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Celeb News: USA Today's Album Of The Year: Frank Ocean's Channel Orange
Member Since: 6/8/2008
Posts: 24,791
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USA Today's Album Of The Year: Frank Ocean's Channel Orange
A steady drumbeat of praise greeted the arrival of Frank Ocean's debut album, Channel Orange. He's up for six Grammy Awards, including best new artist, album and record. Orange won a Soul Train Music Award for album of the year in November and has piled up mentions on numerous best-of-2012 lists.
And now it's USA TODAY's album of the year.
The R&B singer stirred debate just before he released the album in July, by acknowledging via Tumblr that his first love was a man. It was a courageous (and, he has said, liberating) move, considering the genre's perceived homophobia. Yet it was the music itself that would hold everyone's interest, pointing R&B in different direction, away from the conventional club hookups and late-night booty calls.
Ocean certainly has a penchant for radio-friendly lyrics, having written for Beyoncé, Brandy and Justin Bieber. His own music is more nuanced, empathetic and emotionally resonant. Fusing neo-soul, hip-hop, electro-pop, jazz-funk and psychedelic, he shifts moods and tempo and speaks in metaphors in songs about love, disillusionment, decadence, social status, drugs and betrayal.
Breaking the mold hasn't stopped him from doing fine commercially: Channel Orange ranked No. 2 in its first week on Billboard's album chart. With 405,000 copies sold to date, it compares favorably to releases this year by more established R&B stars such as Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Ne-Yo.
Ocean is part of a new breed of artist, such as fellow Grammy nominee Miguel and Toronto's The Weeknd, who are fearlessly blazing their own paths.
His low-key but intense performances on tour this summer enhanced the positive perception of him. He practically stole the show at MTV's Video Music Awards in September, offering a serene performance of Thinkin Bout You before a simulated campfire that stood out amid the program's usual bombast. For many, that was their true introduction to Ocean's artistry.
Although Channel Orange is Ocean's major-label debut, the album's widespread acclaim comes not so much as a surprise as a fulfillment of promise. The New Orleans musician born Christopher Breaux got critics talking with his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, and his vocals on No Church In the Wild (from Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne) made him someone who would bear watching.
Now everyone will be watching to see what he'll do next.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/m...range/1783637/
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Member Since: 5/1/2011
Posts: 9,640
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"With 405,000 copies sold to date, it compares favorably to releases this year by more established R&B stars such as Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Ne-Yo."
Exactly, the nerve of some to say he's flopping, and wait when the Grammys gives it a boost 
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Member Since: 11/24/2006
Posts: 24,963
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Quote:
Originally posted by EOMM92
"With 405,000 copies sold to date, it compares favorably to releases this year by more established R&B stars such as Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Ne-Yo."
Exactly, the nerve of some to say he's flopping, and wait when the Grammys gives it a boost |
Doubt this will happen, but good luck.
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Member Since: 7/9/2010
Posts: 28,061
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Quote:
Originally posted by MrDeeds
Doubt this will happen, but good luck.
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 drag
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Member Since: 12/31/2010
Posts: 26,257
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The Grammys will push it if/when he wins some.
No surprise that Hurricane Orange is taking the top-ten lists by storm. 
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Member Since: 6/8/2008
Posts: 24,791
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Quote:
Originally posted by EOMM92
"With 405,000 copies sold to date, it compares favorably to releases this year by more established R&B stars such as Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Ne-Yo."
Exactly, the nerve of some to say he's flopping, and wait when the Grammys gives it a boost |
Quote:
Originally posted by MrDeeds
Doubt this will happen, but good luck.
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He gets a boost from every appearance he does though.
So, he wins an award and performs, his album will get a decent sized boost.
Quote:
Originally posted by JonnyϟLightning
drag |
That was a drag? 
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Member Since: 12/3/2011
Posts: 11,947
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Quote:
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The R&B singer stirred debate just before he released the album in July, by acknowledging via Tumblr that his first love was a man. It was a courageous (and, he has said, liberating) move, considering the genre's perceived homophobia.
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 @ this still being the first thing mentioned about him in each article.
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Member Since: 7/9/2010
Posts: 28,061
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Yeah I hope the Grammys will push him to platinum
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Member Since: 5/15/2012
Posts: 1,202
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Quote:
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Although Channel Orange is Ocean's major-label debut, the album's widespread acclaim comes not so much as a surprise as a fulfillment of promise. The New Orleans musician born Christopher Breaux got critics talking with his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, and his vocals on No Church In the Wild (from Jay-Z and Kanye West's Watch the Throne) made him someone who would bear watching.
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Oop @ them clocking the tea.
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Member Since: 5/1/2011
Posts: 9,640
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Quote:
Originally posted by JonnyϟLightning
Yeah I hope the Grammys will push him to platinum
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At least he has Gold on lock, most of the pop gurls are struggling to get that.. so 
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Member Since: 6/8/2008
Posts: 24,791
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Quote:
Originally posted by EOMM92
At least he has Gold on lock, most of the pop gurls are struggling to get that.. so |
The Frank haters really are something. The other day they said that nobody wants interview Frank and that the label is NOT wanting to promote him at all, so with that (flawed) logic I really don't understand what they are wanting him to do in sales. He is selling on the same level as the other R&B male singers and those are singers who A) have a following B) have songs that are Top 20 hits and C) have done more three TV appearances to support their music. The Frank haters make no sense at all.
Keep in mind, he is only second to Usher for R&B albums of the year.
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Member Since: 7/9/2010
Posts: 28,061
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Quote:
Originally posted by EOMM92
At least he has Gold on lock, most of the pop gurls are struggling to get that.. so |
WaiT he hasn't gotten to gold yet?! 
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Member Since: 6/8/2008
Posts: 24,791
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Quote:
Originally posted by JonnyϟLightning
WaiT he hasn't gotten to gold yet?! |
I mean sis:
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With 405,000 copies sold to date, it compares favorably to releases this year by more established R&B stars such as Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Ne-Yo.
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Member Since: 7/9/2010
Posts: 28,061
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Quote:
Originally posted by Stepfon
I mean sis:
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That's very low and those artists are not premier artists. It's like saying "Frank is doing good compared to Soulja Boy.".......
Still, although sales are so low, it's a nice album.
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Member Since: 6/8/2008
Posts: 24,791
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Quote:
Originally posted by JonnyϟLightning
That's very low and those artists are not premier artists. It's like saying "Frank is doing good compared to Soulja Boy.".......
Still, although sales are so low, it's a nice album.
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But, those are artists who have decent sized followings, are getting played on pop radio, and have been doing promo on every award show and talk show that you can name. Frank does have a following but he isn't getting played on pop radio (Def Jam is just now sending Thinkin Bout You for pop adds next month ) and he has only done three appearances. This era has been very messy but his sales are fine, for now, and he is gaining with holiday sales.
You said it was a nice album. Lord, is this Jonny posting?
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Member Since: 5/15/2012
Posts: 1,202
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Quote:
Originally posted by JonnyϟLightning
That's very low and those artists are not premier artists. It's like saying "Frank is doing good compared to Soulja Boy.".......
Still, although sales are so low, it's a nice album.
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Gerl.
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Member Since: 1/8/2011
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Member Since: 3/25/2012
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Member Since: 9/22/2010
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This album does absolutely nothing for me, but congrats for the acclaim. 
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Member Since: 1/10/2011
Posts: 3,484
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The album won't go platinum because of the grammys.
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