Channel Orange

    Frank Ocean is one of the most refreshing new voices in modern R/B, that being we have never really seen anyone white like him. Branching from the always obnoxious, but sometimes really good Odd Future collective, Ocean got his chance to be one of the best talents of the early 2010's,  singing the hooks on a lot of Tyler, The Creator's work. In mid 2012 he came out as bisexual and released his debut album, Channel Orange. And it is an absolute joy to listen to.
   The centrepiece is the miraculous Thinkin' Bout' You, a heartbreaking song about a lost love, and the potential of resuscitating something that ended a long time. It has potential to be the best song of the year. The calm, synth-laden pace is stunning, and Ocean proves that he is a definite new talent. The song is so lovely that it even made Beyonce, queen of this type of ballad, cry when she first heard it. I can see where she is coming from. It is just a stunning, stunning song.
   Still, despite how wonderful the other songs are, they are all dwarfed in comparison to Thinkin' Bout' You. Except for, however, Swim Good, with a truly brilliant funk beat to it, and an ode to the lovely Aloe Blacc I Need a Dollar about it (Not to be confused of the particularly tedious Eminem song of a similar name), and some of the best production I have seen from the Odd Future clique. Even Pyramids, one of the still good but not best songs on the album, has an overused but still wholly relevant synth hook that is just irresistable.
    This is one of the best albums of the year. Stunning production and the soulful voice of Ocean makes this better than most of the Ne-Yo's could ever hope to be.