Alyson Isenberg
Impression of Frank Ocean
The first time you listen to a song your opinion on it sticks in your memory. It can determine if you want to continue listening to that artist or it can change your overall thoughts on the artist. Listening to a song of an artist you aren’t familiar with, can leave you with an opinion on that artist for good. For example, Frank Ocean is a well-known singer and songwriter. People are either very fond of his music or not very much because of what he sings about. He first started his career as a ghostwriter, writing songs for popular artists including, Justin Bieber, Beyonce, John Legend and Alicia Keys. He loved collaborating with different artists to create popular music. Frank Ocean is an incredible R&B soul artist and I connect with his lyrics because they contain elements providing truth about how current and past relationships can impact a person’s present.
Ivy: Relationships are huge impacts to your future life
Just recently one of my friends introduced me to the artist Frank Ocean. Before she had showed me his music, I had never heard a song by him. One popular song by him that is now one of my favorite songs, is the song Ivy. While listening to the song the first time, my initial reaction led me wanting to listen to more because the beat instantly caught my ear. His voice in this song is one of a kind and the chorus made me fall in love with the song instantly. When he hits the high notes, it immediately sets this song apart from many other artist’s. In this song, the higher note that he sang that stuck out to me was the lines, “In the halls of your hotel, arm around my shoulder so I could tell, how much I meant to you…”
(Ivy)
In this relationship of Frank Ocean’s, he wanted more affection from his partner and his partner rarely showed it, but when he did Frank could tell how much he actually did care about him when they were dating. In this song Ocean explained in his lyrics that he was dreaming because his life didn’t seem real. He wrote this song about a failed relationship and how it is impacted his life greatly. In the song he sang, “I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me, It started from nothing I had no chance to prepare I couldn’t see you coming “. In these lyrics, he is trying to get the point across that he was very overwhelmed when his lover told him that they were in love with him. He wasn’t prepared for that type of love. Their relationship started from just being friends and eventually became serious. Later on, down the road of their relationship, they both grew up in different ways, leading the relationship to fall apart. Being in a relationship that is built off of lies, does not last and that is how I interpreted this song. He feels as though with the absence of his past lover, part of him was taken away and he feels lonely but he will always keep his past relationship as a memory.
Self Control: Past Relationships
Another song I analyzed by Frank Ocean, is the song Self Control. This song is a considerably slower and a lot gloomier than Ivy. My initial thought when I first listen to this song is that it is such a calming and perfect song to fall asleep to. The solo guitar tunes used throughout the song are what drew me to like it so much. The harmony with the relaxed vocal sang in the song and the guitars cords work perfectly in unison. While listening to this song, I thought about a relating artist, John Mayer. He was the artist I thought of because of their similar background music used in Self Control and many of John Mayer’s songs. Even though their music sounds the same, the lyrics Ocean sings makes him stand out. The lyrics are so significant to him because it is all about his past relationships and his feelings. His songs tell a lot about his life and how he reacts to it. In this song he tells about how he feels about his relationship, he is very upset. He has had past relationships but a lot they haven’t ended the way he has wanted. In the song Self Control, his lyrics show that his past lover wanted to forget about him but Ocean wants him to remember him and their memories. The lyrics in this song that stuck out to me was the verse, “Wish I was there, wish we’d grown up on the same advice and our time was right.”
(Self Control)
He is saying that he wishes that they grew up being taught the same information so they were on the same page. His lyrics display a great deal of struggle he has been through and that the time he met his partner it was said to be poor timing being a key reason why they didn’t work out.
Final Thoughts
Frank Ocean’s voice and overall rhyme is so elegant and beautifully strung together. I loved his voice in both songs the first times I listened to him, now every chance I get the chance to listen to music Frank Ocean is the artist that I am dying to listen to. This relates to system one thinking because it is thinking that operates automatically and in your memory a strong connection is left after listening to a song. Since it was the first time listening to Ivy it stuck in my mind and made me love him as artist.
(Frank Ocean Profile)
Introduction
System two thinking is the aspect that an idea that is thought out with longer terms and more complex mental activities. The feelings you develop after you listen to a song is an example of System two thinking. System two is about how your thoughts are analyzed. After listening to a song many times your opinion can be different on a particular song. Frank Ocean was introduced to music since he was a young child. He has always appreciated jazz and working with the music industry. Initial reactions to a song are greatly influenced by lyrics in Frank Ocean’s music and relating artists also have influential lyrics that express your feelings are how they impact your life.
Novacane: Lyrics can change your opinions on a song
An example of this is when your initial reaction to a song is good but you grow to dislike it after it has been overplayed. One song I used to love was “Novacane” by Frank Ocean. This song is from the album Nostalgia, Ultra. This album is what got Ocean’s popularity to grow tremendously. Since he was becoming so popular, his music started to play on the radio. Starting off with one song and slowly increasing. “Novacane” was my favorite song for awhile, but after hearing it on the radio, which seemed to be about a hundred times, I slowly lost interest in listening to it. I used to love the beat of the song because it was different and I never heard of anything like it, but overtime my feelings changed. The further amount of times I listened to this song, the more I analyzed the lyrics. Although the lyrics are very original, I listened more closely to them realizing the first times I didn’t actually listen to the lyrics being sang, I just enjoyed the song for the beat and rhyme. My favorite part of this song is the rhythmic music in the background.
(Novacane)
I am still a big fan of Frank Ocean and the beat of the song but the lyrics in “Novacane” are what stand out the most when I listen to this song now. Although my first impression on the song was great, it slowly declined over time the more I heard it. Since this song was so repeated for me, it makes me uninterested in listening to this song again.
Location: Similar Artist
(Khalid)
Another famous Contemporary R&B singer and songwriter that relates to Frank Ocean is Khalid. Their voices are very similar in some songs. Most of their songs are both written about heartbreaks or their feelings. I relate these two because another very repeated song that I am not a huge fan of anymore is “Location” by Khalid. They have both had major inspirations for their songs. The album Nostalgia, Ultra by Frank Ocean was a mixtape written after Hurricane Katrina. One of Khalid’s inspirations for his song “Location” was that while he was growing up he was anxious to move out his mom’s house and live on his own. Both Ocean and Khalid are great at telling how they feel with their songs.
Conclusion
System 2 thinking is all about your conscious self and thoughts, it determines if you want to continue listening to that song again, which in my case I don’t listen to the song anymore. Later on, my attitude towards to the once favorited song shows that System 2 has a very thought out process and leaves a long-term reaction in your mind about the song. My music knowledge has greatly expanded because of this song influenced me to look up more songs by him.
Works Cited
Frank Ocean, Ivy. “Frank Ocean – Ivy.” YouTube. Uploaded by Blonded, 27 Jun 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE005nZeF-A.
Frank Ocean, Novacane. “Frank Ocean – Novacane.” YouTube. Uploaded by Djel, 18 Jun 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWBWnDX9JW0.
“Frank Ocean Profile” Hot New Hip Hop.
Frank Ocean, Self Control. “Frank Ocean – Self Control.” YouTube. Uploaded by Blonded, 27 Jun 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BME88lS6aVY.
Khalid, Location. “Khalid – Location.” YouTube. Uploaded by KhalidVEVO, 26 Sep 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by3yRdlQvzs.