A Word About Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean - 'Pyramids'

Don't worry, this is not an essay on how much I love Frank Ocean now he has admitted to having been in love with a man. Nor is it a defensive rant about how I liked Frank BEFORE he exploded all over the news because I am so totally hipster like that of course. Finally, it is not the place where I express how brave his decision was and how admirable it may be. That is of course true, but my sarcastic little blog isn't the place to dissect such things. Perhaps it should be, but for now, I can't really claim to understand what the world might be like for an openly gay American RnB star, so I'm won't pretend to.

I am, however, nothing but glad to see his face on major news outlets all over the Internet. Cynics may point to the imminent release of his album 'Channel Orange' and suggest that the timing is somewhat convenient, but again, I won't be going into that. What I do know is that an amazingly talented but still under the radar singer has been given huge exposure, rightly or wrongly.

Of course, Frank was not unknown in the UK. His feature on Jay-Z and Kanye's 'No Church In The Wild' has already given him a chart hit. He also came second in the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll, pipped by Michael Kiwanuka. I want to talk about his music, not his sexuality. I haven't heard all of his stuff so far, but 'Swim Good', 'Novacane' and 'Pyramids' are incredible material to emerge with. 'Pyramids' in particular is a masterpiece, an incredibly daring 10 minute sonic landscape drawn together by Frank's silky smooth vocals. His voice is of course a thing of beauty - incredibly subtle and restrained, his lyrics speak for themselves, needing nothing more than a delicate touch.

Who knows whether his recent decisions will help or hinder his career, but this man deserves his place in the spotlight, for whatever reason.

Frank Ocean - 'Swim Good'