"When we break up, don't be with another girl

What The Ending of “Futura Free” Means..

Frank Ocean said that there’s no fantasy on Blonde, only reality and that’s what the album revolves around. Frank facing the reality of heartbreak and remembering his past lovers. It’s a love letter to his 29 years on Earth. 

Throughout Blonde, Frank takes the listener on a journey through his life, chapter by chapter, not chronologically but abstractly.  He explains how the women he loved only wanted materialistic possessions on “Nikes”

“These bitches want Nikes, they lookin’ for a cheque – These bitches want Nikes, but the real ones” 

He sings about falling in love for the first time when he was 19 on “Ivy” and remembers the destruction of Hurricane Katrina on “Pink + White”. 

The album is written in a way that explores Franks life yet allows him to be creative and build atmospheres which is why it’s so minimalistic. It’s just Frank and his reality. It’s not fantasy like Channel Orange. 

Frank romanticizes about his ex lover on “Self Control” and pleads for them to spend a night with him for old times sake. Blonde is raw, honest and brave. It’s Frank at his most vulnerable and he’s not afraid to expose his feelings for someone who’s not his anymore. 

“Keep a place for me, for me I’ll sleep between y'all, it’s no thing” 

Frank recalls a date night he was on in New York City in possibly the most important track of the album, “Good Guy”. He comes to a realization that the man he’s on a date with isn’t interested in anything other than a good time whereas Frank wanted something special. It explores the constant variable of Frank constantly finding himself lost in the game of love. 

“Nights” takes us back to Franks younger days where he’s working late night shifts and having to deal with his worried girlfriend all in the midst of Hurricane Katrina destroying his home. 

We go to “Close to You” where Frank is in the shower wondering where his destructive relationship with this person is and where it’s going. He’s coming to terms that the relationship is at it’s end and the only way he can remember his lover is through memories of them.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t devastated But you could’ve held my hands through this, baby”

—-

“Just like mine, versions of these belong to you After a while They’re keeping me close to you”

“Godspeed” is Frank accepting that his lover and him were never meant to be and he wishes them the absolute best in their journey through life and lets them know he’ll be there for them if they ever need him.

Then “Futura Free” arrives, where he goes through the themes of the entire album in one song. Working minimum wage jobs, getting into the industry, controversies, remembering his friends. He’s looking back at his life and recalling all the moments.

and then, a sudden stop –

The Interview 

An interview starts with the theme of the album playing, Franks brother and friends are present. The interview is Frank going back in time and remembering for the last time in the album, his life before the fame, a time where could hang out in the streets with his family and friends and not have to worry about anything else. The interview represents a time of innocence and care freeness. “Futura Free” is the pinnacle and present of Franks life and represents how far he has come. 

The album ends off with the question:

“How far is a light year?”

IVY

Ivy is Blonde’s most nostalgic sounding track. The instrumentals alone set a mood of reminiscing and reflection. Frank’s passion-filled voice further fuels the mood, and really places you in the center of his emotional state. This track is set in the part of Frank’s life as a young 19 year old, where his innocent and chill summers were coming to a conclusion. It explores his falling in love with a man, of which was unrequited for a time until it was finally reciprocated, much to Frank’s disbelief. This track was created based off his rather tragic love story, of which is told in an open letter he had written in 2012.

“I thought that I was dreaming,

When you said you loved me.

It started from nothing

I had no chance to prepare,

I couldn’t see you coming”

(chorus)

- For years, Frank thought that the man he fell for would never love him back (Open Letter - “He wouldn’t tell me the truth about his feelings for another 3 years.”). They spent almost all their summer days together when they had met, which is why the summer vibes are so strong in this track.

- After waiting endlessly, the one he loved finally loved him back. It was so unbelievable to him, that he was very taken aback and did not know how to react emotionally; he did not see it coming. The relationship “started from nothing”, and was fresh and completely new for him.

“I could hate you now

It’s quite alright to hate me now

When we both know that deep down

The feeling still deep down is good”

- Ivy is a story that Frank is telling of his past. Frank acknowledges their mutual feelings of negativity when he says “I could hate you now, it’s quite alright to hate me now”, but still remembers fondly that the love they had shared was still worth the while, even now; “the feeling still deep down is good” .

“If I could see through walls

I could see you’re faking

If you could see my thoughts

You would see our faces”

- The walls refer to emotional walls, or barriers that people put up in order to avoid getting hurt. Frank is talking about how if the man he loved put his guard down and became true to himself, that he’d finally see his true intentions and feelings.

- His “thoughts” and “faces” in his head are looping back to the fantasies that he’s had about his ex-lover.

“Safe in my rental like an armored truck back then

We didn’t give a fuck back then

I ain’t a kid no more

We’ll never be those kids again”

- “armored truck” refers to his feelings and such still being safe from the hurt that was ultimately coming. They used to be carefree and young, and living in the moment. Frank acknowledges that they have both matured and grown apart, and will never be the same way they once were together.

“We’d drive to Syd’s, had the X6 back then

Back then

No matter what I did

My waves wouldn’t dip back then

Everything sucked back then

We were friends”

- Syd is an old friend of Frank’s, and the lead singer of The Internet. The X6 is in reference to Frank’s BMW, which is one of many times that Frank uses his cars to tell an emotional story.

- Things were simple, and problems weren’t as heavy as they are now.

-   The chorus repeats, which further emphasizes the emotions Frank had felt at the time of his childish summer romance. -

“In the halls of your hotel

Arm around my shoulder so I could tell

How much I meant to you… meant it sincere back then

We had time to kill back then”

- Frank reminisces more on their old times together, with a rather fond but also sad tone. He remembers the feelings they had felt at the time, which really makes the track true to its nostalgic elements.

“You ain’t a kid no more

We’ll never be those kids again

It’s not the same, ivory’s illegal

Don’t you remember?”

- “You ain’t a kid no more, we’ll never be those kids again” this is the second time that this line has been sung, which is essentially Frank snapping back into reality and understanding that the way things are now are nothing like they used to be.

- “It’s not the same, ivory’s illegal, don’t you remember?” Ivory is in reference to cocaine. More reminiscing.

“I broke your heart last week

You’ll probably feel better by the weekend

Still remember, had you going crazy

Screaming my name

The feeling deep down is good”

- It is revealed to us here that Frank’s ex-lover was mostly superficial in emotion; he was able to get over the heartbreak quickly.

- The sexual aspects of their relationship was clearly intense; “had you going crazy, screaming my name the feeling deep down is good” .

- chorus again, but this time Frank sings it with more emphasis and is really trying to put forth his emotions in this one. -

“All the things I didn’t mean to say

I didn’t mean to do

There were things you didn’t need to say

Did you mean to? Me too

I’ve been dreaming of you

Dreaming of you

I’ve been dreaming of you”

(outro)

- Frank is feeling immense regret and heavy emotions about his ex-lover and their previous relationship.

- Frank sings the last 3 lines with a quickly intensifying grainy overlay, which makes it sound like he’s screaming about dreaming of his ex-lover.

Use both headphones

left: the weeknd

Chanel - Frank Ocean

from another room remix

Okkk so like the other day when i was home from school i just randomly started writing, and then i recorded what i wrote and this is the result i guess? (the whole lead voice thing was done in one take btw, that’s why it’s not that good. like just notice how i switch between british and american it’s pretty fucked up) lol and also i don’t really play the piano so like it’s hella simple

I was’t planning on posting this, bc it’s kinda personal, but it’s obv it’s not done yet considering i’ve only spent like two hours on it lol, so i was hoping that you guys could give it a listen, and tell me what i could do better??? it would reeeeaaaally help me out tbh. don’t be mean tho pls

Things My Exes Said // #13 Submitted by Anonymous