Let the Classic Debate Begin: Frank Ocean Drops “Channel Orange” Early (Album Stream)

Posted by Nathan S. on 07/14/12 | Filed under Frank Ocean

The official line might be that Def Jam decided to drop Frank Ocean's "Channel Orange" album a week early to coincide with his Jimmy Fallon performance....and that's not not true. But it'd be more accurate to say that after Frank came out Def Jam figured the buzz around him was only going to decrease in a week. Frankly it's a smart move. In an age when releasing an album can involve flipping a switch on iTunes, there's no reason to be tied to an exact release date when an opportunity presents itself.

Blah, blah, blah, in the end it doesn't really matter why "Channel Orange' is now out - the point is it's out and we can now get to listening/discussing/debating. Off the bat, I've already heard a lot of talk about this being a classic album; slow your roll people. It very well may be, but the album hasn't even been out for 24 hours. Let that shit marinate for a minute before you start throwing out words like classic.

With that said, even on one listen, it's evident that there's something special going on here. With features from Andre 3000, Earl Sweatshirt and John Mayer (John Mayer?), this isn't your usual R&B album. And with that said, I'll shut the fuck up and let everyone get to listening.

(Interesting side note: Big Boi Says Andre 3000 Prevented Him from Appearing on Frank Ocean's Album)

UPDATE: Wrote up a full album review for the mothership.

Full album stream and iTunes link are below the tracklist. Enjoy:

Frank Ocean Channel Orange