#2 channel ORANGE by Frank Ocean
After dropping one of 2011’s most acclaimed digital releases (“Nostalgia, Ultra”) and with all of the furor surrounding his coming out (via that infamous open letter), the brilliance of Ocean’s debut was almost lost in the buzz. Keyword: “almost.” Despite the love-it-or-hate-it “Thinkin’ Bout U,” Ocean’s album is one of the more fully-assured R&B “debuts” urban music has seen in years. This is an artist that knows who he is musically, and the inspired songwriting and distinctive production pulls neo-soul pretentiousness and hip hop soul accessibility together. This is Ocean’s own sound. And with channel Orange, he crafted a nearly-perfect record.
