We’ve hit the last gasps of summer, which is exactly optimal timing for the release of Frank Ocean’s new single, “Nikes.” This track is floating in a pool with a kiwi-strawberry smoothie spiked with codeine, a worn copy of Under a Glass Bell dangling loosely from your fingertips, at least at first: Each passing second illuminates a different cerebral region, an aural tour through the range of human emotions anchored by one lethargic beat. The lead characters in this phantasmagoric narrative are Melancholy and Glitter.
The general mood switches around the three-minute mark, transitioning from “magic carpet ride through the Aegean Sea” to “we’re gonna-live-or-maybe-we’re-already-dead.” There’s some nudity, some fire, some more glitter, some tears.
Following an interminable four year silence following 2012’s
Channel Orange, Ocean’s new visual album
Endless hit Apple Music on Friday. More from the highly anticipated LP
Boys Don’t Cry is expected to come down the pipes and out of the sprinklers in the coming days, so stay tuned.
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Still here. Still without airbrushing. Still with teeth.
