The buzz continues to mount around Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange which was released a week early digitally, and hits stores July 17th. Ocean discussed the decision to release the album a week early digitally with BBC Radio One, saying it was the plan all along to release it early as a pre-emptive measure to thwart the album from leaking. “It was the plan all along, I kinda wanted to mirror Watch the Throne, preventing the leak by staggering physical and digital dates”.
The singer wanted the album to make the impact, and not have a frenzy created from a leaked release, “kinda let the music just speak for itself” Ocean said, “and not be in a situation where the album leaked”.
They’ve been so careful in keeping the album from being pirated early that even Frank Ocean himself hasn’t seen a physical copy, “they never went on trucks...I haven’t even held one in my hands”.
A majority of the album was recorded in a plush California home which was rented out. Ocean found it important to expand his creativity on Channel Orange, “I wanted to do things I hadn’t done before structurally with songs...I wanted to go different places sonically”. The soulful singer added, “[I] tried to make something true to what I think the future should be music-wise”.
His performance on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was his first major live appearance, and Ocean says he only wants to perform live when he can really bring something special to the performance, and will not do a plethora of appearances if it will hinder the quality. “I want to do the best show possible when I can...if that means a lesser volume of appearances then so be it”, Ocean said.
He will be on a national tour, and then be on the festival circuit, and afterwards will be on “a studio run with Coldplay”.
You can stream Channel Orange for free now, and purchase it on iTunes. It hits retailers this Tuesday, July 17th.
