It’s Thursday and I honestly cannot stop listening to this song. All the buzz around Frank Ocean recently has definitely happened for a good reason, at least musically. On a more general note, I’ve been hearing and talking a lot about these buzz artists lately, whether it’s at work or with friends, but it’s got me thinking about how much we feed into buzz and hype. It really plays into our rules of life in terms of what we expect from people, whether they are musicians or artists, or actually family and friends within our own communities and worlds. What do we expect from each other? The line between praise and hype is fine, and it’s always an important line to keep in mind.
As someone who has a deep-rooted love and appreciation for all things R&B, I found this entire album to remarkable. For this track in particular, I was happy to find the lyrical work absolutely flawless. Sensitive but genuine and easy to relate to. The tune itself is one that feels familiar but unique, especially as the falsetto enters. But the first verse was what had me hooked.
A tornado flew around my room before you came
Excuse the mess it made
It usually doesn’t rain in Southern California much
Like Arizona
My eyes don’t shed tears but boy they pour when I’m
Thinkin bout you
(Ooh no no no)
I been thinkin bout you.”
I’m fascinated by these lyrics and this song. I write poetry for fun and I love the use of earthly elements to relay a message about a human emotion. The two are comprised of different elements, but all the more similar. A tornado is such an uncontrollable force of nature, and so are the emotions of a human who has wallowed in the post-relationship seemingly apocalyptic days to follow. It’s such a real metaphor to throw into the equation.
The question of this song: “Or do you not think so far ahead?” is such a quintessential Thursday question. Are you thinking about the weekend yet?