Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Didn't Go Platinum This Week Because...The Internet
Almost a month into the release of Frank Ocean's Blonde and we still don't really know how and where its A-list collaborators are at work. The only listing of the album's contributors comes in the accompanying zine Boys Don't Cry, which many waited for to no avail. Even the Discogs page is of no use here. Not that it takes away from the experience; familiar voices like Beyonce or Kendrick Lamar, fading in and out of a cut, even just for a second, singing background or dropping an ad-lib.
Some of those voices, however, are about to become a little clearer, as ASCAP has listed the songwriting credits for 12 of Blonde's 17 tracks, featuring some of the usual suspects (Om'mas Keith, Pharrell and Tyler The Creator) as well K Dot, Bey, James Blake, Rostam Batmanglij, and Jamie xx, interpolating bits of The Beatles "Here There And Everywhere" and songs by Elliott Smith and Gang Of Four.
Seeing as Frank's once again off the grid, and seems to have published his zine as a means of escaping any public appearances forevermore, this could be the only clarification we get until he pops back out of his garage. Read what credits have been made available down below and hold tight for what we hope is the whole, precise reveal in the near future. If you've yet to hear Frank Ocean's new album out of fear of picking sides in the streaming wars, fear not. Blonde is now officially available on both iTunes and Spotify.
1. "Nikes"
Frank Ocean
Om'Mas Keith
Carl Palmer
Harry Palmer
Jeff Palmer
"Nikes" contains a sample of the 1968 track "The Champ," which was written by the Palmers as The Palmer Brothers.
2. "Ivy"
Frank Ocean
Rostam Batmanglij
Om’Mas Keith
Jamie xx
3. "Pink + White"
Frank Ocean
Om’Mas Keith
Tyler, the Creator
Pharrell Williams
Ocean and Tyler, the Creator previously collaborated on "She," which appeared on Tyler's 2011 album Goblin.
4. "Be Yourself"
Frank Ocean
Om’Mas Keith
5. "Solo"
Frank Ocean
Mikey Alfred
Dave Allen
Hugo Burnham
Sage Elsesser
Om’Mas Keith
Jon King
88-Keys
Todd Rundgren
Rho Spearman
"Solo" samples "Flamingo" by Todd Rundgren. Allen, Burnham, and King used to be in Gang of Four, but if a song was sampled, it has not been posted yet.
6. "Skyline To"
Frank Ocean
Om’Mas Keith
Kendrick Lamar
Tyler, the Creator
7. "Self Control"
(No listed songwriters)
8. "Good Guy"
(No listed songwriters)
9. "Nights"
Frank Ocean
Om’Mas Keith
Buddy Ross
Michael Uzowuru
Vegyn
10. "Solo" (Reprise)
Andre 3000
11. Pretty Sweet
Frank Ocean
Om’Mas Keith
12. "Facebook Story"
(No listed songwriters, though according to Pitchfork, SebastiAn contributed vocals and Buddy Ross handled keyboards).
13. "Close To You"
(No listed songwriters)
14. “White Ferrari”
Frank Ocean
James Blake
Om’Mas Keith
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
The Beatles's "Here, There And Everywhere" is sampled in this track.
15. “Seigfried”
Frank Ocean
George Harrison
Om’Mas Keith
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Elliott Smith
Ringo Starr
Aspects of "Flying" by The Beatles and Elliott Smith's "A Fond Farewell" appear here.
16. “Godspeed”
Frank Ocean
Kim Burrell
Om'Mas Keith
Elliott Smith
17. “Futura Free”
Frank Ocean
Mikey Alfred
Dave Allen
Hugo Burnham
Sage Elsesser
Andy Gill
Om’Mas Keith
Jon King
Gang of Four’s “Love Like Anthrax” is sampled in "Futura Free."
