As the sun gets higher and the nights get warmer, summertime anthems start to cycle through everyone’s playlists, and no one’s sound is more synonymous with the warmest season than Frank Ocean.
Frank Ocean is undeniably an oppressive force in poolside playlists. It’s hard to find a single person who does not include at least one Frank Ocean song in their sounds of the summer.
Some of his most celebrated tracks originate from his sophomore 2016 album, “Blonde,” with hits like “Ivy,” “Pink + White” and “Nights.” Many believe “Blonde” – a recollection of Frank’s own young adulthood, first love, flings and failed relationships – to be a perfect album.
It’s hard to refute these claims with “Blonde” having intense nuance, incredible relatability, beautiful production and angelic vocals.
“Ivy” tells the story of Frank’s first love and their relationship’s inevitable downfall due to his partner’s disregard. He sings about the brutal duality of his situation with his lover, quietly crooning, “I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me / The start of nothing.”
It’d be ridiculous to say that you can’t feel the intensity of Frank’s verses on this track as his emotion builds over time, only to crescendo into a destructive rage with him supposedly ripping the strings off his guitar. This track perfectly encapsulates the anger felt after someone you cared for deeply reveals themselves to be simply toying with you.
Despite its fiery nature, “Ivy” still feels comforting, like a bonfire on a humid night, and when sparks fly on the track, they resemble fireworks in the dim sky.
On “Pink + White,” Frank displays his boundless love and appreciation for his late friend, presumably taken from him in hurricane Katrina while they attended the University of New Orleans together.
Throughout the entire track, Frank sings about beautiful things and loving, carefree behaviors as he repeats the message, “Just the same way you showed me.”
While “Pink + White” is primarily about Frank’s gratitude for his late friend, he pulls us out of the reflection to tell us that his death marks the end of his cheerful young adulthood. In the final verse of the track, Frank sings, “It’s all downhill from here – Remember life – Remember how it was?”
“Pink + White” brings memories of past summers more than it brings images of possible future ones.
Though it feels celebratory and affectionate, there’s a poignant sadness and nostalgia for times when we were younger – times when summer break felt like a lifetime that you could spend in childlike contentment.
“Nights” splits itself and the entire record into two halves, just as Frank is split between decisions surrounding his relationship with someone he’s recovering from Katrina with.
Throughout the entire song, Frank bounces between both the current day and memory, along with fondness and distaste for his lover.
He finds himself stuck in a cycle on this track, mirroring the day and night cycles of Earth. He sings, “Every night fucks every day up – Every day patches the night up.”
Caught in the loop of love and disdain for his partner, Frank feels paralyzed, led only by his reactions to the undesirable situation he finds himself in. Despite being aware of his captivity, he overlooks his chains, singing, “New beginnings, wake up – the sun’s going down – Time to start your day.”
“Nights” seems to combine both night and day, making room for both warmth and irreverence; happiness and sadness; childhood and adulthood. It combines both the pleasure that comes with summer and the sorrow that comes with the realization it will never be the same as it once was.
It’s easy to imagine this track playing in your car on a late-night drive as you reflect on the brightness of your childhood, the warm air flowing through the low windows. Though those times may be gone, the memories still persist like stars in the sky.
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