My top 20 favorite Frank Ocean songs pt. 2

this top 10 took me a very long time to make, and I still don’t feel like it perfectly reflects my feelings, but for now, I think it’s good enough...

Introduction pt.2

As I’ve hinted at in part one, you will find that songs from the album Blonde dominate this list. I don’t see a problem with this, if you’re a fan of the album you probably understand why that is. It’s tempting to just put the whole album on the list, to be honest. That being said, this top 10 took me a very long time to make, and I still don’t feel like it perfectly reflects my feelings, but for now, I think it’s good enough. I’d be curious to see what you guys think of my rankings! What songs got snubbed? What songs got overrated? Feel free to comment on this post to let me know!

10. Godspeed

“Godspeed” was the biggest underdog in my rankings. This might sound crazy. If you’re a Frank Ocean fan you know this is an amazing song. Upon my first initial listens in preparation for this post, I underrated “Godspeed” because it’s a shorter track, and much like “Solo” is relatively unassuming. I’m glad I didn’t leave it at that. It is exactly that unassuming and minimalistic nature that makes “Godspeed” such a great song. The way Frank lets the song breathe and build up until that gorgeous line “I will always love you/ how I do” is unlike anything else. It always gives me goosebumps. The tone shifts, the stunning organ and that beautiful performance from gospel singer Kim Burrell all come together to make a perfect song. This is the kind of song that I think showcases Frank Ocean at his very best.

9. Rushes/Rushes To

One of my favorite things about Frank Ocean’s Endless is how alive it feels. “Rushes” expands that feeling through its stream of consciousness and improvised feel. It also captures some of Ocean’s most beautiful vocal performances. I include both Rushes and the companion interlude track “Rushes To” because I think they’re most potent as a duo. This song feels like a living creature. It showcases Ocean’s incredible ability to stimulate an emotional build. It features all of the things I love about Frank Ocean’s best songs; his stream-of-consciousness lyrics, his minimalistic vocal contributions, his passionate performances and his brilliant song deconstruction. Much like the mood switches on “Godspeed” the transition into “Rushes To” feels both unexpected and intentional. I feel like I’m transcending into a different plane every time it gets to the part where he says, “Twin peaking, highs and lows, we shaded off and on/ Bygones but we're still here, ride around in my two wheels/ I love the way you make me feel”.

8. Thinkin Bout You

I had a long and heated debate with myself about whether or not “Thinkin Bout You” needed to be on the list of my favorite Frank Ocean songs. The reason being, that this might still be his most popular song ever and I didn’t want y’all thinking I was some sort of shallow fan by including it. Furthermore, there are so many great songs that didn’t quite make the list, it made me feel bad for including the popular one over several underrated gems. And then I listened to the song again. Immediately I understood why this song needed to be in the top 20. Furthermore, I understood that this song deserves a place among the top 10, the very best, of Frank Ocean’s songs. “Thinkin Bout You” is a perfect song. The second I hear that unforgettable line, “A tornado flew around my room before you came” I know that I’m being pulled into another world. If the experience of listening to the album channel Orange can be likened to hypnosis, “Thinkin Bout You” is the induction procedure. This song is insanely smooth and warm. That first transcendent moment when Frank swings into a passionate falsetto for the chorus, “And do you not think so far ahead?” is incomparable to anything else. There’s a reason this is the song that most people know Frank for, and it’s not because it’s too basic.

7. Pink + White

I like to think of this song as a spiritual sibling of “Pink Matter” from channel ORANGE if only because of the title. I do believe, though, that these songs both accomplish a similar thing. In fact, of the Blonde songs on this list “Pink + White” feels more indebted to the vibes Frank brought on ORANGE. Fewer songs can make you feel like you are floating among the clouds more than this song. I feel like it deserves high recognition within Frank’s catalog beyond just being a great song because of the absolutely gorgeous hidden Beyoncé feature. That’s right, Beyoncé is on this song, and Frank doesn’t even immediately credit her. I only found out because I saw a YouTube video that talked about it. Her inclusion in this song is incredible and is one of my favorite things in Frank Ocean’s entire discography.

6. Higgs

Next is the last non-Blonde song on my list. Endless is admittedly an album I don’t spend as much time with as I’d like. Perhaps that’s because it’s nowhere to be found on Spotify, and the only way I’ve ever been able to listen to it is on YouTube. As frustrating as that is, it’s also something I can appreciate. Because it’s not something I can just “throw on” Endless is an album I listen to with greater intent than a lot of the other music I listen to. I mention my lack of experience with Endless because I believe it only increased the difficulty I had deciding which song on the album is my favorite. After a lot of close listening, deep thinking and an experience with a beautiful sunset, I’ve decided that the mysteriously named “Higgs” is that song. There’s not much I can say about it beyond the fact that it’s raw, it’s vulnerable and it’s powerful. If you’re curious about the potential an acoustic Frank Ocean song has, listen to “Higgs”.

5. White Ferrari

This has always been one of my favorite Frank Ocean songs, even before I knew where I’d place it on the list, I knew it was a top 10 song. I love the opening of the song, “Bad luck to talk on these rides”. It calls to mind that very specific connection you can have with someone, where you don’t need to speak for them to understand, or, even more complicated, that feeling of total disconnection, of wanting to speak but not having the words. Eventually, you’re driving away, and those words come to you, perhaps too late, “I care for you still and I will forever.” Like many of Frank’s songs, “White Ferrari” is separated by various moods, each of which are emotionally potent in their own ways and each characterized by Frank’s powerful performance. It begins with a medium to low-key delivery, expands to a desperate cry and shifts into a somber shadow. When recording Blonde Frank had made around 50 versions of this song, and his younger brother, Ryan Breaux, was the one who chose this version for the album. I’d be curious to hear what the other versions sound like, but ultimately I’m glad this is the one that was chosen. Ryan unfortunately passed away in 2020 in a car crash, so Rest in Peace to him. His influence on Frank’s music is truly felt.

4. Ivy

Initially, I had “Ivy” in my number two spot. Don’t get me wrong, just because it dropped a couple of spots doesn’t mean it no longer holds a special place in my life. As I get closer to the top of this list I find that the songs only become more and more difficult for me to talk about. My relationship with these songs has never truly been in lyrical themes, the compositional theory, the aesthetics or anything like that. It has always been the raw, pure and unfiltered power of Frank’s performance on these songs. The refrain, “ I thought that I was dreamin’ when you said you loved me” will always bring a very special feeling into my heart. It calls to mind feelings of forgotten crushes, lost youth and innocence. "I ain’t a kid no more/ We’ll never be those kids again.”

3. Nights

“Nights” has a legendary status among Frank Ocean fans. Most notably the famous beat switch in the middle signifies more than just the middle of the song, but the middle of the entire album. From then on, the tone of Blonde reflects the change in tone the second half of “Nights” denotes. My love for this song is amplified by all that, but it doesn’t lie entirely therein. “Nights” shows Frank at his most diverse. We get so many different types of deliveries from him, and so many interesting storytelling moments as well. This song often finds itself at the top of people’s Frank Ocean lists, and I totally understand why. “Nights” is a dense, rich, thoughtful, beautiful and powerful musical experience. It rewards relistens and shows Frank has truly reached a new level. “Nights” is one of those songs that makes me feel like there’s no chance Frank will ever reach these highs again. And with the lack of output we’ve seen from him after Blonde I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I’d love a new album from Frank as much as anybody else. However, the beauty and artistry he has already given the world is priceless and is more than enough.

2. Nikes

If you read part one of this Top 20 list you might remember me calling “Thinkin Bout You” an induction into the hypnosis that is channel ORANGE. As great as that song is, and as much as I still stand by that description, it is nothing compared to what “Nikes” does to me. I don’t think my words will do this song very much justice, but if you haven’t heard this song before I think you should know a few things. It features Frank at his most stream-of-consciousness, his most song-deconstructive and his most ethereal. The song begins with Frank singing with his voice pitched up, chipmunk style. This was a little bit of a turn-off for me the first time I heard it, but it quickly grew on me. Trust me, the chipmunk vocal is an essential part of this song. When it comes to Frank Ocean songs and albums, I’m not sure where to tell someone to start. I might point to his more catchy Pop/R&B beginnings or I might just tell you to listen to Blonde from front to back. If you’re ready to be transported into another world, I suggest you choose the latter. I envy the privilege you have to listen to “Nikes” for the first time.

1. Self Control

The brilliance of Frank Ocean, the unquestionable artistry, is never more clear in any song of his than in “Self Control”. As the years go on, my placements of these songs may change, but one thing is for certain, “Self Control” will always be my favorite Frank Ocean song. I knew right from the beginning of my working on this list what would be in my number one spot. Everything I’ve said about Frank’s artistry; his experimentation, passion, vulnerability, rawness and purity; is all on display in “Self Control.” From the Alex G guitar performance to the reintroduction of the pitched-up vocals, this song is a perfect love song. It’s a perfect song. It’s perfect art. It’s Frank at his very best. Of his songs, it’s certainly the song I’ve cried to the most, and it still has that ability right now. Everything that I find admirable in his best music is here. I know when I began this Top 20 I said that I felt like I’d aged out of the need for Frank Ocean’s music, and I still feel that’s true to an extent, but I will always cherish the way this record made me feel when I first “discovered” it. I will always remember the feeling I got the first time I heard this song. Because every time I return to it that feeling is still there.

Conclusion:

So there it is! My Top 20 favorite Frank Ocean songs. As I’ve said before, it’s quite possible that my opinion on some of these songs might change as I get older, but for now, I feel really good about my placements here. If you had any beef with my picks, (leaving out Solo (Reprise) and Super Rich Kids for example), I’d love to hear them! In the meantime, I have more posts in the works right now! Keep sending me suggestions for things you’d like to see me talk about in the future!

For want of “a place for me”,

Lewis