Frank Ocean was one of the hottest names in music before he even released an album. Behind the scenes, he was a wizard of a songwriter for R&B artists as Lonny Breaux. Everyone from Justin Bieber to Brandy to John Legend to Beyoncé wanted a piece of his artistry. For a while, he was content with being an in-demand composer who could relish the money and the anonymity. But he wanted something more.
Meeting Tyler, the Creator, and Odd Future reinvigorated his passion for music. Meeting legendary producer Tricky Stewart got his foot in the door at Def Jam to become a solo artist. But after years of feeling neglected by the label, Frank Ocean decided to strike on his own with the classic mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra. Then, he became extremely in demand, becoming the secret ingredient for massive, prestigious artists like Jay-Z and Kanye West.
Naturally, all of this got Def Jam’s attention, making Ocean’s inevitable debut one of the most highly anticipated records in years. On this day in 2012, he would change the trajectory of his career rapidly with one of the best albums of the 21st century, Channel Orange.
Frank Ocean Releases An All-Time Debut Album On This Day in 2012
Channel Orange was a blockbuster effort on paper, featuring collaborations and guest appearances from Pharrell, André 3000, and John Mayer. Diving into the album proper, it’s equally as ambitious. Ocean made naked ballads like “Forrest Gump” and “Thinkin Bout You”, electro-funk smashes like “Monks”, and sweet, sunny, chord-driven R&B records like “Sweet Life”. Topics ranged everywhere from sex and yearning to existential dread and the emptiness of modern consumerism. He even had the courage to release a two-part, 10-minute epic in “Pyramids” as the second single from the album.
As you might expect, critics absolutely adored what Frank Ocean made with Channel Orange. Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork immediately crowned it Best New Music with an astounding 9.5 rating. “The 24-year-old has quickly proven himself to be among the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation,” Dombal marveled in his review. “He’s got the type of voice, wit, charm, smarts, and ineffable humanity that’s always hoped for, but never promised.”
Similarly, writer Fintan Walsh argued that Frank Ocean properly captured the zeitgeist amongst the youth. Moreover, he compared Channel Orange to another once-in-a-lifetime album in Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. “It’s a masterful, dynamic and evocative collection of conversations between his inner-self and the listener,” Walsh wrote at the time.
The post 14 Years Ago Today, This R&B Icon Released a Stunning Debut That Critics Compared to the Beach Boys’ Genre-Defining Album ‘Pet Sounds’ appeared first on VICE.
