Published
Tue, Oct 1, 2019, 11:25
- "The things I look at now have a lot to do with those scenes: Detroit, Chicago, techno, house, French electronic..."
Frank Ocean has opened up about new music and his creative journey.
In a rare interview with W Magazine, the multifaceted artist, whose past work combines R&B, rock, rap, soul and electronic styles, alluded to new sources of musical inspiration.
"I've been interested in club and the many different iterations of nightlife for music and songs," Ocean said. "And so the things I look at now have a lot to do with those scenes: Detroit, Chicago, techno, house, French electronic…"
Ocean also cites New Orleans bounce, a style a club music from his childhood hometown, and ballroom, a queer subculture that originated in 1980s New York, as touch points for his music. "It's very alive, soulful, unapologetic," he said of ballroom culture and one of its icons, Crystal LaBeija, who the artist sampled on 2016's video album, Endless.
Later, Ocean goes on to speak about working without a record label ("I've been independent since 2016. So I plan on keeping it that way for a while"), and new themes in his music ("I'm more interested in lies... give me a full motion-picture fantasy"). He covers plenty of culture and lifestyle topics too, including fashion, furniture design and possible vacation destinations.
Read the full cover story with Diane Solway on W Magazine.