channel ORANGE makes you put down the remote

A dive into Frank Ocean's classic album 13 years later

On July 10, 2012, Frank Ocean released his debut album, channel ORANGE. Frank named this album channel ORANGE, in reference to his neurological phenomenon, color synesthesia. Features of this album include former Odd Future mates Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler, The Creator; along with other artists such as John Mayer, and Andre 3000. Channel Orange has 17 tracks that adds up to around 62 minutes.

“Start” is more of an audio clip than a song. The audio is a playstation booting up, followed by the sounds of a video game.

“Thinkin Bout You” is arguably one of Frank's most well-known songs. The well known and catchy chorus along with the relatable lyrics comes together to make this song as great as it is. “Thinkin Bout You” is a song examining Frank's thoughts and his feelings of yearning and confusion towards his lover and whether or not his desires will be reciprocated.

“Fertilizer” is another audio clip. This audio shows a person switching through channels until landing on an ad about fertilizer. The ad is also a catchy and upbeat  tune from Frank.

“Sierra Leone” is a prime example of a simple yet great song. With good verses, chorus, and production “Sierra Leone’s” lyrics are an ode to the complexities of love and relationships while also being a metaphor of teen pregnancy.

“Sweet Life” is a song that leaves you feeling warm inside, the manner in which Frank delivers his lines on this song is heavenly. Frank Ocean really utilizes his godsent vocals in Sweet Life, which sounds amazing. The song itself is Frank exploring how wealth blinds people to the problems of the world, with lines like “You’ve had a landscaper and a housekeeper since you were born” and “Why see the world when you got the beach?” acknowledging the people who live in wealth and challenging them to look at the struggles of the less fortunate.

“Not Just Money” is an audio clip featuring Rosie Watson, one of Frank’s friends’, Jonathan Ikpeazu’s mom. The audio clip is a person driving while listening to the radio, which is Rosie Watson talking on the radio giving advice on the importance and value of money. This track is fittingly after the song “Sweet Life” and before my personal favorite “Super Rich Kids”.

“Super Rich Kids” is a favorite of mine because of the verses from Frank and Earl Sweatshirt. Frank’s and Earl’s verses fit well together on this song while also meshing well with the beat. “Super Rich Kids” continues the theme of living in glamor but in a more harrowing way. At the start of the track Frank sings the lines “Start my day up on the roof/There’s nothing like this type of view” this alludes to Frank being in a penthouse, which again goes back to the theme of wealth and luxury. Throughout the rest of the song Frank and Earl elaborates on how living a life of material worth will never provide someone with the same feelings that love and happiness can. This all comes to a climax in the third verse with Frank singing the lines “We end our day up on the roof/I say I’ll jump, I never do”, “Sleeve rips off, I slip, I fall”, “My silver spoon has fed me good”, and “Close my eyes and feel the crash”. This song is the embodiment of how living a grand and glamorous life seems fun on the outside until you look within and realize you truly aren't fine.

“Pilot Jones” doesn’t really do it for me. I don’t really like how it sounds. “Pilot Jones” is a lyrical narrative about first love and how it can be a drug. This is done by using the double entendre “Pilot Jones”. A pilot is one who drives/steers,while the couple is “jonesing” or craving each other to a pilot driving them toward each other. The term pilot can also be seen as the first episode of a TV series, referencing that this is a first love story. The chorus is written well and along with the line delivery from Frank fixes some of the problems with the song. Other than that this track is sort of a throw-away in my eyes.

“Crack Rock” is another favorite of mine . It just sounds fantastic from the beat production, the meaningful lyrics, the catchy chorus, and the deeper meaning behind the track. “Crack Rock” is a song about the desperation and loneliness experienced when someone is addicted to substances or love itself. This in itself can be explained by the song's title. “Crack Rock” can be interpreted as the drug, crack cocaine, but it can also be seen with the word “crack” being like a cracked rock, which is a metaphor to the split from his lover. Frank has lost everything and is now alone, being referenced by the line “You don’t know how little you matter until you’re all alone”. It is now evident that the “crack” has come between him and everything he loves, splitting his life into two and leaving him in the middle.

“Pyramids” is a musical roller coaster in the best way possible. With the different beats it has during this 9 minutes along with its great storytelling makes it an amazing song. Pyramids is a song that alludes to the struggles of life, and Frank’s yearning for success and purpose with lines like “How could you run off on me? How could you run off on us?” and “Hit the strip and my bills paid, that keep my bills paid” further proving this message.

“Lost” is an amazing song off this album and my personal song of the summer. Everything is great, they lyrics, the beats, and overall vibes. It’s just Frank Ocean doing what he does. “Lost” is about a drug dealer who uses his lover as a mule. His lover gets “lost” in the intensity of the drug trafficking lifestyle and all of the money that comes with it. Inevitably the protagonist wants to settle down and live a normal life with his lover; but this has to come after ‘one last smuggle’ which leads to another ‘one last smuggle’ showing that they have been “lost in the heat of it all”. 

White is just an instrumental track for about a minute. This instrumental is a more relaxed version of Frank’s song titled under the same name from Odd Future’s 2012 album The OF Tape Vol.2. This track also features guitarist and singer John Mayer, who plays the guitar heard throughout this version.

“Monks” has a more jazz tone that I absolutely adore. The production mixed in with Frank’s vocals is music to my ears. “Monks” revolve around themes of escapism, spirituality, and freedom. Throughout the song Frank details a relationship he had with a female he met on tour. This is evident by the crowd chanting in the background during the bridge. Frank then goes on to compare his crowds to Buddhist monks and their spiritual idol, Dalai Lama. “Monks” is a great song that anyone can enjoy anytime.  

“Bad Religion” is a good track with amazing storytelling throughout.  “Bad Religion” is a song about feeling the pain of unrequited love.

“Pink Matter” is a terrific song, and including Andre 3000 just makes this track so much better than it already was. “Pink Matter” explores the concepts of duality, desires, and identity.

“Forrest Gump” is a nice song and a cool nod to the 1994 film Forrest Gump. In this song Frank Ocean is detailing his feelings that he still harbors for his first love. He sings about his lover with admiration and respect – like the character Forrest Gump.

“End”, is the final track and it’s a great way to end this album. The song from the radio is great. Even with the little lyrics we get from this song, it still touches on a number of themes, from the lies we tell to ourselves and each other, to the power of love, and the importance of unity.

Frank Ocean’s debut album is an amazing album to start off with, and really sets the bar for his next projects, Endless & Blonde. But overall. I rate this album 7 TVs out of 7.