Have We Heard Frank Ocean's Last Album?

While driving to my daughter's field trip to chaperone this morning I decided to listen to Frank Ocean. I really enjoy his work. His music is a vibe. It relaxes me. I can really sit back and chill while listening to his stuff. It puts me in a good mood and makes the rest of the day a breeze. But, while listening this morning I realized that we may not get any new music from him ever again. Let’s discuss.

Looking at his discography, the last full length record he put out was "Blonde". That was pre pandemic. And he is notoriously hard on himself and the music he releases. It takes him forever. He never seems to like the third and fourth run through of his music. He is a perfectionist to a fault. He is way too hard on himself. He sets the bar far too high. And I saw what he did at Coachella last year. He was a headliner. People were hyped to hear new music. There were expectations. And he came out, vibed to his own music, sang a few notes here and there and left the stage, not returning for any subsequent weekend. He was supposed to play all three weekends. He claimed that he sprained his ankle, but I think he got too much in his own head. I have to imagine he read, or heard what people were saying about his lone performance and it got to him.

Since Coachella, Frank Ocean has been nowhere to be found. He has been silent on the music front and the social media front. No one seems to know what he is doing. No one seems to know if he is making new music. I like to think he is working hard in the studio. I like to imagine he is going the extra mile to erase what happened the last time he performed live. I like to think he has holed himself up and is cranking out some epic stuff. But I have doubts. I fear that he may just walk away.

I could see him doing just that. He could walk out of the music industry right now and be looked at as a legend based simply on "Blonde" and "Channel Orange". Those are two of the greatest R&B records to ever be released. The writing is top notch. The production is second to none. The stories he paints from song to song is some of the best music that any fan could ask for. So why not just walk away? Why not just wash his hands of the music industry and walk out in a wild yet legendary way. I would not be surprised at all if he did just that. If he just up and quit and moved to the mountains, he'd be forever considered one of the best to do it in the industry. Coachella would be forgotten. The long, seemingly unending wait for new music would be no more. He could go out, leave it all behind and enjoy retirement. What's really stopping him? I listen to his two full length eps all the time. I won't stop listening to those two albums ever. I know his fans will listen to them endlessly.

So, if I had to make a prediction, if people are trying to figure out where my mind is with Frank Ocean and his next step, I'd have to say I don't think he is going to be making any new music anytime soon. Maybe he will never make new music ever again. And while that really bums me out, I will always have "Blonde" and "Channel Orange", and for that I am forever grateful to Frank Ocean. While I hope he makes new music, I don't foresee it coming, maybe ever. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The 2020 Grammy Nominations Make Me Feel Old

Yesterday after the 2020 Grammy nominees were announced, and I checked the categories that interested me, I came to two pretty grim realizations about myself.

So, I like to think that I know a good amount about music. I have done a whole series of who I consider to be some of the greatest American bands, I go to tons of live shows, I listen to lots of different music, I play guitar and I feel like I know a good amount about music in general. So, when I first saw the nominees, my first realization was, I had no idea who about 60 to 70 percent of the people nominated were. I simply had not heard of a good amount of the people. I know who Lizzo is, I really like her music. I am aware of Billie Ellish because my nieces listen to her. I know who Vampire Wekend is, much to my chagrin thanks to RD. And I am aware of other, bigger names that got nominations. But, when I scrolled down to the categories that I actually kind of care about, I just found that I had no idea who some of these artists were. That was when it hit me. I am older now. I am closer to 40 than 30. I am going to be 37 on less than a month. It is bizarre that something as trivial as Grammy nominations hit me this hard. I have known that I am getting older. We all do everyday. But, when I checked out this list, I just had no idea. I had no connection with some of these artists that are deemed worthy of a Grammy nomination. I listen to tons and tons of hip hop music, and I only know of one of the people nominated for best rap album, Tyler, the Creator. I don't know anything about any of the other nominees. When looking at rock and alternative nominees, it was nearly the same thing. I know Brittany Howard and Gary Clark Jr, but who in the hell are these other people? I have never heard of them. I know nothing about them, and I have no interest in finding out about them.

That leads me into my second realization, which I feel like I have had a few times prior to this, but it finally sunk in, and I accept it now. That realization, I am a music snob. A lot of the people nominated that I don't know, it is simply because I feel that modern pop, rock and alternative music is not very good. There is no musician or solo artist right now that I feel like has any staying power, and the bands and solo artists I listen to, I feel like most of them do. I think a band like The Black Keys, or a solo artist like Frank Ocean is going to be remembered for a long, long time. I don't think a band like, say Vampire Weekend, again, sorry RD, or a solo artist like Ariana Grande is going to be talked about in less than a decade. I think they will just be talked about in passing, like someone may say, "remember that one Vampire Weekend record, it was good. What are they up to now". It is not like they have real staying power. The Black Keys are prolific. They kept putting out good, solid records and tour with regularity. People wait and wait and wait for new Frank Ocean records, and when he puts one out, it is worth the wait, but it leaves you wanting more. Can you say that about most of the current Grammy nominees? I don't know. I love Lizzo, and I listen to her record "Cuz I Love You" on repeat, but can she do it again? What about the country rap guy Lil Nas X? Is he ever going to reach the heights that "Old Town Road" has led him to. Or Billie Ellish. Is she going to be the newer, hipper Lorde, or is she more in the vain of a one record wonder like Natalie Imbruglia or Crash Test Dummies. I simply don't know, but if asked, I would say they are more in the one record/hit wonder category.

Look, the Grammy's are simply nominating who is popular at the moment, and I understand that, but that is the problem with modern music. No one really tries to make profound, everlasting music, they just make music to get clicks and to get people to buy singles online. That is a problem with the modern music industry too. No one buys records anymore, or almost no one. Most people just want earworms that sit with you for a couple months, then you move on to the next hit song.

So, yes I am old and I like what I like, but that is okay. I'm sure the people that are nominated are happy, and I even bet that a few will stick around for awhile. But, most want. And I think that says all you need to know about Grammy nominees.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. On Grammy night, you can find Ty outside yelling at a cloud.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The SeedSing 2016 Year in Pop Culture: The Best, and Worst, in Music

My best of list today will be my top 5 albums of 2016. There was some good music put out this year, but honestly, this was probably the easiest list for me to make. When certain people announced they were putting out new records, I hoped for the best, and for the most part, they all delivered. Lets get to it.

At number 5, I have Frank Ocean's "Blonde". This record was tremendous. The wait was totally worth it. After Ocean put out the phenomenal "Channel Orange", he waited almost 2 and a half years before releasing "Blonde". The wait seemed like it would go on forever. The rumors never stopped, especially after he performed on "SNL", that a new record was in the works, and it would be coming soon. But they never seemed to develop. Then on some random Friday, Ocean announced that he had released his record on social media. I bought it immediately and listened to it right after it downloaded, and it was great. It was a perfect blend of R&B/rap/funk and the weirdness that is Frank Ocean. His voice is tremendous on the record. His switching back and forth between singing and rapping is totally on point. The guests on this record are second to none. Andre 3000's verse is one of the dopest things I've heard in years. "Blonde" is one of the first records that I can remember being worth the wait. Ocean is a super star now, and it is because of the success of "Blonde".

At number 4, I have Chance the Rapper's "Coloring Book". This is one of the most uplifting rap records I have ever heard. Chance the Rapper is a shining light in the music industry right now. He is clearly someone that does it for the love of music, not the fame, money or recognition. Every record he releases, he releases them for free. "Coloring Book" was first put on Apple Music only, but there were many other ways to download the record for free, instantly. Every song on the album has his perfect rap presence on it, but his singing is also really good. Take a song like "Blessings". The chorus is great, and Chance's verses are really good, but his singing on the song is just as good as anything else he does. He too has really blown up recently, due to "SNL" and the fact that he is the Kit Kat spokesman now, but he is one of the better rappers doing music right now. The record has straight forward rap songs, but there are some good R&B songs and some, I almost want to say, gospel type songs. "Coloring Book" is a revelation, and Chance the Rapper is on his way to the top. Go get this record now. It is free and it is awesome.

At number 3, I have my all time favorite rap group's newest record, A Tribe Called Quest's "We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service". This was a much needed record. After it was announced that Phife Dawg passed away, RIP, the remaining members announced that they were putting out a record of original material. They had some of Phife's vocals still recorded, and they made new songs with what they had, and the material was incredible. The album finds the band with a more politically conscious sound than ever, and it suits them incredibly well. They have great voices, and with what is going on in the world now, we needed to get their thoughts. Q-Tip slays on every song on the record. Ali Shaheed Mohammed is right there with the beats and the one liners that he is the master of. Even Jarobi shows up and does some nice things. Then, we get Phife. Man was he the best of the best. His verses were so great. Hearing him one more time on record was so god damn satisfying. I still miss the hell out of him, but at least I will always have his voice on records, and "WGIFH...TY4YS", he is wonderful. The guest list on this record is better than what Frank Ocean has in "Blonde". Andre 3000 is on this record, so is Jack White and the reemergence of Busta Rhymes. Busta Rhymes is a beast and he sounds dynamite on this record. I hope this means he is contemplating a comeback, because I'd love some new music from him. ATCQ is back, and this new album is awesome. Thank you for releasing it. We as a nation needed this right now.

At number 2, I have the new funk record from Childish Gambino, "Awaken! My Love". This album is incredible, unique, weird and awesome. It is as if Parliament came back and recorded a record for the 21st century. Along with making great TV, i.e. "Atlanta", Donald Glover also released one of the best albums of the year. I have been listening to this record almost nonstop for the past month or so. I love every track on this album. Glover goes totally off script and, instead of releasing a new rap record, he delivers a straight up funk record, and it is incredible. His voice is so tremendous. He hits some crazy high notes that I had no idea he could hit. From the opener, "Me and Your Mama", which is a great blend of funk and rock, to songs like "Boogieman", "Zombies", "California" and "Baby Boy", which are all straight up funk, the album is a homerun. The song "Redbone" may be the track of the year. Glover is tremendous on this song, and his band sounds phenomenal. The chorus may be my anthem for the crap fest that has been 2016. Glover sings, "stay woke/they be creepin/they gon find you/gon catch you sleeping". I mean, that is pretty poetic and prophetic for the state of our country. "Awaken! My Love" is a triumph, and further proves that Donald Glover is the most talented person in show business. I have mentioned him everyday in all my lists so far, so he must be doing something right. This record is incredible, and I cannot wait to see what he does next in TV, movies, but most importantly for me, music. I'm sure it will be awesome.

This all brings me to my number one record of the year, "Run The Jewels 3" by, Run The Jewels. I know this album has only been out for 3 days, but damn it is the shit. The band surprised released the record on Christmas at midnight, and as they would say, "it was a Christmas f&*(ing miracle". I have not stopped listening to the album for the past three days. When I go on runs at night, this record gets me through the 3 miles. When I clean the house, this is what I'm putting on my Echo or headphones. When I'm driving in my car, and my kids are not present, this is what I'm cranking. The record is dope, and this, more than any piece of pop culture this year, is exactly what I, and a bunch of other people need to get through these trying times. EL-P and Killer Mike take on the establishment in every track, and they take it down. These dudes are the voice for the downtrodden and they make me want to start a revolution. I would go to war with these dudes, especially Killer Mike. This record makes me want to accomplish things to take down the current state of the government. This record makes me have visceral responses. I will just yell random things, to no one in particular, when listening to this dope ass album. "RTJ3" is an absolute triumph, and RTJ themselves are the best rappers making music right now. EL-P and Killer Mike are phenomenal. They basically crashed the internet when they surprised announced that they were releasing this record early. I do not care that it has only been out for 3 days, it is the best record of 2016, and it will probably be better than anything put out in 2017. It is a god damn masterpiece. I'm getting fired up just writing about how much I love this record right now. Buy it immediately, if you do not already have it. It is the bomb diggity.

As far as the worst record of the year goes, anything that Drake puts out is always garbage, and the Macklemore record, which I have not heard one song of, I guarantee it is a joke of an album. Drake is an overrated, bandwagon fan, and a wannabe. His rhyming is garbage. His voice is garbage. His beats stink. I'd rather listen to anyone from the early 90's rap than listen to any piece of trash that Drake releases. He is, by far, the most overrated emcee of all time. Then there is Macklemore. Talk about a poseur. This dude and his DJ are fake rappers and Macklemore is the leader of this fake ass sound. He is just as bad as Drake, and he thinks he is "rapping" about important issues, and that he alone is bringing this stuff to light. Macklemore is garbage, and his 15 minutes of fame were done a long, long time ago. Do not listen to anything by these 2 guys because they are both equally terrible.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my best and worst sports moments of 2016.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His dislike of Drake goes back to the Degrassi days. Jimmy Brooks was the worst. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Ty Listens to Frank Ocean's "Blonde"

It finally happened. After what seemed to be years, I think it was two or three total, Frank Ocean finally released his follow up to the wonderful "Channel Orange". I was scouring Twitter the other night, and I saw that some of the people I follow were posting pictures and talking about the new Frank Ocean record. I immediately went to iTunes, in hopes that it would be available for purchase, and not only listenable to through Apple Music, and much to my pleasure, it was right there, the first record in fact, available to buy and download immediately. I did just that, and listened to it the moment it finished downloading. What I heard for the next hour was exceptional. Frank Ocean is a very, very good musician and very much a perfectionist. The album is called "Blonde", and it is so, so good.

"Blonde" was well worth the wait. I was growing frustrated, hearing stories from many different outlets that his second album was going to come out any day. I started to dismiss pretty much everything I heard. I thought Frank Ocean might have been a one album guy. I figured he would go out on a very high note. But, he did not do that. He delivered an excellent record that, I feel, everyone who likes music needs to buy. It is so different and is perfectly Frank Ocean.

What I liked about "Channel Orange" was expanded on so much on "Blonde". Ocean is like a throw back R&B singer who mixes modern hip hop with his music. He does that so well on "Blonde". I have heard some people say that it sounds a bit "disorganized", or "unfinished", but I say to them, go listen to "Channel Orange", it is the same thing. Ocean does things like changing the beat mid song, or cutting a song without a real outro, or throwing in short little songs or segues that some people may not like, or dismiss as not real music. I couldn't disagree more. This is what modern music has become, and when you can make it very good and commercial, you must be doing something right.

The album starts off great, the middle is weird, but awesome, and the last three tracks are epic. I love the opener to the record, "Nikes". The song finds Ocean using a very high voice and singing some great lyrics. He also transitions into a bit of hip hop during the song with equal accomplishment. The chorus, and intro, are very singable. I adore this song. "Pink and White" is another great early track song. He gets very high, and the instrumentation is epic. There is loud squealing from both Ocean and his guitar at the end, and it is great. The interlude that comes next is a great message, possibly from Ocean's mother, that is poignant and important. He then goes into "Solo" which is a great song. It is about being alone and lonely and it is incredible. Later, near the middle of the record, we get a "Solo (reprise)" song, and it features Andre 3000. His verse is absolutely phenomenal. It is reminiscent of something off of "The Love Below". And only someone like Frank Ocean could call up Andre 3000 and get him to do a verse on his new record. They are both similar type of musicians, but 3000 has been more focused on acting lately. He proves on this track that he still has it. "White Ferrari" and "Siegfried" are great songs near the end of the record. "White Ferrari" is a perfect hip hop/R&B song. It sounds like if R Kelly was a legit artist. Ocean is so much better than R Kelly. "Siegfried" is a good song, with some very important lyrics. The song tells a story, and it is a very good and very important story. The closer to the whole record, "Futura Free", is my favorite song on the whole album. It is excellent. Ocean does a bit more rapping, which I really like, on this song. The beat is excellent, the groove is wonderful, Ocean is fantastic and it is a very good way to close out the album. The song is over 9 minutes long, but the last 3 minutes are people answering random questions. The 5 or 6 minutes of "Futura Free" that are an actual song is tremendous.

Look, I know we had to wait a very long time for this record. I know some people may be complaining about the "disorganization" of the record. I know some people may not get it. But, two or three years from now, everyone will look back at "Blonde" as being one of the best records of all of 2016. Compared to some of the crap that is on the radio, i.e., Meghan Trainor, Britney Spears, Flo Rida, I could go on and on and on, we should be thankful that a good, real musician is putting out very good, very real music. "Blonde" is excellent, and totally worth any music lovers time. Go buy it now.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He listens to all of his music on an old school 160 GB iPod. Hear him talk all about it on the X Millennial Man. Make sure you also follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.