Venting about his decision to drop the record his own way, he took to Twitter on March 1, 2011:
"i. did. this. not ISLAND DEF JAM. that's why you see no label logo on the artwork that I DID. guess its my fault for trusting my dumbass lawyer and signing my career over to a failing company. fuck Def Jam & any company that goes the length of signing a kid with dreams & talent w/ no intention of following through. fuck em. now back to my day. i want some oatmeal and toast. brunch swag."
As a member of the Odd Future (OFWGKTA) collective, his sound is distinctively soulful/r&b influenced, yet done in a way that could pass for something totally different. As Tyler, the Creator states, “It’s Smooth Ass Music About Bitches, Relationships And Being A Rich Young Nigga…But In A Swagged Out Way.”
Ocean was evacuated from the University of New Orleans to Los Angeles, California just as Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, and stayed in Los Angeles to pursue a music career. Ocean joined Los Angeles based collective OFWGKTA, who he met through mutual friends, at the end of 2009. In the end of 2009, he met Tricky Stewart, who helped Ocean sign a contract with Def Jam Recordings as an artist, however, he was initially unable to build a relationship with the company. In 2010, he changed his name from Christopher "Lonny" Breaux to Christopher Francis Ocean via a legal website. In an April 2011 interview, Ocean intimated that his relationship with Def Jam has strengthened since the release of his mixtape. On April 28, 2011, Ocean was arrested on unspecified charges by the LAPD, and was released on the morning after on April 29, 2011. Ocean joined his OFWGKTA bandmates for the first time on tour from May 12 to May 19, 2011. On May 31, 2011, Def Jam released the single Novacane on iTunes soon followed by Swim Good Taken from his mixtape Nostalgia, ULTRA. His first 'proper' album, Channel Orange was released on July 17, 2012.
In 2016, He released the visual album Endless alongside his second studio album Blonde, following several years of delays. Blonde debuted at number one in the United States and United Kingdom.
In 2017, Ocean released several singles, including Chanel and Lens, through his Blonded Radio show, and made several appearances on other songs by artists like Calvin Harris, A$AP Mob, and Tyler, the Creator.
Real
Frank Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trynna build a vault around the both of us
When you're gone baby I ain't cool
No I ain't cool no, I can't move
And I don't know what the hell is happening to us
But I don't wanna know because it feels like something that I want
And baby I ain't never fell in love but if this is what they talk about then I don't ever wanna get out
They say it"s infatuation. I say I don't care what you name it
(Chorus)
Baby I'm loosing my air I can't breathe love. and I feel like I'm blind I can't see it love
And as sweet as it is I can't taste it, but I know its real love, real (real) love
As the sky is blue, as the moon and the air change colors
Real, I'm in love with you for real, for real
(verse 2)
No I don't care who wants to question us or break us up
Cuz i'd lose a thousand friends for what I got wit you
Right here baby I'm all good, yupp, I'm all good ah. I'm all good oh
And I don't want nothing but your heart and trust
Every little tender touch
And I know love ain't only made for us but I feel like we own it
Feel like we own it
And I already know what they say, they swear that we will never make it
But if I lost you today it'd be real just the same
(Chorus)
(Bridge)
Oh I know it all can't be just a figment of imagination. a dream that won't come true. I know it all can't be just and illusion. I know what you're doing to me
(Chorus)
In the song "Real," Frank Ocean expresses his emotions for a special someone he has fallen in love with. He reveals that he has never felt this way before, and that even when they are not together, he cannot function properly. He wants to build a relationship with this person and doesn't care what others say or think about them. He values the trust and tenderness they share, recognizing that their love may not be exclusive, but feels like it is. He believes their feelings are real and authentic, dismissing others who call it an infatuation. By the end of the song, Ocean is confident in his love, expressing that their connection is not just his imagination, nor is it an illusion.
The lyrics of "Real" demonstrate Frank Ocean's vulnerability, capturing the essence of what it feels like to be in love. The song's melody has a gentle and soothing quality, adding to the emotions conveyed in the lyrics. The lyrics reveal Ocean's hope that his relationship is not just a fleeting infatuation but is, in fact, true love. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes how deeply he feels about this person, saying that he can't breathe without them and that their love is real.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since you came into my life I been moving closer to
Since you entered my life, I've been trying to get closer to you
Trynna build a vault around the both of us
I want to build a strong bond between us that nobody can break
When you're gone baby I ain't cool
I can't handle it when you're not around because I need you
No I ain't cool no, I can't move
I can't function without you, I need you to feel complete
And I don't know what the hell is happening to us
I'm not sure what's going on between us right now
But I don't wanna know because it feels like something that I want
I don't care what's happening as long as I'm with you and it feels right
And baby I ain't never fell in love but if this is what they talk about then I don't ever wanna get out
I've never been in love, but if this is it, then I never want it to end
They say it's infatuation. I say I don't care what you name it
Others call it infatuation, but I don't care, I just know how I feel
(Chorus)
I'm losing myself in love, it's overwhelming but real
(verse 2)
Despite what others say, I'm committed to you and our love
No I don't care who wants to question us or break us up
I don't care what others say about us, I only care about our love
Cuz I'd lose a thousand friends for what I got wit you
My love for you is more important to me than any friendship or relationship
Right here baby I'm all good, yupp, I'm all good ah. I'm all good oh
Being with you is all I need, I'm good as long as I'm with you
And I don't want nothing but your heart and trust
All I need from you is your love and trust
Every little tender touch
Every small gesture of affection from you means a lot to me
And I know love ain't only made for us but I feel like we own it
I know love is not exclusive to us, but it feels like we have something special
And I already know what they say, they swear that we will never make it
I'm aware of what others say about our relationship, they don't believe in us
But if I lost you today it'd be real just the same
Even if we didn't make it, I'd still cherish our time together and love you just the same
(Chorus)
My love for you is as real as the sky, the moon, and the change in air
(Bridge)
I know that what I feel for you is not just a fantasy, it's real and I believe in it
Oh I know it all can't be just a figment of imagination. a dream that won't come true. I know it all can't be just and illusion. I know what you're doing to me
I know my feelings for you are not just my imagination, they're real and I can feel them
(Chorus)
My love for you is real, it's all-consuming and I'm truly in love with you
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@TreySongzLyricsonScreen
[Verse 1]
I’ll stack these magazines in the corner
After I’m done with them
And I still got the same hope that I started with
That you’ll be in one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left him
With nothing, with nothing
[Pre-Chorus]
How am I supposed to remember?
I got the memories
But memories fade, baby
What am I gonna show to my kids, girl?
When I’m older, and my mind is telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures
When you knew they were all that I had left - nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad, miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so
[Verse 2]
We didn’t make love
We celebrated its invention
Confetti on the mattress - I used to have those images
Tonight I came home they were just embers in the fire
Along with my hard drive, no notes, no goodbye
[Pre-Chorus]
How the hell am I supposed to remember?
Tell me now, I got the memories
But memories don’t last...
What am I gonna show to my kids, baby?
When I’m older, and my mind’s telling me to forget you
What’s gonna make me remember?
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures
When you knew they were all that I had left - nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
‘Cause I didn’t wanna miss you
[Verse 3]
No video, no polariods
No record of the love we had
My Nikon wasn’t fast enough
To catch my heart break in half
No smiles in my picture frame, no
Just got them little basic ones that the picture frames come with
Models, wedding pictures, you know
[Chorus]
That’s why I was always taking pictures, pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss a thing, miss a thing
Tell me how could you take the pictures, pictures?
When you knew they were all that I had left – nothing left
They were part of our history, this story
I was always taking pictures
'Cause I didn’t wanna miss you so bad, miss you this bad
Miss you so bad, miss you so…
@JianniCarter
I stack these magazines in the corner after I'm done with em
Then I still got the same old love that I started with
But you be in one of them
My camera shed some tears since you left em with nothing.
With nothing
How am I suppose to remember
Oooh
And all the memories.
The memories they faded
What am I gonna show to the kids girl
Oohh noo
My mind is telling me to forget you
What's gonna make me remember?
That's why I was always taking pictures.
Pictures
Cause I didn't wanna miss a thing
Miss a thing
Tell me how I could take the pictures
Pictures
When you know they were all I had left
Nothing left
They were part of our history
I was always tsking pictures
Pictures
Cause I didn't wanna miss you bad
Miss you this bad
@obrey__
I just got to experience this song for the first time... wow
@vexrich
Same
@Kiara-jm2cq
Me too
@obrey__
Kiara kind of random, but a song I really wish I could hear for the first time again is called track x by black road, new country. Suuper beautiful and haunting
@vexrich
@@obrey__ We say things like that but my favorite music sounds best when I've heard it a lot, and take a break and hear it again knowing most of the words but noticing something new in it
@obrey__
Vex Rich true.. I still feel the song, but I’m afraid of getting sick of it.. now that I think about it, this is kind of a great spot to be in. I hope I remember this when I go through a mid life crisis and romanticize youth lol
@certifiedtre_7716
So mad this song isn’t on streaming services because it’s literally one of my favorites by him 😭😭😭
@ericperalta739
agreed
@SnakeEyesBR1
why aren't you?
@certifiedtre_7716
@@lenabean0470 I’m super late seeing your reply! THANK YOU 😍😍😍