Reviews (page 13 of 14)
Prachtig album. Frank laat me vaak dromen met zijn muziek ookal gaat de muziek soms over niet veel eigenlijk haha. Stay goated! We zullen wss nog wel een album van hem zien passeren
Really not bad
OFWGTTA
Well. Now I understand the memes. New album when?!?! I need mooooooore. So good.
already listened to it, very good
Some nice Frank Ocean. This and Blonde are both solid albums
He has the heart for it, I just don't really go for it myself
I like it, but small doses. Wouldn’t listen to the whole album again.
Didn't enjoy. Not a fan of the language.
I’ve never been fully able to understand the breathless acclaim this album and frank ocean in general got. People lost their minds over this and I think in a way it does it a disservice because it’s almost impossible to live up to that kind of hype. His voice is gorgeous and the production is unique and impeccable but a lot of the songs themselves miss the mark for me. This is a great album but falls just short of a 5. Wish I could’ve heard it before I heard about it.
I can't believe this record came out so long ago now, almost 11 years. It still sounds just as much like it's from the future as it did when it came out. Just a boundary pushing record.
Håpte eg skulle lika da bedre egentlig
This sucks. Nothing happens. He just randomly says dumb shit over non songs and then plays old tv in between the "songs". This sucks.
I have been a fan of FO since Nostalgia, Ultra. I had not listen to this album in a long while. While not his best songwriting, it still brought so many memories. The music itself is just as good as I remember. The instrumentation is spectacular, specially Pyramids.
mmmmm yeah tasty
Way better than I expected. REALLY needs to be listened to on a decent sound system with proper subs though.
I am now officially blown away by how many good albums I've gotten in a row at this point. I'm glad to see this album on this list because I've only ever listened to Blonde from start to finish and always wanted to listen to this even if I've heard most of the songs at some point. This shit was great and makes me sad that he doesn't make music anymore because this album is perfect for smoking weed/just chilling/listening on headphones alone/having sex/driving all at once and can basically fit any vibe that you're looking for. Super rich kids, lost, bad religion, and forest gump are my favs
Initial thoughts; interesting sound affects. As soon as he starts singing all autotune nonsense. Then the tunes don't really "go" anywhere. some ok background beats I guess but overall dull and repetitive. 1.5
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.
Frank Ocean. So good.
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
Really not my thing… probably less so than even some of the hip hop albums on this list
This one is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am enjoying it!
база
Album reminded me of college - "Thinkin Bout You" was great and thought the whole album was great too. 8/10.
ugh, it's modern r&b/rap. I have no idea what the appeal of this is. There are some very minor parts that have Stevie Wonder-ish vibes, but mostly it sounds exactly like the reason people hate modern r&b: lack of musical substance, ten thousand interludes, album length of an hour... what's not to dislike? 1/5.
Admittedly have never been too big of a fan of Frank Ocean but this album grows on me every time I listen
Great album, 4.7
WOOOOOO
очень приятный альбом, фрэнк океан крутой, жду альбом блонд
Masterfull, for the biggest part
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.
At the first tones I really though I would dislike this album. But I kept listening, putting the album on for a second time, a third. And it really kept growing. Some great lyrics, some outstanding song, but also some filler. I can understand why this became a big album and artist - and not just sales wise.
Blair. like a rock in the middle of the ocean, albums I know and love are lifesavers and refreshing. Its mostly likely gonna be a 5.
Ocean is funny soulful and a skilled rapper. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of him before.
Geen idee waarom dit in deze lijst zou moeten staan. Huismerk John Legend. Ik zeg er wel meteen bij dat ik heel weinig heb met (hijgerige) RnB. Dit album doet volgens mij niks nieuws of bijzonders. Wel heel fijn dat er een album uit 2012 tussen staat, maar had dan in godsnaam 'good kid, M.A.A.D. city' gekozen.
It has some stunningly beautiful moments and a great vibe throughout.
Yeah nah, this is not my jam. I did not look forward to a second listen but I perservered and my faves would be Pyramids and Bad Religion.
Smooooooooooove. Fave track - "Super Rich Kids". That tune is a mooooood.
Not my cup of tea. Sounds like a million and one other 'artistes' of the last 10 years. Utterly pointless songs. Says nothing to me about my life.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Thinkin Bout You (2) 2 - Lost (11) 3 - Pyramids (10) Super Rich Kids (7)
Forrest Gump
Ok didn't think I was gonna like this but its pretty fly as they say. I feel that is Marvin Gaye was reborn he would make an album like this. Inventive soul/funk with different turns for every track. Like it a lot and and its not a genre I really listen to. 4
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
Nah not for me
If Frank Ocean never makes another album again, at least I will always have Channel Orange and Blond, and all the memories associated with them. 4.5/5
Frank Ocean is one of those players who changed the game of pop music, paving the direction mainstream artists like Drake and Post Malone will take. But they're missing what makes this album so special. Channel Orange follows from 2000s neo-soul but is uniquely characterized by electronic ambience with the use of jazz, funk, and psychedelia to create mild yet memorable and relaxing landscapes. When I first heard Frank Ocean, I shrugged him off as another pop artist who was just showing off his Prince-like vocals. The tight groovy instrumentation and unique production techniques were what initially pulled me in. But it was "Sweet Life" that showed me what his voice was capable of, incredibly smooth and dynamic, and his falsetto isn't just a gimmick. The album really does fly by. People might be pushed away due to the oversaturation of "Lost" and "Thinkin About You", but coming in with a fresh mindset made me see how each song is special. I was a huge fan of every song up until "Lost", with my favorite being the epic "Pyraminds." After that it started to get a bit tiresome, but the last 3 songs are good. I'm also a fan of the interludes, highlighting production tricks that add to the mood and tie the whole experience together.
Aika meh kamaa, erikoismaininta kuitenkin Pyramids ja Lost sen jälkeen
Yaaaaaaaassssss
Fantastic. I didn’t make a listening log of this one because I wanted to experience it without making notes
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
This album is so refreshing and a great piece of music. It's hip-hop, but also, it's something more that it's impossible to explain.
The best kind of channel
I do like the more soul-oriented songs. There was also a lot of crap found on this album.
Pretty nice album! Quite enjoy the overall vibe and sounds, the inclusion of John Mayer is also quite nice
I like the chill vibes but it might be a bit too chill and lacks some excitement.
Lots of love for this album. It's not something you can listen to at any moment, it requires a certain mood. When that mood is there it's absolute gold. The Andre 3000 verse it the cherry on top
Wasn't a giant fan of this album when it came out...so I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed it listening this time through. I think I am starting to understand/appreciate the hype. 4/5
better than I remember
Just. Don’t. Like it.
silky voice, real life
Frank has a genuine angelic voice Pyramids is best track Brilliant songs THE ORANHE ALBUM
Was not expecting this album to be on this list, just due to the amount of garbage on this list. One of the easiest five stars I can give. This album is a defining one as my brother Stevie used to listen to this allllll the time in college. He had a bootleg vinyl that we would rock in our apartment and while driving arong town or back home on the weekends. So many classics on here and songs like Pyramids that just go incredibly hard. I remember singing Crack Rock with him and some of our cousins while we were going to our cousin Taryn's wedding, too. Frank Ocean isn't one of my favorite artists, some of his other albums I am not as big a fan of but when it comes to singular albums, I'd call this one some kind of masterpiece. Songs: Thinkin Bout You, Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pilot Jones, Crack Rock, Pyramids, Bad Religion, Forrest Gump
February 10, 2013: I'm sitting in the living room of our college apartment, watching the Grammys on my giant box TV. Not sure why, I guess I was bored. I saw that Mumford & Sons were nominated quite a bit for their Babel album, which had been a favorite of mine over the previous year. Near the end of the broadcast, a guy named Frank Ocean gets up to perform a song called "Forrest Gump." He's standing behind a keyboard, and there's a screen displaying his legs running, and he ends the song whistling and running down behind the keyboard, off into the distance. I was intrigued. This same guy beat Chris Brown for the suspiciously racist "best urban contemporary album" award, but he lost AOTY to Mumford & Sons. I went to sleep with "Forrest Gump" stuck in my head. Next chance I had, I downloaded the album from [REDACTED] and began listening. It was gas. Our grandmother had passed away a day before the Grammy performance, and in the late nights between then and our flight to Chicago for the funeral, I absorbed this album like a sponge. I was trying to get all of my grieving cousins to listen to Frank Ocean. I loved most of the tracks, but was obsessed with "Bad Religion." I realized very quickly that this should've beat Mumford & Sons. I bought a bootleg vinyl on eBay (pressed on orange wax of course), and Alex and I would listen to this in the dark in that apartment. I put it on a CD in my car and played it over and over until it became scratched and skippy. I learned the in's and out's of this project like a treasure map. This album didn't just put me on to Frank Ocean, it made me a fan of music in a way I'd never been before. I started looking for acclaimed albums I'd never heard, started downloading playlists of Pitchfork's top 100 songs of each year. Paired with Yeezus a few months later, these albums opened my eyes and ears to the point where they may never close again. Without this album, there's probably no obsessive record collection, no year-end albums and tracks lists, no semi-famous youtuber, and almost certainly no participation in this 1001 albums journey. This album really changed my life and it means the world to me. Favorite tracks: Every song on here to some degree. Album art: It's orange baby. That's enough. 5/5
I knew way more of these songs than I thought I would, and I can't believe they came from his debut album. This continues to sound fresh. Love his style.
I like this musically but lyrically and vocally it doesn't do as much for me. Good case for a 3.5 but rounded down cause I probably won't go back to listen again.
Not bad but not my thing.
nice enough listen but there's very few standouts. not for me I think.
still like singles the best
Good song very good, some filler sounding songs. Great stuff but can't justify anything above 3 personally.
Has the feel of a modern classic. You listen to it once and you're full. Best track: Pink Matter
It was alright, I don't know if I'd listen to it again, but I wouldn't oppose to it, some recognisable songs
It was alright, felt it was a bit bloated at an hours length
As far as R&B and hip-hop goes this is right up my alley, and it's strange that I couldn’t get into it when it first came out. This is a natural evolution of ‘90s and ‘00s R&B, it sounds like a classic and a fresh record at the same time. The melodies are smooth, and Frank Ocean carries the music well with his emotion. Standout tracks are Super Rich Kids, Thinkin Bout You, and Lost. Only downside? Those transition tracks and some of those song introductions. Except for that PS1 start-up sound which gave me some delicious nostalgia, they added nothing to the album.
Wasn't terrible, but I did not enjoy
I had already heard a few songs before, but not the whole album. Pretty chill and easy to listen to. I think 5 is probably a bit too generous so 4 it is. Something I could come back to and cherry pick the songs I liked the most.
Meh
My son likes it. 3/5
Frank Ocean.
A really unique, memorable album that has already proven quite influential
One of my all time favorite albums and a true modern classic.
Best orange album
Nearly a 4 from me. He's a good singer
Didn’t know what to expect and got exactly what I was expecting.
I've heard people talk about this album constantly since it came out, but somehow never got around to a real listen...except I realized when listening how many songs I knew thru the aether came from this album. Killer 'modern' R&B and a standout album of the decade. 4.5
👍Frank👍
To say this isn't my genre is an understatement. So I approached this with some trepidation which was completely unfounded. This is a good album. It's never going to be my thing but it's melodic, interesting, has some good songs and doesn't default to the lazy end of the genre.
Great album with flawless productions and really tasteful vocals too. PS: Pyramids is definitely one of the best songs of the 2000s.
Track 2 - thinkin' bout you - is so awful that it made my ears bleed. Actually... Is this a parody album? This opens out into almost pastiche R&B. It's like Sexual Chocolate for the 2010s. The "not musical" interludes are grating. He dives all over the place, putting in little asides that just don't make any sense. "Crack rock" might be a highbrow critique using meta to illustrate how hard drugs just don't fit in - but no, it just doesn't fit in. There's actually quite a lot to like about this. His voice is lovely. Clearly he's thought about what he's doing. There are some lovely refrains. And some of the lyricism is quite nice. Maybe it can win me over, but I'm half way through it now and I'm not liking its odds. Nope. Showboating indulgence. Had he gone for a more restrained, nuanced approach without the over-the-top attempts to be new, different and away from the mainstream then the pastiche R&B might actually have worked. But it swings three times and the poor bugger only gets the walk.
Omg. A ptoato flew around my room
Trash
ok mais pas mon genre du tout.
Good tunes, ridiculous lyrics
25th October 2022 Listened a couple of times while working in the office upstairs. Tom and Anna came round, tv evening. Soulful rap, achieves that rare thing nowadays of rapping and being soulful and hard.
I'm mostly rock/metal fan, but I was enjoying this album until Pyramids came along and dragged on for far too long. Listening to the rest of the album seemed like a chore after that.
This album is so good - definitely was trying to remember all the amazing details pointed out in that dissect series
Though I prefer Frank’s next album, Blonde, which is a bit more experimental, I can’t deny the quality of this album. Frank’s voice and song writing are top tier and there are so many classic songs on here. I just want everyone to take a minute to appreciate Earl Sweatshirts poetic wordplay on Super Rich Kids. “Alright, close your eyes to what you can't imagine We are the Xanny-gnashing Caddy-smashing, bratty assy He mad, he snatched his daddy's Jag And used the shit for batting practice Adamant and he thrashing Purchasing crappy grams with half the hand of cash you handed” 🔥🔥🔥
This falls under the admire more than love category. Some of that is genre related and some is age-related. I cannot relate to a lot of this in many ways. However, there is no question that Frank Ocean is a tremendous talent and for me, along with Kendrick Lamar, represent the best that I have heard of this genre. There is a boldness at work throughout his debut release, as compared with merely being boastful (a common complaint of mine). Solid throughout with no real weak tracks. I suspect that this has staying power and will be considered a classic down the road.
I liked most of this. NeoSoul/R&B/Jazz sounding. Not sure if I’m right but it sounded like some of the vocals used auto tune, which I hate
One of the best albums of the 2010s. Channel Orange was one of the first major albums to openly discuss same-sex relationships sounded fantastic at the same time. Thinkin Bout You is beautiful, Super Rich Kids is good commentary, and Pyramids is an absolute epic. Plus this may be the only time we hear John Mayer on this list and he provides two excellent guitar solos (White and Pyramids). Frank Ocean delivered a classic on his debut and it's a shame that his music was never really this focused again.
I liked the overall vibe of the record. Especially the instrumentals sound great at times. I wasn't such a big fan of the delivery of all the singing vocals. The songs I liked the most: Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pyramids, Pink Matter
Frank Ocean frustrates me. Sure he has a great voice with a knack for melody and expressiveness, but he also seems to have an allergy to rhyming and flow and catchyness in his lyrics. Hence I find his songs challenging to enjoy fully. It's either labored listening, or background listening for me. "White" and "Pink Matter" are the stand-outs.
Best relaxte langzame hiphop, niet per se rappen maar echt zingen. Verder niet helemaal mijn ding maar was wel leuk als afwisseling. 4*
Oh no! It isn't indie rock or music made in the late 60s/70s! What will we do! All music is ending as we know it! Some of the reviews here are hilarious. Maybe we should have stopped evolving music when the first caveman struck two bones together and called it a xylophone. Banging album, took the trends around the time and distilled it into a coherent masterpiece of modern music.
Holy shit, 5 easy. Reading the reviews we've clearly got a lot of boomers and/or racist homophobes listening to this list.
NotNot really my cup of tea but I did enjoy a couple of the songs. really my cup of tea but I did enjoy a couple of the songs.
I liked this more than I had expected to. Very good album.
Not my kind of music. I could listen to it. But I really don't know how it become one of 1001 albums ...
Listened to on 10/20/22 3.5/5 Favorite song: lost The potato song made me laugh out loud and was an instant throwback but in all honesty this album is pretty good
A good eclectic album
This is a groovy record with mostly singing and little rapping. Easy to get into, worth a listen.
Wants to be The Beatles without actually being The Beatles.
Pyramid brings this thing up to at least 3, Thinking bout you pulls it even higher, but then Pink Matter, White, and basically the rest of the album pulls it back down.
Although it presents itself with a good mix and a set of lyrics that should hit clear and arouse excitement at the same time I feel like its trying to relay a message that I unfortunately do not understand, which is a shame, as music is to share that message, maybe. Definitely a 4 though, I had fun listening to it.
Already have listened to this album a billion times. Got me into actually listening to music and dissecting it. All around good album. Production and Frank's performance is amazing. Affects me all the time.
I don’t like a majority of r&b albums. They all sound the same to me. This is no exception. All the songs sound the same, and I’m just not a fan of his voice. That’s a problem since the songs are pretty minimalistic and the focus really is just on the vocals. A nice short surprise by Andre 3000 in there, but otherwise, I struggled to get through it. Also, I hate skit tracks or skits to open songs and there were a few of those in here.
A nice album, listened to this one in highschool after his next one came out. 3.5 stars
This is a very good album. It's also an album that I find difficult to contextualize. I don't know what to compare it to, which may reveal more about my ignorance of R&B than it does about Frank Ocean. I don't usually go in for the R&B genre, but this album is endeniable. Great production, compelling songwriting and lyrics, and Ocean's beautiful voice to bring it all home 4/5
Some tracks hit, some miss and both in equal ways. Labyrinth was my favourite but it could've been a liiiittle bit shorter. Overall still a vibe though.
4/5. I had heard this before as a longtime fan of Odd Future. Personally I prefer blond but I can easily listen to this. Favorite track is Pyramids, as popular as it is.
really enjoyed this!
I can see why people like it but its not really my thing.
Eddig a legjobb Nem akarok minden egyes dalt külön kiértékelni 10/9
Amazing soulful, clever song writing and performance - I don’t know how I had passed on Frank Ocean but I sure do regret it. This album is great, end to end, and gets better with every listen.
2012 Hottest 100, I thought Lost would be number one. It was beaten out by Thrift Shop (and 6 other songs). What a year?!? Dear Science by Seth Sentry was robbed too. That hoverboard line... If we could just edit out all the interludes this would be a cracking album.
Shades of Stevie Wonder, some cool songs on here worth another listen.
I've tried to listen to Frank Ocean over the years and found him too smooth. The production is subtle and while each song on it's own is okay, there's not a lot of variation between them. I like Pink Matter with the surprise guitar solo and a rapper to give it a bit of edge.
His voice is pleasant enough, and the beats are pretty chill. But this album is sounds like one long 60 minute song.
The intro with the PlayStation start up sound got me excited for the album! When the first song started the excitement disappeared. Typical radio friendly pop R&B. Some songs later on were actually kinda good but overall I don't see why this is on the list of 1001 albums.
Not really my style but enjoyed a lot. The hits were all worthy, interested to notice lots of live instruments and non traditional rnb production. Not the biggest fan of the skits.
Succeeds at being both chilled out and, at times, heartbreaking. Nothing bad to say about it.
Seems like good music and good musicianship, but it did not really catch me. R&B was never my type of music. I can appreciate the craft though.
Um, no.
listened to before an R&B classic
rimelig svedigt
Taler for sig selv - en moderne klassiker
This album has definitely grown on me hard since I first heard it, I think in large part due to my own expanding musical palette. As a born-and-bred classic rock kid this album just did not work for me years ago. Now, with the experience of listening to a much wider array of genres, I can not only appreciate Frank's excellent songwriting, but how he blends so many disparate sounds into his RnB style. Pure excellence.
Fantastic album, probably one of the most important albums of my musical journey and I would say a front to back masterpiece.
Channel pogange
Please… drop a new album…
Frank Flintstone
I like the overall vibe of this. It really sounds like orange music. Like music you would listen to while sipping on a Fanta in a pure orange room. It's a bit too long and bloated though. Songs like "Pyramids" are awesome, but there's also a lot of fairly boring, long songs that overstay their welcome.
J'ai vraiment aimÉ ca et j'ai trouvé ca très rafraichissant pour un albu, asserz récent. Je réécouterais mais ca vaut pas nécessairement un 5 pour moi. Très près par contre. 4.80
Very interest album. Does a lot of unique and found myself saving a lot of songs. No individual songs really jump out as greats upon the first listen, so curious what I’ll go back too
Really good mix of styles. Excellent production.
Just not into this kinda music
Forgettable
The opening listen is quite alarming as you fear this project will just be babble over a sub par neo Soul soundtrack and yet as the album progresses the appeal of Ocean is that stream of consciousness approach and an insight (or an authentic sounding facsimile) into a man’s inner musings. There are few standout tracks but as a music project it intrigues throughout and consistently engages as you try to understand what the author is about and what he is saying. Perhaps some will feel this is self obsessed but in many ways it is the perfect record for the social media generation.
I mean cmon
Cool music. Shallow lyrics.
Very smooth
This is the answer to the question, "What would Stevie Wonder sound like if he had no talent for singing or song writing?"
Excellent
Ne mos pogrijesit s ovim albumom
A to je Frank. Jebiga, kvalitetno je.
8/10 Pyramids, damn
Very smooth and even in Super Rich Kids has a nod to Bennie and The Jets that I praised a few reviews ago. I'm 10 years behind, but this Ocean guy has a glowing future!!
i love his vibe and i love his songs. lost is unbeatable. a strong 7/10. i wasn’t a huge fan of the intertwined talking but i did love the album.
This is a big old curveball compared to many others on the list and I cheated a little looking at others' reviews. So many 5s and 1s, incredibly polarizing. I've heard a few songs from this - "Lost" is a very catchy tune, quite enjoyable. And there's more variety than I had expected going into this one. I think I can't think of it in the highest terms tho because of a few things; notably the tuned and outrageously-compressed production in his vocals. How would one describe his vocal style? It's not exactly mumble, but it approaches that at times and it's just not my preference, although I quite like it when he brings the vocal range up. How about "Bad Religion" as a positive example - this is a tremendous track and stellar vocal performance. Love it. More of this. Some positives and negatives: I don't enjoy the "sameness" of much of modern hit music - actually the production/mix: e.g. 808s, compression to the point where every aspect of the music is either confined to a small room or is quite obviously a loop. I love studio creations - hell, the Beatles were among the first to perfect the studio-as-instrument - and occasionally this album falls into that category - too many songs don't breathe. Yet the ones that don't sound like that - when the songs do have a little room, a little air, they *really* stand out. The aforementioned "Bad Religion" and my favourite track "Sweet Life" - I love the keyboards - a bit of a Stevie Wonder feel on this one - and having live drums is a *huge* attraction. More of this please! I'm going to give this a few more listens - I think this one might just be too dense for a one-day listen/evaluation. I suppose that alone is complimentary... I like a lot of the melodies here although too often they don't fully resolve which is frustrating - I wouldn't say I disliked any of the songs but only a few of them truly stuck out. Ehh I'm completely schizophrenic about this album. Let's give it a solid grade and give it another chance, shall we? 7/10 3 stars
several really good songs with the random bleh mixed in 4.5
Nothing grabbed me
Better than I thought it would be. For some reason I thought I'd hate it. It was pretty good. Not great, but no ill feelings really. Maybe I'm prematurely geriatric at 37 but I think "the kids" will appreciate this more. Not sure this album is an instant classic worthy of "you've got to hear it" status but I guess perhaps time will tell? Maybe this will be a classic for the zoomers
"Channel Orange" is the debut studio album from Frank Ocean following up his previous year's mixtape album "Nostalgia, Ultra." Frank wanted a song structure change as he didn't wanted to solely rely on mixtapes. He primarily co-wrote and co-produced with Malay but also had collaborations with Om'Mas Keith, Pharrell Williams and Tyler the Creator. Quite the company. That probably also partially explains the vaiety of styles. The music was noted as unconventional for R&B drawing electronic, funk, pop-soul, jazz, pyschedelic, film dialogue and ambient. All those styles are heard. The themes, and this is important for the flow of the album, are unrequited love, decadence, class and drugs. There is an order to the songs as they are pretty much grouped into the thematic categories listed above. The songs within each category are connected with interludes including spoken word or everyday sounds or sometimes go from song to song. This is quite a big but rewarding listen. A lot of times, the story is told in narrative style from different points of view and it's obvious a lot is taken from Frank's personal experience (or is it). The album begins with an interlude of noises including video games and doors opening into the first of the five singles released, "Thinkin' About You." Electronic, funk, a ballad, a slow atmospheric drumbeat, soulful singing. This reminds right away of Stevie Wonder which is heard frequently throughout the album. Frank goes from his tenor to a falsetto and back, another technique heard throughout. The song was originally written for Bridget Kelly and was about Frank's admitted first attraction and love to a 19-year old man. "Sweet Life," is the third single and in the area of the album whose theme is mostly about class and in particular about living and wasting your time on the beach in Southern California. Great keyboards, soul, jazz. No doubt it's influenced by his collaborator Pharrell Williams. The ghost of Stevie Wonder is heard again. "Super Rich Kids," the fifth single continues the class theme with young, wealthy characters and fake lives. Earl Sweatshirts contributes in this more soulful song. The second half of the album starts a more drug-themed focus. The nearly 10-minute epic and second single single "Pyramids" uses the imagery of Cleopatra, pyramids and strip clubs for a love story of a pimp and one of his lovers. Great, great production and maybe the centerpiece of the album. More dance and EDM sounding. Pyschedelic, soulful. Quite a song. "Lost" immediately follows and is my favorite song on the album. A more traditional rock and pop structure. Great synthesizer and vocal chorus and drumbeat. It is about a relationship and mentions his cocaine-smoking girlfriend. Heavy stuff lyrically. This album is quite the achievement. It is not only considered by many as one of the best albums of 2012 but of the 2010's. Getting into this the album is a lot ( a lot here) but days like this makes ths challenge rewarding, especially when you get into and listen to something like this.
Ágætis mest megnis chill plata.
Reading about this album I was quite intrigued. Sadly the songs themselves don’t deliver: overproduced modern R&B with nothing that really stands out. Another one that felt too long by about halfway through.
Slick production. The samples between the tracks was irritating. Didn't make it through until the end. The pyramid thing did my nut in. Had a little Frank Turner confusion.
Listened on RS500. Left me cold.
He’s singing about stuff I can’t relate to in a style I can’t understand. Some pretty good turns of phrases every now and then brings this up a star but still not my thing.
I mean, I think it was good. Def a bit corny here and there. 3.
En jävligt stark fyra
Worst album I have heard on this list so far. Definitely not my style, I couldn't get into any song, although I can sense the appeal other people may have to this album.
Easy listening
Not into R&B
Nice voice. Easy listening. Songs kinda all sounded the same. Too many skit tracks. Surprise Andre 3000 feature near the end.
While Frank has an undeniably great voice, he suffers from the same malady as most of his generation of R&B artists. Namely, he can't craft a melody to save his life. Rather, his vocals just wander around, leaving the heavy lifting of crating a hook to the beats instead. If you took an Ocean fan aside and hummed one of these vocal lines to them, even one of his most ardent fans would be hard pressed to name that tune. Do the same for Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, or James Brown and you'll have a very different experience. Crafting melodies that stick in your head and heart used to be part of R&B. Frank Ocean vocals deserve hooks that don't let go. Unfortunately, this album doesn't give me that.
one of the GOATS. endlessly listenable.
It's ok, not really my thing. 2 stars.
It’s a cool album but I didn’t feel it leaving a lingering impact
i’d heard a bunch of the songs before, but this was my first time listening to the album as a whole. despite some awkwardness, this is brilliant and you can see how it influenced hip hop in the 2010s so well.
Okay as background music, I guess, but there was nothing really memorable on this album.
This is simple. Frank Ocean writes some of hip-hop/ R&B’s sexiest stuff. Two standout all-timers inhabit a total package that brilliant and really quite lovely.
Constant weird interruptions ruined this. Not that taken with the style either.
It's nice 3/5
Really enjoyable modern r and b album by frank ocean. The beats and synths are unique. The lyrics are pretty good showing relationship issues and that of being a younger person. Several of the songs on this are great and some will be classics. This album really put him on the map as an artist that makes special music. 7.9/10
Not really my thing but perfectly pleasant listening
Not as good as blonde, but decent enough. Album in three acts, and only the middle act got my full attention.
sweet
Smoother and more multi-layered than I would ever have expected.
I'm not sure if I'll come back to it, but I super enjoyed it while listening! The album had great flow and good variety
I was enjoying it for the first few songs but by the end, I felt like I was listening to the same song over and over again. 3.5.
I am not cool enough for this music but it is fun, some great lyricism too.
A couple of good songs, but for the most part was too long. Just not my style.
Get the hype
Delves into a rank genre of nonchalance, very smooth and easy to listen to. Well produced
Soul progresivo. Un 4.
Rollo patatero zzzzzzzzz. 3
I didn’t know what to expect going in and I liked a few of the songs.
Dumb lyrics and overuse of audio processing tools, standard 2010's soul less R&B.
I was surprised to like this. Again, hip hop is a blind spot and listening closely has been somewhat of a cultural awareness experience for a middle aged guy with relatively narrow social exposure.
Not really my thing. This was a fine R&B record.
Just no. It’s boring, his voice is super annoying, and it’s just so bland and forgettable. It’s not offensive, but it is not good, either.
Am I missing a backstory? I’m not sure why this has made it on the list. A mix of pop/soul and high school musical/Riverdale. Doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s not unbearable however.
First time of listening and an interesting album, but a bit samey vocally switching between the falsetto and the tenor tones. can see the reason some may see this as innovative and of it's time. nothing revolutionary for me and find the white noise/soundtrack interludes a bit self indulgent. I liked "Crack Rock", "Lost" "Bad Religion" (Which I Think is reminiscent of Adelle!) and "Pink Matter" not sure of it top 1001 credentials.
Volledig langs mee heen gegaan. Het album stond op en daarna kabbelde het voort
Bekende naam, maar dit is mijn eerste keer met Frank en tot mijn verbazing viel me dit niet tegen. Stijl is wat moeizaam in te komen, maar goede nummers!
Ik had verwacht dat ik dit na 2 nummers al niet meer leuk zou vinden maar ik heb met best wat plezier het hele album zonder tegenzin geluisterd.
Hij kan een leuk deuntje zingen, maar: not impressed.
This album was simply hard to get through. Some moments of briliance, some decent song, but overall the prevalence of songs so bland and uninspired getting trough it all is a chore.
More like Frank Puddle Would give 3 stars if vocal was non-existent I wish I didn't hear the lyrics, my life was changed forever Highlight: Pyramids, was pretty sophisticated, stood out from the rest of tracks
A komu to potrzebne? A dlaczego to tu jest?
Patrząc na Wasze oceny i oceny krytyków byłem zszokowany - przecież ten album jest tak wybitnie oceniany, i to zarówno przez krytyków jak i publiczność! Nie wiedziałem więc co mnie czeka. Szczerze spodziewałem się, że albo znienawidzę go, albo go pokocham. Z takim nastawieniem usiadłem do tego albumu, by z każdą piosenką przekonywać się, że prawda jest zgoła inna - jest to do bólu zwyczajne i nieinteresujące. Ani bity mnie nie wkręcają, ani koncepcja, ani liryka, ani głos specjalnie. Nie drażni mnie ten album, także na 1 nie zasługuje, było parę fajniejszych kawałków, ale ogólnie chyba po prostu to nie mój gatunek. Jednocześnie przez samą popularność i oceny po obu stronach barykady krytycy-publika, mam wrażenie że zasługuje na miejsce w tym challenge'u
Frank Ocean has the voice of an angel and he’s great at writing one-liners. There’s a lot of different sounds and styles on this album (funk, soul, hip-hop, electronic) and it can almost be too much - it’s overwhelming to listen to straight through. But it’s ambitious and the highlights are incredible. Highlights: “Thinkin Bout You,” “Sweet Life,” Earl Sweatshirt’s verse on “Super Rich Kids,” “Lost,” “Bad Religion”
Wheeew I listened to this one about five times in a row and I think it's actually a masterpiece. Like, he makes legitimately artful music without taking himself too seriously. The beats draw you in, the lyrics are thought-provoking, and his voice is like buttah.
I didn't get into Frank Ocean until this past December (2021) because he got a ton of universal hype across indie review websites and I would always be almost insulted when I would see him atop "Best Indie Albums" lists. I would think- "Is this hip hop guy's album really more monumental for indie music than the Strokes "Is This It"?" or I would question "Frank Ocean is more indie than Neutral Milk Hotel?". But then in December I heard one of his tracks covered live and I was like "oh man is THIS Frank Ocean? The time has come." Frank Ocean is the Fucking Shit with a capital F and S, and Channel Orange is a masterpiece. To me he has that one magical thing about his voice that he could sing literally anything and it would sound beautiful, hip, emotional, contemplative, and cool. His persona only adds to it- he rarely gives interviews and keeps a bit behind the curtain, he's so cool that he performs on SNL and his guitarist in the back - in the dark - is John Mayer, he even announced his sexuality via his personal Tumblr by just saying "4 Summer ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too." (It's a beautiful short thank you note that you should check out if you haven't and are a fan. I love how frank he is about it in an environment where being gay or bisexual isn't so widely accepted)... he's just a cool guy. "Thinkin Bout You", "Super Rich Kids", and "Lost" are modern classics! This is an album where I would love to have had a rating system out of 100 instead of out of 5. To me it's hard to say that this album is only a 4/5 because that's an 80/100. It's also not a 5/5 or 100/100 like a few others on this list are, but I think that it's closer to being a 5/5 than it is a 4/5 so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Okay R&B but not something I'd consider to be one of the greatest 1001 albums of all time. Really wanted this album to be over quicker than it was. Nothing stood out and nothing grabbed my attention. Guy's got a good voice, but sounded bored through most of the songs.
There were moments listening to this that I thought, "Wow, this is really good!" Unfortunately, there were more moments where I thought, "Hmm, this is kind of tedious."
I have heard of Frank Ocean but never have given a listen. I expected that this would not be the typical sound of pop R&B…it still took some effort to warm up to the album. After a couple of listens, I had a much greater appreciation for what was produced here. I didn’t love much of it, but I didn’t hate any of it.
This was ok. Every once in a while, an instrument or a lyric would catch my attention but there wasn't much that really grabbed me.
I’m not a big R&B aficionado so I wasn’t sure how almost an hour long album might be. I put this on and was really surprised at the variety Frank Ocean incorporates into his grooves. Some really unusual drum parts, interesting orchestral backgrounds, psychedelic sounds and other interesting musical constructions and styles throughout. This kept my interest level high. The lyrics are interesting, often seeming almost conversational, and often dealing with some of the darker topics of life. This was all a lot more appealing than I had expected.
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
As brilliant as what Kanye and his fans think Kanye is.
i reckon it would be a grower and got better as it went on. 3
Love this one. There are actually more killer tracks than I remember (Thinking Bout You, Lost & Super Rich Kids are my top 3, but there are 8 or 9 very decent songs here). Even the weaker or interlude-y tracks contribute to the bigger picture though. There's this kinda modern, minimal, slightly spacey thing going on that takes me to some specific place and time it's hard to describe (probably southern California, near future; somewhere affluent and hi-tech but slightly unsettling nonetheless?) 4.5
This is a great example of an album that is meant to be listened as a whole and not just individual tracks.
king
When this album was first announced almost ten years ago, I took notice but a very, very long time to listen. The open letter, I'm ashamed to admit, drove me away. I wasn't prepared to face the fact that there were changes in the way musicians openly detailed relationships with the same sex and that it would inevitably, eventually, change the way we view ourselves. Channel Orange is the nucleus of which the way music (and Frank Ocean) is viewed upon as a beyond comprehensible experience. It's near hour odyssey is worthy of being considered the abundance of accolades it's been given. An essential listen. Favorites: Thinkin Bout You, Sierra Leone, Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pilot Jones, Crack Rock, Pyramids, Bad Religion, Forrest Gump.
I'll apologise again, but I can't connect with contemporary pop music, especially of the type that's so closely related to hip-hop.
Black music and soul from last decade. Interesting.
One of the best from the 2010s
goated. absolute classic. one of my favorite albums of all time by my favorite artist of all time. 0 flaws.
Meio sem sal
Byrjar á autotune í Thinkin' bout you (mest spilaða laginu) og ég verð fyrir vonbrigðum, en svo lagast það og platan reynist svona líka góð. Mjög gaman að hlusta og ég mun gera það oftar.
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.
I thought the album was okay. It was easy to listen to, and had a nice kind of smooth groove to it, but ultimately I was just kind of bored, so I guess it wasn't really for me. Pyramids was a super standout track though; it caught my attention unlike anything else on this album. This album is definitely more than a 2, but less than 3 for me.
Soul interessante
4/03/2022 Today's Album: "Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean - This album is dense, extremely well executed, and packed with a ton of instrumental personality, so it definitely took a few days and a handful of listens to really "get" it. This album is phenomenal. These are really expressive and rich R&B tracks that cover a veriety of subject matters with suprising levels of nuance and with tons of layers of meaning in every line. From a surface level listen, you're met with likeable tracks that fuze pop and R&B with fantastic production and suprisingly listenable heavy sub-bass. Frank's vocals are fantastic on every track, the choruses are quickly learnable and given the hundreds of listens on each track, Frank is obviously a big heavy hitter in the pop scene. Going into the tracklist, there are a lot of times where the themes of drugs, past relationships, racism, systematic inequality, etc. that are all over most albums in this genre and the broader hip hop and rap scenes show up, but in a way that is very interesting to the listener. For instance, the first song of the album, Thinkin' Bout You explores the regret of past relationships by asking their first love if they still think about them, but his lyricism makes it hard to determine if this is an ongoing relationship or one that has already ended, adding to the message. The track Fertilizer is a short poppy interlude with only one line of lyrics, but the meaning of it is one of a partner feeling like they must continue with a relationship despite them being treated like shit. The name Fertilizer is also a play on words, implying the only connection in this relationship is when Frank and his partner have love- less sex (Fertilizing Her). The song Sierra Leone covers seemingly all of the emotions surrounding an unplaned pregnancy, with Frank having to come to turns with his immaturity and grow up to raise a child, the financial and familial struggle of dealing with an unplanned child, and even the relationship Frank has with being a father given how his father left him when he was young. The track Super Rich Kids is not only a fantastic sounding song, but it covers the troubles of young wealth and all of the mental, interpersonal, and legal issues related to someone having vast amounts of wealth when they are young. Pilot Jones and Crack Rock both cover the issues related to drugs and homelessness in America in great depth, with the former being from the perspective of Frank dealing with a parter that is dealing/addicted to drugs. The 10 minute track Pyramids is a great examination into the tarnished identity of black women as they were stolen from their home continent and were bastardized by the west. The first part is about the capturing and exploitation of black woman slaves right from the African Population and the second part is about the modern day black woman and how many have been reduced down to hookers and strippers. This track also sounds phenomenal from start to finish and features some amazing instrumental moments. Lost covers the drug industry further, this time with Frank taking the perspective of a man forcing a woman to mule drugs by putting them inside of her Double D sized breasts. It sounds immature and cliche upon first listen, but after understanding the premise it is a story of a young woman who is unable to escape a world of drug trafficing that she is already too far deep within. Monks is Frank examining his fame, but through discribing a drug fueled sexual encounter he had with a handful of groupies from one of his shows. One of the heaviest hitters, Bad Religion, compares a romantic relationship to a religion, as Frank finds this partner he once worshiped gone from him now. Like many tracks on this album, he describes these past relationships in an absolutely heartbreaking way, shedding light to the parts of a relationship that most dont think about. Pink Matter is a beautiful track that uses relationships and specifically a woman's womb to contemplate desire, fantasy, and even existentialism. It is an example of another pattern of this album, where Frank seems to be simply singing a love song, but there are several deeper meanings underneath simply talking about vaginas or boobs. Forest Gump is a light-hearted track from the perspective of Jenny from Forest Gump, being a metaphor for Frank's first love, who he later admitted was male and the final track End ends the album in a similar way it started, with background chatter and noise as Frank is musically switching through memories like TV channels. From an instrumental and musical standpoint, there are some moments that feel a little underdeveloped on this LP, but the diversity of sounds and melodies alongside solid instrumentals and lyricism that are so layered it can take hundreds of listens to fully comprehend make this album just fantastic from start to end. Themes of first loves, past toxic relationships, drugs, pregnancy, status, wealth, and power are all brilliantly meditated on under the guise of an R&B pop album and I really just cannot emphasize how well it is pulled off. This album is getting me really excited to check out Ocean's other music and about 80 percent of the tracks here are going to find their way into my library. Listen to this one if you like R&B, pop, heavy bass, great vocals, smart lyrics, or any/all of the above. Score: 9.5/10 Smart, Beautiful, Excellent. Highlights: Thinkin Bout You, Fertilizer, Super Rich Kids, Pilot Jones, Pyramids, Lost, White, Monks, Bad Religion, Pink Matter, Forest Gump.
What a please to be assigned this album today. This was something I had on repeat back when it was released. Every track is a banger!
Liked this more than I expected. Bonus points for the PlayStation noise in the intro!
Eh. Don't get what the fuss was about.
Listened to Ocean off and on. Strong album, with some great tracks. Not my usual style/genre
His voice is beautiful but it just doesn't quite do it for me like it does for others.
This I did not like
daadwerkelijk geluisterd, wel goeie, ga ik vaker luisteren
Slick, soulful rnb. I can appreciate how every element is polished and well done, but still not really my thing.
the jazzy bits saved it from 1 stars.
Soul progresivo. Un 4.
Solid 3 , Was a soothing listen, great production
Wasn’t really for me, but there were a couple of nice songs on there. 4/10
Chill vibes
Modern classic
Enjoyed it but not sure I’ll ever understand the hype around frank
Casi 4 pero no.
Generated: 4:35, 27/02/22 Listened: 27/02/22 Notes: Have heard it before, twice in Feb 2022, a top 10 album. Favorite Song: Super Rich Kids HM: Lost, Thinkin Bout U, Sweet Life, Crack Rock Genre: R&B/Soul, Indie Pop Features: Earl Sweatshirt, Andre 3000, John Mayer
Everything that is bad about music today.
frank ocean is a boring poopy-pants and i don't like him
if mr ocean really is the finest songwriter of his generation, we should be investing more heavily in interpretive dance
Angelic voice and rythym
Smooth
4.25
It’s a bit generic, vanilla. Nothing grabbed me. I don’t doubt that I’ll forget I’ve listened to it.
It's nice. Not what I usually listen to, but enjoyable. 2/5
Zum Teil sehr schöne Melodien, Kompositionen und Beats. Jedoch viel zu glatter Gesang. Bin aber nicht der größte RnB/Soul Fan, muss man wissen.
I like frank. voice is smooth
I know there was a lot of hype about this one when it was released but it’s just not for me, nothing there that made me think “what a tune” so two stars for me.
Oooo boy now this is a certified classic. Ocean has clearly already established the mainstays of his discography by this point, with the evocative yet sensitive lyrics and achingly beautiful vocals that underpin each song. "Pyramids" is just plain epic. I love this album!!!
super rich kids
nije nešto šta inače slušan, ali nije ni loše
Really didnt know what to make of this one, a couple songs were really good and the rest just sounded all the same!!!
Hooked right out of the gate. The hits are massive, drums sound great throughout.
hated it. couldnt get through it
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
Good voice. Not my thing.
Enjoyed it.
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.
By all accounts I should love this but I've just never got on with it. Bit like The Weeknd
Yeuch! Eew! R&B & that’s all I need to say.
Innoffensive but nondescript. Why is this on the list? It's just a (very) average album. I'm told that Blond is much better.
4.5
Damn this is good
Started out indifferent, but as the guest musicians joined I found it much more enjoyable
It was ok. Nothing that really stood out, but was easy to listen to. Favorite Song: Crack Rock
I could gladly die without ever having heard this album and just another example of why auto-tune is destroying music.
I've tried so hard to appreciate Frank's music since he's so beloved but I just don't get the appeal. It's... fine. Just doesn't really do much for me.
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.
Ajme ja baš ne volin ovu muziku
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
Još iz dana slušanja njegovog Blonde albuma ostala mi je u pamćenju neka vedrina kojom mu pjesme zrače, cijenim jako!
Not bad, I'm glad I listened to it. No recognized songs
liked this a lot
Catch AF
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.