As an avid alternative Hip-Hop listener, the discovery of Nostalgia, Ultra by Frank Ocean caught my attention, especially because it was unreleased to the public years ago.

 When many Frank Fans are asked their favorite Album, very few will say the single album that drew attention to Frank in the first place, Nostalgia, Ultra. Ocean successfully composed an album fit enough for any occasion—crying over a breakup to dancing and singing out loud with friends. 

At this point in Frank's life, he was a young man, struggling to put himself on the L.A. music scene while working at places like Subway and AT&T. He joined Odd Future, a rap collective gaining popularity with names like Tyler, the Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt boosting popularity to the masses, ultimately drawing attention to Frank as an artist and his new debut album. Frank’s background as an angsty teen in Los Angeles supports the relativity of this album further to the demographic.

Nostalgia, Ultra samples songs even my mom would listen to. The Eagles, MGMT, and Coldplay are some of the more recognizable samples—but this would lead to the demise of the album. Kanye West once said, “Let’s be less concerned with ownership of ideas. It is important that ideas see the light of day even if you don’t get the credit for them. Let’s be less concerned with credit awards and external validation,”, this couldn’t be more valid in the case of this album. The use of the samples furthers the ideas of personal reflection, personal relationships, and social critique.

The first song of the album is titled, “Strawberry Swing”. This song’s lyrics and rhythm take you to a dream, mystical landscape. In this song he samples a Coldplay song, making it seem even more nostalgic. He blends genres like an artist and you can clearly see this here. Just as you get comfortable, he switches up on you and starts with an entirely different theme with adult real-life problems, making the sound less mystical, but rather a more realistic and earthly vibe with “Novocaine” and “Swim Good”. These songs show Frank’s ability to blend Indie music with RnB, as well as Hip-Hop and other Genres to captivate Audiences.

The next song on the Mixtape is “We All Try”, my favorite Frank Ocean song. Not only does The smooth silky guitar make this track impeccable, but also the message and social commentary of this piece. This song was very experimental at this time, as none of his peers were experimenting with sounds like this. Frank's Bravery in this track truly reels you in, “I just don’t believe we’re wicked, I know that we sin but I do believe we try,”. The lyrics have such a positive spirit and interesting takes, it’s a good break from the constant violence and bragging found in many songs of the genre. This song makes me ponder and raises many questions about humanity. Very few songs can make you do this while also releasing a feeling of ease. The meaning of this song and the experimental nature of it shows the absolute genius of Frank Ocean.

Frank uses lyricism so beautifully in this mixtape to convey a further message that taps into the heart of the listener. His songs cut right in the heart– waxing on messages and images of love, childhood, loss, and even torments of fame, leaving you absolutely speechless, wanting to hear more. “Songs for Women” dives into his personal experiences with life as an artist, and “Lovecrimes” plunges deep into the murky depths of identity and desire.

Nostalgia Ultra is not an album, it truly is an experience. This album will take you on a journey of different, experimental sounds and lyrics to give you a new outlook on Hip-Hop as a genre, but also Frank Ocean as an artist. If you are looking for an album to take you out of the endless loop of the same old music, this album is for you.