~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED ✔: "Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean

When it comes to music, I don't like to get caught up in all the hype. When I see a lot of people talking about a particular artist or album, I like to wait a while before I give it a serious listen once the hype dies down. 


I wasn't that familiar with Frank Ocean, but I can say that I am definitely a fan now. His first album, Channel Orange, was released on July 10th & debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 200. 


No surprise that the increased interest in the album was due to Ocean's "coming out" on his Tumblr page, stating that his first love was a man. He didn't say that he was flat-out gay, so I assume that he still likes women based on the conflict that he portrays on the album. 

~Elle Shanice~ grade: A-

At first, I couldn't help but wonder if this was a publicity stunt to sell records. However, after thinking about it, I thought that it was great that he picked July 4th to declare his "independence" to be who he is. It takes a lot to do something like that, especially in the homophobic hip-hop industry & I think that it's a good thing.  


Gay, straight, bisexual, WHATEVER...good music is good music & this album is GREAT. It has 17 songs that explore a wide range of topics & really showcases Ocean's vocal & writing talent. While his announcement brings some insight into the lyrics & gives a different outlook than otherwise, they are ambiguous to interpretation if you don't read too much into them. Some of my favorite songs include "Thinking Bout You", where Ocean dives straight into his feelings for this person & contemplates being with them & "Super Rich Kids". As soon as I heard the "Benny & the Jets" baseline & "Real Love" bridge, I was in. He depicts the life of privileged youth who have too much money & too little supervision. 

The best song on the album is "Pink Matter", which features an always-clever Andre 3000 (my FAV) delivering a FLAWLESS verse. The song portrays the contrast of the female reproductive organ (vagina, p*ssy...whatever you want to call it). He compares it to both cotton candy (soft & sweet) & Majin Buu (a violent pink character from DragonBall Z) to say that it can be both good & evil.

Congratulations to you, Frank Ocean, for not only delivering a GREAT debut album but for living your truth & not being afraid to express yourself.