Frank Ocean Opens Up About His Career in First Interview Since 'Blonde'

Joyce
Updated
'New York Times' sits down with the enigmatic artist.

Frank Ocean personifies anonymity in that even after releasing some of the best albums of the decade, he's very careful about what he reveals about himself. Even with Blonde, a far more intimate look into Frank's life than its predecessor, there's still a lot to be learned about the enigmatic artist.

Now that Blonde is out and the Frank Ocean mania that many fans experienced has dwindled, New York Times has shared an insightful interview with Ocean. Touching on his struggle with fame, his attempts at remaining anonymous, regaining full control of his music, and more, the profile gives readers an intimate look into what's been going through Frank Ocean's mind. Beyond anything else, though, what's reiterated time and again in this interview is that music is a strong, driving force in his life.

Read some of the highlights below, and check out the interview in its entirety over at New York Times.

On anonymity and being a public figure
"Super-envious of the fact that Daft Punk can wear robot helmets and be one of the most famous bands in the world, while also understanding that will never be my situation. It’s too late. It’s hard to articulate how I think about myself as a public figure. I’ve gotten used to being Frank Ocean."

On Channel Orange
"I wrote ‘Channel Orange’ in two weeks [...] The end product wasn’t always that gritty, real-life depiction of the real struggle that happened."

On the stories behind "Self Control" and "Ivy"
["Self Control":] "That was written about someone who I was actually in a relationship with, who wasn’t an unrequited situation [...] It was mutual, it was just we couldn’t really relate. We weren’t really on the same wavelength.”

["Ivy," and how he manipulates his voice to sound younger:] "That was my version of collage or bricolage [...] How we experience memory sometimes, it’s not linear. We’re not telling the stories to ourselves, we know the story, we’re just seeing it in flashes overlaid.”

On performing at The Grammys
"I was always reluctant to do those things except in cases where they had this nostalgic significance to me. Like performing at the V.M.A.s, being tapped to perform at the Grammys — me saying yes to those things had a lot to do with how those things made me feel before I was actually in the business. And just wanting to be rubbing shoulders with those people and being seen at those places. I still was reluctant and sort of skeptical of those things because I questioned whether or not I was prepared."

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