Frankly Unmatched

Anya, 8th - Fremont, CA
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“Why see the world when you have the beach?” That was the lyric I had received in summer of 2023 during my speech and debate summer camp that I was not too ecstatic to attend. I was to perform a 5 minute impromptu speech about this lyric, seemingly coming from a song named “Sweet Life”.  After doing my research, I concluded this song was about how privilege and money numbs people to the real problems of the outside world. But when I began to listen to the song in a deeper sense and pay close attention to the lyrics, I realized that I could deeply relate to the song. While I may not have been someone with a housekeeper or landscaper, I've always been a privileged kid, having taken everything for granted. The connection that I felt to Ocean’s songs greatly deepened when I explored his discography. When I listened, I felt as if I had found someone who actually understood how I felt, someone who had never been present in my life before. His candid storytelling and willingness to express himself to his audience, along with his lyricism and ability to blend different styles. Ocean’s relatability and authenticity has firmly established himself as the transformative and influential figure of the decade. 


Frank Ocean, born as Christopher Edwin Breaux on October 28, 1987 in Long Beach, California, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. At the age of 5, his family relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, which had a significant impact on his musical development as a child. When Ocean enrolled in the University of New Orleans to pursue English, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 disrupted his plans and he found himself moving to Los Angleles to find a career in music. Ocean began ghostwriting songs for major artists that included Justin Bieber and John Legend, before quickly gaining attention from the music industry. In 2009, Ocean joined hip-hop group Odd Future (OFWGKTA), which consisted of breakout artists such as Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. Ocean's self-released debut mixtape "Nostalgia, Ultra" in 2011 generated critical acclaim and acknowledgement, and led to a contract with Def Jam Recordings, where his debut studio album "Channel Orange" in 2012 achieved commercial success and earned him a Grammy. His 2016 albums "Blonde" and "Endless" further solidified his reputation with their experimental sounds and personal themes. 


During the decade of 2010-2020, there have been many formidable breakout artists that have created a longlasting reputation. Many paved the way for newer artists to arrive and erect a career for themselves. In 2021, Drake, a Canadian rapper, was given the Artist of the Decade award at the Billboard Music Awards, Billboard being an American music and entertainment magazine. But are we really awarding a basic rap artist with this tremendous award? Along with Drake, artists like Travis Scott, Future, Yeat, Lil Wayne, and others, while having produced acclaimed music, do not compare to Ocean’s transformative style and innovational lyrics. In a middle school classroom, a poll was held on the artist of the decade, Drake and Taylor Swift taking up almost 85% of the votes taken. While these artists may have popularity, their music is common in the music industry. In 2019, Swift was given the Woman of the Decade award, presented by Billboard, but other than her fan base, what is so special about one female pop artist writing songs about boys when there are thousands more? Swift’s music and writing style, while quite merited, is common among artists like her, examples being Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande. Pop artists like Swift, Grande, and Rodrigo are known as major icons in the music industry, but their songs are often about the same thing and the vocals usually are common in most of their discography. 


While some have their doubts about Frank Ocean being the best musical artist of the decade, you can’t deny the facts. Callie Ahlgrim from Insider writes: “Listening to Ocean’s music feels like sitting in a planetarium. We’re seeing his memories, musings, and complex emotions reflected prismatically across a spacious, sparkling sky. No one has ever witnessed a celestial event and wished it had been more contained or self-conscious.” Frank’s raw talent and individuality makes his music feel original and fresh to the listener, and the emotion he so perfectly captures is perfectly reflective of all our own experiences.  Business Insider, multinational financial and business news website, states that, “The way Ocean earnestly grapples with themes like youth, innocence, lost love, loneliness, desire, and mortality…is why he's one of the defining artists of our time.” 


 It is clear that in Ocean’s discography how he tackles sensitive topics and is able to express emotions that many struggle to bring up. An example of this is the song “rushes” off of his visual album, Endless. These lyrics communicate that Ocean had a relationship that he would do anything to keep alive, while the other didn’t reciprocate those same feelings of wanting to stay together for the rest of their lives. At the end of the record, Ocean states, “getting used to it”, impling that the relationship has ended and he is with someone new, but he will never be able to relive the ‘rushes’ that he received when he was with this specific person. Another tough subject matter was the idea of the LGBTQ+ community, and Ocean’s view on how he fits, or rather, doesn’t fit in, which is represented in the song, “Bad Religion”. He speaks about his struggles being a homosexual religious individual who has to hide so that he isnt judged by those around him. He references cyanide, as he would die for God’s love, but the congregation and God would never love him due to his sexuality. He also mentions being in a “one man cult”, referring to the fact that he grew up loving someone that will never love him back, comparable to a cult because you spend your life trying to prove your worth and that you are deserving of their love but your worth is never really valued. 


Ocean has made a name for himself as the decade's most significant and revolutionary personality thanks to his relatability and genuineness. His lyricism and underlying storytelling is moving to all that listen, and his expressive vocals in every one of his songs range, making each one as unique as the previous. As Gator Gazette, or the student blog of Wellington Lands High School, states, “His unwavering commitment to authenticity, fearlessly candid storytelling, and willingness to challenge societal conventions have firmly established him as a transformative and influential figure in the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry.” His unique sound and innovative approach continue to inspire countless fans and fellow musicians. Because of his groundbreaking work, Frank Ocean is undeniably the best artist of the decade.