Frank Ocean’s Ripple Effect

We all have our comfort artists who we would do absolutely anything to help. Frank Ocean, a popular Neo Soul artist, has become mine over the years. The most captivating thing about his music is not just his calming voice but also his relatable lyrics. 

After discovering his music on Apple Music, I decided to search for his unreleased tracks. While doing my deep diving, I came across devastating information. In 2020, his younger brother, Ryan Breaux, was in a fatal car accident, ending his life at 18-years-old.

Ever since then, Frank has been taking a break from performing. At Coachella 2023, Frank Ocean was a headliner for the popular music festival. Since he had not performed in the past six years, the Frank fans flocked to the festival spending enormous amounts of money to see him sing live. Coachella was a very sentimental place for Frank because he and his brother would go to it every year. 

While going through multiple hard times with no one to lean on but myself, I resorted to music. After listening to my very first Frank Ocean song in 2021, I knew immediately that he would have a hold on me for the rest of my life. I always strongly connected to the lyrics in each of his songs. Many others also feel the same way about his music. 

Lauren Kern, a freshman, disclosed, “His lyrics have a lot to do with my teenage years. Specifically with the release of “Blonde,” I found a lot of parallels within my own life, and I heavily identified with his music.”

Coachella goers were upset that his time on stage was cut short but also because he didn’t perform to his full potential. After the rough couple of years he has had, many were surprised at the amount of hate he has been getting for the first performance. Frank was also supposed to perform for the second weekend at Coachella but has decided to drop out of headlining due to the recent reactions of the public. 

From a fan’s perspective, the hate was too harsh for Frank to put up with, especially after opening up to the crowd about the meaning behind his struggles putting on a show. If I could get everyone to listen to Frank Ocean, I would. Put in your AirPods or throw on a pair of headphones and experience the soul-lifting songs created by Frank Ocean.