I totally agree. What would be stupid is to wait to write a piece like this. A year from now we’ll have a pretty good view of how this thing is gonna hold up so writing a piece saying “Hey guys I think this will hold up” at that point would be totally redundant. This is the exact time that it’s going to be the most fun to theorize about Blonde’s potential. Great writing as always Chris.

In this analogy Nostalgia, Ultra = The Bends, Channel Orange = OK Computer, and Endless = Amnesiac.

The songs are chill but the quality is, in fact, lit.

Fuck me, I didn’t even know FJM showed up this week. Like I would be caught dead in a Dan Auerbach thread.

They had to have known that 33 logo looks like two butts touching, right?

To play off of the TPAB comparisons I’ve seen cropping up, I’ve noticed plenty of reviews that seem mildly disappointed that Frank Ocean didn’t make more of a statement album. There was an NPR back and forth on it that was like half just the reviewers being like “Why isn’t he talking about [insert hot-button “black” or “queer” issue]”? Except for dabbling in Marvin Gaye / Stevie Wonder – style social observation on “Crack Rock,” Frank Ocean has never made “conscious” music. Like God forbid there’s a queer black man who just wants to make some soul-touching songs about growing up and falling in love without being some kind of generational spokesperson. And like… if you want a queer black guy making politically outspoken art, maybe you should be stanning for Blood Orange, who is doing that exceedingly well and not getting half the press Frank gets? There was even a weird version of this with Anohni’s *intensely* political album, where critics were essentially confused that she wanted to talk about ecology and human rights and not “trans issues.” Even for artists who do want to get political, this habit of trying to make musicians into spokespeople for their identity group is limiting.

If you look at a lot of the commentary on TPAB, it seems like people were hungry to make Kendrick’s album into a statement in the same way, it’s just that his also-very-personal commentary on being a black guy in America was easier to fit into that narrative. I mean, BLM protesters adopted “Alright” into their anthem, which is a little funny, since Kendrick got pretty hostile reactions from the black activist left or whatever you want to call it because his comments on Michael Brown’s killing ostensibly ventured too far into “respectability politics.” I don’t think TPAB was intended to echo anyone’s mantra, but it was still close enough to being a Topical Statement Album that critics could treat it as such. Likewise for Beyonce – outside her video/life performance of “Formation” there’s really nothing remotely political on Lemonade, and Beyonce’s “activism,” such as its, has always been pretty tepid. But the fact that it can be connected to a kind of identity politics seems to give it an added prestige with critics.

Anyway, that’s just something that’s been bugging me about some of the discussion around Blonde. I really like the Chris Rock quote they used in the Pitchfork write-up: “How dare you just be excellent?” I feel like Frank has definitely gotten some of that – thankfully not at all in the commentary around Stereogum, but from a surprising number of reviewers.

Plot twist: Chris Brown has the brooch

Man, Smashmouth doesn’t get credited nearly enough for that quote.

I read this entire article.

Great article, and unique perspective. I enjoyed it. One thing to pay attention to, would be to avoid the practice of linking to unlicensed youtube videos. It’s just a slap in the face to the band whom you’re talking about, and in this case paying homage to. Spotify works, etc. I get that you want it simple to reach the most people, and PJ has enough success to not care, but I encourage you to think about the practice of subverting their artistic credit.

And now I have to burn my Tame Impala records. Way to blow what was left of your cool factor Kevin 😖

Beyonce doesn’t sing live. She uses prerecorded vocals. She still an amazing performer

I have a question: how do you assholes all have time to keep up with middlebrow prestige TV and music? Is it just that I spend my non-work, non-childcare/housework time working on my own music rather than watching TV?

Beyoncé sucks!!

Nevermind, just listened to a Fitz and the Tantrums song. Make that Sucidal Tendencies v Lagwagon.