So I'm watching the Grammy's a week later.

Is this a joke? Outside of the cool projection presentaton the actual song sounds like a joke from a comedy movie. It's like something from a parody.

It's so amateur.

Does anyone like this? Defend it! Holy shit. What must have Prince been thinking when he heard that shit... if he was still in the building.

It was a joke.

It was awful.

Cringe awful? Can someone post the performance I have yet to see it....

mjscarousal said:

Cringe awful? Can someone post the performance I have yet to see it....

http://www.thehollywoodgo...ance-2013/

^ That didnt work but caught it on youtube, thanks though. Was it just me or was he crying? I could see tears..

The whistle at the end was awkward...........................................VERY

The visuals were cool but thats about it. I agree with everyones comments.

yeah, a pretty bad performance

I never fell into the hype of Frank Ocean and after that horrible performance I'm glad I didn't.

RE: Frank Ocean.. I just see somebody trying too hard to be different. And I don't think it's going to work.

I've seen better work on street corners.

The producer of this show should be concerned about performances like this.

[Edited 2/18/13 10:55am]

i dont think frank is gay or bi and that its a media ploy 2 sell him as a major black gay singer.around the time when his so called outing of the closest i remember media saying that on monday a major rapper was gonna come out the closest. i think it was intended 4 kanywest 2 b the one and at the last minute they convinced frank 2 b the homo.my gaydar picks up no scent with frank but they are many vibes and trails with miss kanye

COMPLETE GARBAGE

I liked it it was simple and nice.

It wasn't a masterpiece but i still dug it

I think it would've played like genius if he had did it at one of his concerts, where the room is much smaller.

TV isn't a fan of subtle things or artistic "interpretations". That Grammy room looked like an arena. After all that energy beforehand, the performance was too lowkey in comparison. It was like letting the air out.

CynicKill said:

I think it would've played like genius if he had did it at one of his concerts, where the room is much smaller.

TV isn't a fan of subtle things or artistic "interpretations". That Grammy room looked like an arena. After all that energy beforehand, the performance was too lowkey in comparison. It was like letting the air out.

Hmnmm I have to disagree.

Frank Ocean just did a terrible job singing his song. He needs to seriously work on his vocals and stage presence.

[Edited 2/18/13 21:42pm]

The concept of the song, the way he sings it, the way he performs, it's so stupid. It's like NO TALENT on display, as if someone who is unskilled is trying and failing to make a song.

Really its only the projection that works. I was working on a project with someone while this aired so we had the sound down, and it seemed like it must have been brilliant from all the tech on display.

But then when I watched it with the sound up, I just started cracking up. I mean this is like someone made a parody of someone completely untalented trying to seem talented. Trying to seem creative. But it comes across like some mindnumbing middle schooler in a poor talent show.

It's so funny. And when he whistles, it's such a lame whistle, it's like the punchline that made me laugh out loud.

Am I missing something?

On a another note... does R Kelly take "trapped in the closet" seriously? There's no way right? He's in on the joke right?

[Edited 2/19/13 5:18am]

[Edited 2/19/13 5:18am]

ufoclub said:

The concept of the song, the way he sings it, the way he performs, it's so stupid. It's like NO TALENT on display, as if someone who is unskilled is trying and failing to make a song.

Really its only the projection that works. I was working on a project with someone while this aired so we had the sound down, and it seemed like it must have been brilliant from all the tech on display.

But then when I watched it with the sound up, I just started cracking up. I mean this is like someone made a parody of someone completely untalented trying to seem talented. Trying to seem creative. But it comes across like some mindnumbing middle schooler in a poor talent show.

It's so funny. And when he whistles, it's such a lame whistle, it's like the punchline that made me laugh out loud.

Am I missing something?

On a another note... does R Kelly take "trapped in the closet" seriously? There's no way right? He's in on the joke right?

[Edited 2/19/13 5:18am]

[Edited 2/19/13 5:18am]

I have to say I completely agree with you! It was so off on so many levels, he tried to be creative but it failed terribly... I wonder if he even rehearsed for this performance or if that mess with Chris Brown made him forget what he was doing on stage? It was just sad, he's a good song-writer, but I have no idea why he chose this song - which is one of the weaker tracks on the album...

I said this cat was overrated from day 1. I still believe this to be true.

BlaqueKnight said:

I said this cat was overrated from day 1. I still believe this to be true.

Day 1....day 6...........year 10.

Frank Ocean's Grammy performance was among the worst I've ever seen.

HOwever, Frank was never hyped for his performance or his singing, which are what people are criticizing here.

He was hyped because of his songwriting, his storytelling and his often unique imagery or mindset in a song.

Forest Gump, which is arranged and delivered differently on the album, is a brilliant and catchy song with multiple interpretations. The performance didn't do it justice.

IN fact, many for Frank's performances don't do justice to his songs. In rock, if you are a noteworthy songwriter and instrumentalist you can get by with having a mediocre or even a bad voice. HOwever, in other genres, it's doesn't work. Frank is a songwriter at heart who can only play the piano marginally and cannot really sing.

HOwever, he has a "voice" as in a point-of-view with unique things to say. And that can carry an artist a long way. So, he's not done yet; but if he keeps ruining his reputation with performances like these, he will be.

ufoclub said:

The concept of the song, the way he sings it, the way he performs, it's so stupid. It's like NO TALENT on display, as if someone who is unskilled is trying and failing to make a song.

How is the concept of the song stupid to you?

The concept is the songs saving grace.

But all said it doesn't really matter. He's pulled out good (not "wow") performances before, for anyone who's been paying attention. He'll be fine. He might not win over the world (Who is in this day and age? Oh I forgot, Justin Timberlake) but he'll put out stronger and stronger material. I have faith in that.

SynthiaRose said:

ufoclub said:

The concept of the song, the way he sings it, the way he performs, it's so stupid. It's like NO TALENT on display, as if someone who is unskilled is trying and failing to make a song.

How is the concept of the song stupid to you?

Seems like it's completely embracing another pop creative work (the movie and it's now iconic character) in this very naive childish way. Let's look at the lyrics:

I wanna see Explainyour pom poms from the stands
Come on, come on

[Hook]
My fingertips and my lips
They burn from the cigarettes
Forrest Gump you run my mind boy
Running on my mind boy
Forrest Gump

[Verse 1]
I know you Forrest
I know you wouldn't hurt a beetle
But you're so buff and so strong
I'm nervous Forrest
Forrest Gump

[Hook]

[Verse 2]
I saw your game, Forrest
I was screaming run forty-four
But you kept running past the end zone
Oh where'd you go Forrest
Forrest Gump

[Hook]

[Outro]
Forrest green
Forrest blues
I'm remembering you
If this is love
I know it's true
I won't for-get you
It's for you Forrest
It's for you Forrest
If this is love
I know it's true
I won't
For-get-you

Maybe I'm missing something? I'm open to someone explaining what interesting meaning is here. If its about a gay crush, it would have been so much better if it was his own character he made up.

But hitching to the movie Forrest Gump??? I should do a song to Star Wars and Darth Vader.

One of the most OVERRATED artists of the last couple years I think. Can't see why he was such a darling of the music blogs last year His music sounds completely uninspired and uninteresting, but not in a cool, ironic way.

ufoclub said:

SynthiaRose said:

How is the concept of the song stupid to you?

Seems like it's completely embracing another pop creative work (the movie and it's now iconic character) in this very naive childish way. Let's look at the lyrics:

Maybe I'm missing something? I'm open to someone explaining what interesting meaning is here. If its about a gay crush, it would have been so much better if it was his own character he made up.

But hitching to the movie Forrest Gump??? I should do a song to Star Wars and Darth Vader.

You should create a song about Darth Vader if you can use the character as a metaphor and extension for something. Go ahead.

Frank Ocean's song cannot exist without using "Forest Gump." The borrowing is essential and in fact brilliant.

1. Frank seemingly writes from the perspective of the character Jenny in the movie who loved Forest Gump but due to Life events kept detaching and running from him, never really having a viable romance. So, Frank uses "Forest Gump" as a universal metaphor for unrequited love. Since the movie and characters are so well known, the universality can be grasped by a lot of people.

The refrain "my fingertips and my lips they burn" conjures the nervousness and desperation of wanting that elusive love... so much so that you're smoking incessantly until your fingers are scorched but you don't even notice because you are consumed in thoughts about the beloved. The burning also speaks of that great passion that can't be quenched.

It's a great chorus. It's not "naive" or "childish" in any way. IT's evocative, appealing to all the senses and creating a sense of melancholy. IF PRince wrote that chorus -- and I really wish he could write so poignantly nowadays -- most people would praise it, as they should.

2. In the subtext of the song, Frank ceases to be Jenny and instead is himself talking about his own unrequited love for a man. So there are two stories in this song: Jenny's and Frank's. Frank becomes so personal in conjuring Jenny's perspective that you can tell he's lapsed into his own story. (Plus, Forrest isn't buff so... you can tell two love stories are being blurred together, even though Frank has a dozen pieces of imagery from the movie to make you think he's talking about Forest).

This is clever because Frank, being bisexual, can reveal his love for a man while also concealing it and pretending he's really just adopting Jenny's voice.

I'm not sure I've ever seen this device used before, although I am aware of first-person songs from other people's perspectives. Almost every line in the song where it seems like Frank is talking about a scene in the movie does double duty and is really not even about the movie. "Running past the end zone," for example, is not really about the scene where Forest plays football. But I won't deconstruct all the phrases here.

3. Another reason we begin, by the end of the song, to think this might not really be about Jenny as Frank wants us to think, is because Forest really loved Jenny and it was Jenny who resisted (until her illness). Frank's song gives the impression that the speaker's love isn't returned that the beloved has gone away. The last verse about remembering indicates this. But Jenny was the one who always left Forest, so that wouldn't make sense. Why would she be forlorn? Frank must be reinventing the outcome of the Forest-Jenny relationship to fit his own. He is like Forest, not Jenny. HE is the one who loves someone with a faithfulness that isn't returned. If you think about it, he just interjects the name "Forest Gump" in an ambigous way so you really don't know if he's claiming to be Forest or talking about or to Forest.

NEver has a "simple" song been open to such interpretation and layers. IT 's an incredibly unique song that only Frank could have done. And what he's doing with the character is not simply embracing another's work as you claim.

[Edited 2/20/13 17:30pm]

SynthiaRose said:

You should create a song about Darth Vader if you can use the character as a metaphor and extension for something. Go ahead.

Frank Ocean's song cannot exist without using "Forest Gump." The borrowing is essential and in fact brilliant.

1. Frank seemingly writes from the perspective of the character Jenny in the movie who loved Forest Gump but due to Life events kept detaching and running from him, never really having a viable romance. So, Frank uses "Forest Gump" as a universal metaphor for unrequited love. Since the movie and characters are so well known, the universality can be grasped by a lot of people.

The refrain "my fingertips and my lips they burn" conjures the nervousness and desperation of wanting that elusive love... so much so that you're smoking incessantly until your fingers are scorched but you don't even notice because you are consumed in thoughts about the beloved. The burning also speaks of that great passion that can't be quenched.

It's a great chorus. It's not "naive" or "childish" in any way. IT's evocative, appealing to all the senses and creating a sense of melancholy. IF PRince wrote that chorus -- and I really wish he could write so poignantly nowadays -- most people would praise it, as they should.

2. In the subtext of the song, Frank ceases to be Jenny and instead is himself talking about his own unrequited love for a man. So there are two stories in this song: Jenny's and Frank's. Frank becomes so personal in conjuring Jenny's perspective that you can tell he's lapsed into his own story. (Plus, Forrest isn't buff so... you can tell two love stories are being blurred together, even though Frank has a dozen pieces of imagery from the movie to make you think he's talking about Forest).

This is clever because Frank, being bisexual, can reveal his love for a man while also concealing it and pretending he's really just adopting Jenny's voice.

I'm not sure I've ever seen this device used before, although I am aware of first-person songs from other people's perspectives. Almost every line in the song where it seems like Frank is talking about a scene in the movie does double duty and is really not even about the movie. "Running past the end zone," for example, is not really about the scene where Forest plays football. But I won't deconstruct all the phrases here.

3. Another reason we begin, by the end of the song, to think this might not really be about Jenny as Frank wants us to think, is because Forest really loved Jenny and it was Jenny who resisted (until her illness). Frank's song gives the impression that the speaker's love isn't returned that the beloved has gone away. The last verse about remembering indicates this. But Jenny was the one who always left Forest, so that wouldn't make sense. Why would she be forlorn? Frank must be reinventing the outcome of the Forest-Jenny relationship to fit his own. He is like Forest, not Jenny. HE is the one who loves someone with a faithfulness that isn't returned. If you think about it, he just interjects the name "Forest Gump" in an ambigous way so you really don't know if he's claiming to be Forest or talking about or to Forest.

NEver has a "simple" song been open to such interpretation and layers. IT 's an incredibly unique song that only Frank could have done. And what he's doing with the character is not simply embracing another's work as you claim.

Oh boy, everything you said is so opposite of what I feel, and many others apparently.

for example: "Frank Ocean's song cannot exist without using "Forest Gump." The borrowing is essential and in fact brilliant."

Actually it's quite trite and easy... it's simple to use something like Forrest Gump because Ocean is not inventing any kind of new meaning or twist or irony, all he is doing is echoing a dynamic and situation that is already there in a very popular movie. Everyone already gets that situation because they saw the movie. He is not adidng or doing anything with that. He is just parroting a character dynamic that he didn't make up. See why that is simple and easy? It's like a child trying to be poignant."

For example, if I was a someone in an abusive relationship I could say:

My face is hidden in a scarf,

my sunglasses are on, even in the dark.

Darth Vader, you choke my soul, man

Choke my soul, man

Darth Vader.

I know you Vader

I know you would hurt your right hand man,

But you're so forceful with your command, protecting me

And my spirit is gone

Darth Vader.

[Edited 2/20/13 18:19pm]

I don't know how you read what I wrote and felt Frank simply echoed a dynamic. But I dont' care to convince you!

The appropriation of mainstream characters and stories from one genre to another and from one creator to another has been used across many art forms from paintings to music to theatre to film itself. It's not trite, either because it isn't simple mimicry or echo as you claim. That's pretty blind and short-sighted.

And I'm not sure why you mentioned what many others feel. They likely haven't read deeply into the song and remain on the surface willfully rejecting subtext as you do. Carry on.