Frank Ocean: ‘Nostalgia, Ultra.’ Review
8.0
GENRE: R&B/Pop
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2011The first track on Nostalgia, Ultra, Frank Ocean’s debut mixtape, is simply the sound of a cassette tape being inserted into a radio. His first words come only in the second song, “Strawberry Swing,” which samples Coldplay’s 2008 single of the same name. While the major guitar chords of the original song conjure up a familiar ambiance in your mind, Ocean warbles, “When we were kids/Every moment was so precious.” Automatically, the song evokes memories from your high school years and your first job, and that’s pretty much the template Ocean uses on Nostalgia, Ultra. He stitches the record with original productions, interludes, and samples to tell a typical story: a boyhood spent thinking about the future, adulthood spent reminiscing the past. Boworring instrumentals from rock and indie bands, he infuses his personal experiences and his perspective on faith and social matters into the revoiced songs, making them his own.
The artwork, which shows a bright orange 1988 BMW that Ocean described as his “dream car,” pretty much sets the tone: Nostalgia, Ultra is more than about vague nostalgia—it’s dreamy. He was 23 when he released the mixtape for free on his Tumblr, an act of defiance against his label Def Jam after they ignored Ocean and kept toying him about officially releasing the mixtape. His songwriting at that time reflects a brave, dreamer young man burying his head in hedonism to suppress the loss of his innocence.
If on “Strawberry Swing,” he dreams about the past, on the next song, “Novacane,” he’s awake and realizing sex and drugs do mix. “Novacane” sees Ocean emotionally numb, dazed by the presence and then by the absence of a dental student slash porn actress he met at Coachella. Over the laidback and atmospheric production, he talks about viagra and having sex under the influence. The track is the first in the record to showcase his manhood and cultural literacy: on it, he references Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick’s last movie, released in 1999. He talks about the movie again on later track “Lovecrimes,” in which he even includes Nicole Kidman’s monologue from the film.
The mixtape is populated by the duality of being unable to forgo your youth and being more mature than most people your age. While four interludes named after video games tie the album together and link it to Ocean’s juvenility, the reconstruction of rock classics and use of indie and electronic samples showcase how Ocean’s musical lexicon was extensive, mature, and eclectic: On “Bitches Talkin’ (Metal Gear),” he uses a snippet of Radiohead’s “Optimistic” to crack a subtle joke about his non-commercial music taste. On “American Wedding,” he samples the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” a song released 21 years before he was born. The band threatened to sue him for using the sample, and Ocean was prohibited from singing the song live. The legal complications around the samples might be responsible for the project’s complete absence on streaming platforms (only two singles, “Novacane” and “Swim Good,” were officially released and remain available for stream).
As the record progresses, the subject matter becomes more serious and less cohesive. On “Songs for Women,” Ocean describes the beginning of stardom, narrating his journey to learn the balance between fame and his creative process and to let go of personal relationships for his career. On the new wave, electronic-tinged “There Will Be Tears,” Ocean incorporates a sample of Mr. Hudson’s song of the same name, giving the beat his own spin midway into the track. Though the melody is slightly happier than the previous songs, the track sees Ocean tackling his grandfather’s death. On “Swim Good,” the singer reflects upon his existence and contemplates aiming at bigger things. With “Dust,” a proper mellow R&B song that could fit into any Usher record, he reminisces about his time penning songs for other artists. On the last track, “Nature Feels,” Ocean incorporates background vocals by Brandy into the instrumentals of MGMT’s “Electric Feel” to sing about sex outdoors amidst lush greenery.
It’s a bit impressive to see that, at 23, Ocean’s musical references were that of a man twice his age. His deep knowledge of music from the past placed him alongside Lana Del Rey as an artist responsible for igniting vintage aesthetics all over Tumblr in the 2010s. Yes, it is awfully easy to look back at Ocean’s career and pinpoint all his right choices; after all, even his long hiatuses proved to be beneficial to his image as this generation’s recluse and much-needed spokesperson. But even in a world where Channel Orange and Blonde were never released, Nostalgia, Ultra would stand on its own as a carefully crafted debut project, a mixtape consciously plotted to render both Ocean’s abilities as a songwriter and producer and his love for music from any genre. In hindsight, the mixtape shook the parameters of R&B music and gave Ocean room to create his subsequent, much-adored records.
Listen to Nostalgia, Ultra:
Ocean’s atmospheric debut studio album is eclectic and diverse, and everyone can find a song on it to identify themselves with.