Humanity and Duality

“Chanel” by Frank Ocean is an epilogue to his 2016 album Blonde that expands on its themes and reflects on how Ocean’s life has changed since the completion of the project.

Blonde is an album about duality. It is separated into two exactly 30 minute segments, a day and a night movement. It depicts memories of adolescence/early adulthood and a travelogue journey into the world beyond Ocean's New Orleans upbringing. It was released in two different versions with two different names (Blond, a CD containing some slightly altered tracks, and Blonde, the digital version). It features Ocean singing in his natural voice and a pitch-altered vocals to make his voice sound higher. It recounts romantic encounters with men and women. Etc., etc.

“Chanel” continues this motif of duality, through a long stream of symbols and statements on human issues. The song is really complicated. I’ve been trying to figure out what it means since it came out. I'm still not sure if I get it, but I'm at least close. As far as I can tell, Ocean is pointing out an interconnectedness between seemingly opposing ideas.

Divergent statements are sprinkled throughout the first and second verses:

My guy pretty like a girl

And he got fight stories to tell

The opening lines address society’s concepts of masculinity and femininity.  Ocean is referring to his colleague and maybe boyfriend Ysham Jackson, a model and former boxer. Ocean uses him as an example of both embracing and defying your gender role. Pretty is not usually used to describe a man. It’s defined as “pleasing by delicacy or grace.” That’s a lot of traditionally feminine adjectives. But even though he’s pretty he’s still tough and will tell you his fight stories. Ocean wants to look at both sides of the people close to him and look beyond gender.

How you looking up to me and talking down?

Frank Ocean is idolized by our culture but the same people that love him constantly question him. As he was preparing Blonde and its accompanying book, Boys Don’t Cry, his fans grew impatient for new content. But Ocean follows his own artistic journey and does not let fan reception dictate his progression. It’s inevitable for artists to struggle with a balance between keeping the public happy and satisfying their own artistic desires. He disregards those that doubt him in this line. Even though he recognizes that his fans make him who he is, Ocean knows that he has to follow his creative instincts. He’s seeing on both sides of being an artist.

In addition to those thematic statements, the song is filled with dual symbols:

Swimming laps through pool water

When you’re swimming laps, you’re gonna be looking at both sides of the pool, moving in a motion reminiscent a figure eight or mobius stip or something. The symbol of an interconnected cycle adds to Ocean’s exploration of opposing ideas and seeing multiple sides of life.

Steam both sides of the L

Obviously it’s impossible to smoke something from both sides. This paradoxical symbol is another opposition, like Ocean’s analysis of artistry and gender.

So what’s the point of all this? Why is Frank Ocean so obsessed with patterns of two? I think he’s claiming to be able to see beyond the petty trifles of humanity, into the deeper meaning and unity of human existence. He pretty much says that himself in this line:

God level, I am the I am

And the refrain of the song speaks to this too:

I see both sides like Chanel

C on both sides like Chanel

It’s fitting that the song is based around a double entendre (see/c). The song is all about seeing both sides--of gender, violence, celebrity, money. And the logo for Chanel is two interlocked C’s:

If you don’t know this song you gotta listen to it. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever heard and every line is contributes to its theme.