Who produced frank ocean blonde album
“Skyline To,” “Self Control,” “Good Guy,” and “Nights” are all typical Ocean tracks and culminate in a quick reprise of “Solo,” done entirely by André 3000. With minimal musical accompaniment besides some ethereal background synths, this track is a standout on the album. The next song, “Solo,” features a teetering rhythm and an earworm melody, and explores the feelings of loneliness that accompany self-destructive behavior. Spoken by Rosie Watson, the mother of Ocean’s friend Jonathan, this track ties into the growing theme of the album being critical of certain superficial traits in modern society. After this, the interlude “Be Yourself” begins, and is in the format of a phone message left by (presumably) Ocean’s mother, warning him to avoid drugs and reckless behavior in college. The tracks “Ivy” and “Pink + White” are both more straightforward R&B tracks, with the latter featuring sparse vocals from Pharrell and Tyler, the Creator. Upon further investigation of the lyrics, it becomes apparent that the meaning of the song is an indictment of materialism and status symbols in modern pop-culture, such as expensive Nike shoes. Pitch-shifted vocals sing, “RIP Trayvon, … look just like me,” an obvious allusion to the controversial killing of Trayvon Martin. The album opens with the lead single “Nikes.” The atmospheric production of the track- and album as a whole- hits immediately, with a snappy drum machine and wavy synthesizers filling the background. The album lives up to its hype- a rare thing to see- and delivers an inner view of the troubled and conflicted mind of Ocean that he gave a glimpse of in Channel Orange so many years ago. Features include André 3000 (of Outkast), Beyoncé, James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, and even Yung Lean. Production credits name Rick Rubin, Jamie xx, Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead), Pharrell, and Tyler, the Creator. Originally called Boys Don’t Cry, the album has an all-star production team and a lengthy list of fantastic features. After years of speculation, memes, Twitter jokes, and anticipation, Frank Ocean has finally released his new album Blonde.