channel ORANGE

Frustrated with Island Def Jam over their refusal to release his own solo material, Frank Ocean released his critically & commercially acclaimed debut mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA for free on his Tumblr page. After the label realized they had missed out on a major financial opportunity, they made a deal with Ocean and allowed him to record a full-length studio album, to which he was given full creative control.

Writing for channel ORANGE began in February 2011 after Ocean paired with his friend & producer Malay in preparation for recording. Unlike the material on nostalgia, ULTRA, channel ORANGE reflects Ocean’s personal experiences, as well as fusing his imagination and film references. The album also notably featured the point of view of homosexuality, and music outlets began to theorize as to why this could be. As a response, Ocean uploaded his now-famous personal statement revealing his love for a man. Once the written material was completed for the album, Ocean began to record at EastWest Studios, as well as an array of other locations scattered around the Southern Californian area and partially in Manhattan.

Compared to its predecessor, channel ORANGE had a very different sound, which incorporated older R&B styles similar to artists like Marvin Gaye and Sly and the Family Stone. Producer Malay played most of the instruments on the album (with some other artists like André 3000 & John Mayer filling in), showing another stark difference between the album and the mixtape, as the latter focused more on the use of samples. For other vocal performances and features, Ocean brought in his Odd Future associates Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler, The Creator. In July 2012, Ocean announced a tour that would support the release of the album, which ultimately sold out in just over a month.

Released one week prior than its scheduled date, channel ORANGE was met with immediate critical & commercial acclaim. Critics praised the album for its lyrical subject matter, and others praised it for its instrumentation. By the end of the year, channel ORANGE was named the best album of the year by numerous music outlets. In 2013, Ocean was nominated for four GRAMMY awards and brought one back home. Despite channel ORANGE being a relatively new release, many major music sources have listed the album as one of the greatest releases of all time, placing high on lists from Rolling Stone & NME.

In the weeks after its digital release on July 10, 2012, Island Def Jam released the CD version of channel ORANGE in stores worldwide. The CD included the hidden bonus track “Golden Girl,” featuring Tyler, The Creator, after the album’s final listed track “End.”