aged great, it feels very 2010s. I think there is a nice overall vibe to the album but generally every song is pretty dull to me and there aren't many standouts
Very boring to me and nothing special. A 2.5 for me but nothing makes me bring it up to a 3.
A little bit disappointed. Everyone speaks sooo highly of his music. It wasn't groundbreaking for me...
por qué no acaba ninguna canción?
O esquema Ponzi é unha operación fraudulenta de investimento na que se prometen anormalmente altos réditos a custa do capital procedente de novos investidores máis que dos beneficios reais da operación. Constitúe unha forma sofisticada do venda piramidal que forma unha burbulla económica destinada ao colapso. O esquema débelle o nome a Charles Ponzi, un inmigrante italiano nos Estados Unidos, quen utilizou esta técnica na década de 1920, aínda que non foi el quen a inventou, pois xa Charles Dickens a describiu nunha das súas novelas. O esquema orixinal baseábase no cambio de Cupóns de Resposta Internacional enviados desde Italia por selo de correos estadounidenses, o que en teoría permitía obter beneficios pola diferente taxa postal entre os dous países, pero axiña derivou en que os novos investores paragaban os réditos dos investidores anteriores, facendo millonario ó propio Ponzi ata que foi detido acusado de fraude postal. (#18 dos 1.001 discos que escoitar antes de morrer: 2,5/5)
He escuchado este disco sin prejuicios preconcebidos porque no sé ni quién es este fulano (mi ignorancia en torno al r&b "contemporáneo" y similares es mayúscula). Me ha entrado guay para intentar dormir en el trayecto entre Soria y Calatayud mientras mi compañera de viaje no paraba de intentar rajar con el conductor. Sus disertaciones sobre el estado de las infraestructuras entraban en las canciones pese a la supresión de ruido y, bueno, igual hasta pegaba con eso de trabajar en las pirámides. Volveré a escucharlo alguna vez? Pues ya veremos.
Leuk stemgeluid, verder heel bizar, maar het heeft wel iets. Het trekt me op één of andere manier aan
Not really for me. Some cool sounds and beats, and Ocean has a good voice when he wants to use it but I didn't get anything out of this album. I thought a lot of the vocal delivery and lyrics seemed kinda phoned in and uninteresting. Not terrible but nothing really great. 2/5 for me.
4 - BAD
Not my thing. I feel I am not the target audience for this - I know it's revered by many but it doesn't speak to me. The melodies don't grab me and the minimalist production feels unfinished to me, like a mixtape of sketches to be fleshed out later. Some parts were interesting but overall I was a little bored. Didn't love it.
Wasn't a fan at the start, but it grew on me
Another Stevie Wonder wannabe. Yawn.
Ehhh... it was not super interesting. I could've fallen asleep to this. Favorite Track: Super Rich Kids
Meh.
Long and just not for me.
This album starts like so many albums of the early 2010s did — with a soundbite of them in their “real life”. The sound of a phone, a laughter. There were a few songs I enjoyed. But, there was a lot of bits of this album where I just wanted to press skip. Favorite Songs: Thinking About You - I remember this one. I know this one. I like it, it has fond memories for me. Super Rich Kids - I also like this one. I find the lyrics interesting. Lost - fun backbeat/sound, I like singing along.
Pooey boring boooo
eh I don't really like R&B. This almost went some cool places but I just didn't get it.
Honestly, I expected something different. More rap, less RnB, and I didn't find any song particularly great. Not bad, it's not boring or annoying, it's just forgettable. 2/5.
b o r i n g
Didn't care for it.
Fluctuated between being something I really resonated with to music I didnt connect to within a single song. Its seems experimental and unconventional, but not in a typical way. Each song was as surprising as the last, in a way that kind of became a pattern?? I feel like the artist deserves more than this rating for sure, but Im going by first impression. Not my style, but I feel like I could reconnect if a friend offered.
Pyramids is a decent song, but this wasn’t a great album.
This really didn’t sit well with me. Garbage
Kind of boring and generic sounding.
Glimpses of good but mostly meh
Is Frank a pimp? Or perhaps a one man cult? Crack Rock, Lost, and Bad Religion are listenable - the rest of the songs are annoying to me. Would not recommend Channel Orange to a friend. (1.7*s) Didn’t really like his falsetto or pimpin’. Although no crotch grabbing and pointing, it’s just not my style.
Kanye West meets Stevie Wonder. Channel Orange starts out terrible. At the midway point ("Super Rich Kids" - "Lost"), there is some decent work to be found. Back 6 tracks return to pretty terrible. I can see why this album got attention though. It has some common themes people can relate to paired with not so common production and a softer singing style. I'm expecting a surprisingly high review from openmindz as this record would pair well with a Robbie Williams/Kendrick Lamar mix. 1/3 of the album is good and I would replay that middle section again. Also willing to check out his other album so for that...1.96 Crack Rocks.
Haut mich net um
mah
I never really liked this type of music. I found out about him during the COVID lockdown, when his songs were trending on the gay side of TikTok (I don’t know if they were trending on the entire app, since that’s the only side I’ve ever been on). I don’t get the hype at all. I can kind of understand why someone would like it, but I just can’t. I really tried to get into his music when I was a teen, but I couldn’t. It seems like I haven’t changed that much since then.
I didn't find anything particular about this album. It's ok, but I don't think it really needs to be on this list. Nothing that special about it. He has an ok voice but that's about it.
This record has some very nice production, sounds great. I just prefer it when Frank Ocean leans more into the classic R&B sound. So much of this album is boring rap and generic pop, the best tracks had the instrumentation and sound of a true R&B song, which he has a great voice for. Standout Tracks: Sweet Life
state of the art for 2012, but it feels very dated now - no significant songs, nothing memorable
Opera dal sound vaporoso, qualche guizzo interessante qua e là, ma nel complesso il disco scorre in modo piuttosto piatto. A parte l'ottima prova canora di Frank Ocean, c'è poco altro che mi abbia colpito. Sicuramente non il mio genere.
I don’t get this genre - “R&B Hip-Hop”? The talking lyrics that don’t always rhyme, with the [intentional?] terrible attempt (?) at trying to sing in an alto vocal (think Biz Markie).
Yeah, this is just not for me at all. I got bored immediately. I hate these relaxed, mumble-y vocals so much. In terms of the instrumentation, there’s also just nothing interesting at all. There are some somewhat interesting parts, like the more energetic passages on Pyramids, but not enough to keep me engaged. Although I can’t say it’s awful, this album was a slog to listen to for me. I just don’t like this relaxed R&B/Soul. Not my thing.
The "easy-listening" R&B thing is not really my style, and the popularity strikes me as a bit confusing. That being said, Ocean is clearly innovative, although most of the content is pretty shallow. Favorite Track: Lost
Almost gave it 5 stars immediately for opening with a PSX boot noise.
I think I would have loved to see Ocean spend a little more time to figure out how to say what he wanted to say before he wrote everything
I know the name but not a lot else. Felt like somewhere between Andre 3000 and Kanye. It’s way too long and it’s just not my thing at all. It’s not all bad, but that’s about as positive as I can muster. It gets 2 stars for now but I’m contemplating 1.
Understated and unfocused. Pleasant enough though.
Only good track was with Andre 3000
Meh. Supongo que si está en esta lista es un disco a tener en cuenta. Pues me ha aburrido bastante señores
I was excited to get an album prompt not from 1969. Too bad, it was the most boring thing I’ve ever had to endure. Thank you FO, for making me think of breast feeding babies AND crack rocks.
Fine with a few interesting stylistic choices on certain tracks but overall unmemorable
Not for me.
Listening to Channel Orange, I can completely understand why it connected so deeply with so many people, even if it never quite clicked for me in the same way. There is a real intimacy to the album, the sense that you are being let into very private moments and emotions. Frank Ocean’s voice is smooth and expressive, and he has a gift for atmosphere, creating these hazy, late-night spaces where everything feels slightly blurred around the edges. There are tracks here that I genuinely enjoy. “Thinkin Bout You” is beautifully written and emotionally direct, and songs like “Pyramids” show an ambition that goes beyond standard R&B, stretching ideas out and playing with structure in interesting ways. But as the album goes on, I start to feel a bit detached. The pacing drifts, and some of the songs feel more like mood pieces than fully formed ideas, which makes it harder for me to stay engaged all the way through. I respect Channel Orange more than I love it. It is thoughtful, well-crafted, and clearly important, but it does not always pull me in emotionally. For me, it is an album I appreciate in parts rather than as a complete journey. There is a lot to admire here, even if it does not quite earn a place among my personal favourites.
Not a huge fan of R&B in general, but I did find a little joy in the songs Super Rich Kids and Bad Religion. He was wrong for doing Forrest Gump that way though. Voting 2 because 1.5 is not an option.
Would not buy
I'm too much of a millennial to truly appreciate this album. Haha! My favorite song had Andre 3000 on it so I know that it's true. I can appreciate it for what it is but leans a little heavy on the Gen Z for me.
Not my thing personally
Not a post hardcore album
This isn't un-listenable but there's nothing here that would compel me to ever want to listen to it again.
Never heard of this guy but when the first track used a sample of the old PS1 startup sound it hit that nostalgia button and I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately that was the peak. It’s a fine enough album, just really dull. The one track that stood out was Pyramids but then that was ruined by going on for near ten minutes which was completely unnecessary.
Not sure what this will be.... OMG no way lol A tornado flew around my room!? lol Well we'll see if I last through this one.
Thought it was getting better at one point but then it only dragged on further
Not my cup of tea
Not for me
I think this album sucks. I know it's acclaimed but meh - not for me
Not really my genre. Didn’t find any of the songs particularly catchy. Unlikely to play again.
2.5
Uninspiring in every way. I didn’t hate it. I’m not sure it’s possible to hate anything this boring.
As a genre, there are few R&B songs that I like. On this album, all the obvious auto-tune songs I did not like. There were one or two songs without auto-tune, or without my knowledge of it being used, that I enjoyed more. And one mostly spoken that caught a groove in my head.
Decent
Not for me, found it kinda boring.
Prods variées, mais ptn pas mon style j'arrive pas à accrocher à sa musique ça fait 5 ans j'essaye d'être dans la hype mais j'ai rien n'y fait. Je sais que je passe sûrement à côté mais j'y arrive pas deso franck.
voor rap nog best aardig
Not my thing....
Album feels like rap soundbytes
Really well made stuff but balls are missing.
More interesting than entertaining. I might give it another chance some day.
i dont get it
This was just not for me. I found it to be boring.
Things I like: the interludes especially the PlayStation and Street Fighter samples in Start. The instrumentation in general is pretty solid. I dig the drumming and bass throughout. There’s a couple nice guitar solos like on Pink Matter. Things I dislike: the modern hip hop / poppy R&B vocals. I just can’t stand it. It also overstays its welcome quite a bit.
Liked one song, "Sweet Life", was very chilled and easy listening. The rest was not to my taste at all.
I don't get the hype with Frank Ocean, really I don't. What is everybody seeing in this shit that I am not? Sure I can give credit for the somewhat interesting instrumentals, but Frank's whiney whispering/singing/talking gets so annoying so quick that it destroy them completely. I was looking forward to 'end' if I'm honest.
not great just generic 2010s music
I didn't find it that interesting. I liked the organ-like synth on Bad Religion
i honestly cannot see what makes this standout from a plethora of R&B albums that puts it in this list. 2 stars
Was able to listen until we end so being loyal with 2/5.
Not my favourite style of music at all. There was some inventiveness here that kept it a bit interesting but I wouldn't rush back to this.
I was a little weirded out when I heard a sample of my own work in Frank Ocean's first album track, "A Start". I am sort of flattered, but also have mixed feelings. 5 tracks in and I'm not hearing anything to differentiate this album from sounds of the last 20 years of R&B. Unlike like some listeners, I don't mind the atmospheric samples, even kind of enjoy them, but while the production and engineering is top notch, the songwriting and pacing is plodding and tedious. Over stays its welcome like most albums that are released in Hip Hop and R&B these days. It probably doesn't help my enthusiasm much that this artist was a songwriter for Brandy, Beyonce, and Bieber, as I haven't yet really enjoyed any of their music. Typical victim mentality / self pity record of the type that has come out of the Hip Hop and R&B community for the past 40+ years. "Lost" has the most enjoyable groove for me, but the lyrics were the least enjoyable part of the song.
I feel bad saying I didn't like this album because I really do think Frank Ocean has a great voice. That isn't enough to save it, however. It was just kind of annoying. A bit of a childish way to explain it, I know, but there's no better way for me to explain the "impact" this album had on me. I wasn't a fan. I will give an extra point for the talent, but that's as much as I can give.
I'm curious about this one. I've seen the album cover around, though I'm confident I've never heard of this artist before. "Frank Ocean" is an interesting name. Is this gonna be another neo-soul album? Oh, this kind of sound. I wasn't expecting to hear this brand of contemporary R&B on the list. Does anyone care for this style of music? Evidently so, though in my admittedly cynical ways I've always thought of this music as inoffensive radio filler. Nothing wrong with that, of course, though I find there's little for me to sink my teeth into - my jaws always slide off the overpolished sheen. The vocals are pretty lacklustre, too. Overproduced and lethargic, they take me out of the admittedly competent instrumentals. All that being said, the radio/television gimmick is always a fun concept to base an album around, so I did get some degree of enjoyment from this album. "Thinkin About You" is alright. I think I've heard it before. The mellow, atmospheric instrumental is nice, though the squeaky vocals aren't my cup of tea. "Super Rich Kids" is decent. The reuse of the blinker sound from the previous track is interesting, and I enjoy how the piano is paired with those wavy synths in the background. "White" is a good tune, even if it is an intermission. The sensual atmosphere is pretty good, and I dig that lead guitar. My 2005 edition of the book sadly doesn't contain an entry for this album (believe me, I've checked), so I'll just mosey on down to Wikipedia. A wide sampling of genres. Unique vocal style. Commercially successful and a critical slam dunk. Best-reviewed album of 2012. Hmm. Seems this like a solid pick for a contemporary album. I guess I can't fault it - it's influence is definitely felt today.
not really my favourite.
The songs are not for me and the other stuff that isn’t songs brings the rating lower. ———————————— My non-musician scoring system. 5 - Love it. Would play anytime, buy, see live… 4 - Good music. 3 - Average playlist. Depends on time and setting. 2 - I can’t listen to entire songs…skipped ahead on all of them 1 - No.
I honestly don't know if that was bad or just not a genre I like. There was influence from Motown, Stevie Wonder in particular, but it's buried under way too much overproduced crap music that I can't tell if the vocals are actually good. There were 2-3 really good tracks where I thought I heard good vocals, but the rest were just bad. And even on the good tracks, the songwriting was bad. Of course, that could just be coming back around to this isn't my genre.
En kuunnellu ihan kokonaan mutta vaikutti aika kakkaselta. Jotain ihmeen äänitehosteita ja jotenki sekava
me aburrió un poco, siento que es música de fondo para momentos muy específicos. no está mal, el chabón tiene una voz muy linda y algún par de temas me gustaron, pero no es un álbum que escucharía completo
I was never really aware of Frank Ocean so was surprised to recognize a couple of songs on this album. Overall I did not super enjoy this one, but Pyramids was a banger
I find this album overall…fine. It doesn't sound bad, but you can compare it to any prefer Pharrell-produced album from 2012. His voice is at times interesting between tenor and falsetto but I just don't find it exciting. I think I don't have nostalgia related to this album which makes my enjoyment less intense. The Andre 3000 feature was awesome! 2.5⭐️
I have seen this album in alot of greatest of all time lists. I don't get is. It was hard to get through, guess its not my thing.
5/10