Thinkin Bout You by Frank Ocean

For lack of a better cliche, Frank Ocean's creativity is off the charts. Let's revisit a few lines from his hit single, "Thinkin Bout You."

Transcript

Love Lines from ‘Thinkin Bout You’ by Frank Ocean

“He can’t even sing,” a friend responded after I raved about my new favorite album channel ORANGE and its popular lead single, “Thinkin Bout You.” The friend went on to send multiple links to YouTube videos of others covering the track. 

See, they sing his song better than him. This dude doesn’t have a good voice. Ya’ll need to stop letting mainstream media tell you what’s good.

“He’s not even mainstream!” I shot back. 

They don’t play Frank Ocean on the radio. Because an artist has some success doesn’t automatically make them mainstream. You didn’t even know who he was until I mentioned him.

I continued. 

Plus, nobody said he sings like Usher. I just said he’s dope. He makes good music… His sound is original. It’s not only being able to blow people away with your voice that makes you a good artist.

And that’s exactly what it is about Frankie. For lack of a better cliché, his creativity is off the charts. Like his Odd Future bandmate, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean’s style is his own.

My friend was unconvinced. He sent more videos of people covering “Thinkin Bout You.” He sent women sitting atop stools with guitars, performing acoustic versions. He sent guys singing soulfully in front of keyboards. They all sounded great. It’s just, none of them sounded like Frank, and that’s what made the song special enough that so many wished to reimagine it in the first place. 

The Grammy-winning artist fills his songs with metaphors. Immediate literal interpretations of events and emotions are rare. “Thinkin Bout You” is no different. The track begins with recollections of a tornado that flew around his room. It serves as an excuse for the mess apparent upon his lover’s arrival.

Clarity soon comes as Frank admits he’s been thinking about this person and wonders if they think of him. With the chorus he confesses, he’s been thinking ahead. Thinking about forever.

More metaphors, more satire precede returning to this central theme. Then, we get to a stanza where Frank gets serious, gets vulnerable, and shares the detailed contents of his heart.

Yes of course I remember, how could I forget how you feel?
You know you were my first time, a new feel
It will never get old, not in my soul, not in my spirit, keep it alive
We'll go down this road 'til it turns from color to black and white
It is both what he says and how he says it. Like love, Frank meanders. The word “feel” ends two back-to-back sentences, but he delivers each instance so distinctively that the word lands differently. There are so many ways to say, “I love you.” Why not try less utilized expressions?

I get why the eclectic singer may not resonate with everyone. His arrangements are sometimes off-kilter, and his approach is not linear. A different friend once told me he didn’t like the Blonde album because there are no drums. 

Frank Ocean’s presence is unassuming. He’s not going to weave a web of intricate runs or break a wine glass with his falsetto. Though if willing to slow down and listen, he, like love, might make us feel something we’ve never felt before.