Frank Ocean, In My Room | Track Review 🎵

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Grammy winning artist Frank Ocean keeps things quite short and ‘left of center’ on his second single from 2019, “In My Room.”

“Quit being violent with me / You make me violent…” Well now… Following a relatively quiet 2018 (save for his own interpretation of “Moon River”), Frank Ocean began releasing new music.  The thing with Mr. Ocean is, since releasing his critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning debut Channel Orange (2012), he’s taken his time issuing new music.  Hey, we waited four years for Blonde to arrive (2016).  Regardless, the return of urban contemporary standout is always welcomed. This return began with “DHL” and continues with the release of the song at hand, “In My Room.”

“In My Room” keeps things brief, clocking in at a modest two minutes and 15 seconds in duration.  Unsurprisingly, Frank Ocean experiments with form on “In My Room,” opting for one extended verse, the bridge (excerpted at the top), and an outro.  The verse is ripe with a little bit of everything including references to sex (used metaphorically), drugs, a hunger for the game, and drip. The approach is somewhere between alternative R&B and rap… This is very much a Frank Ocean track. Where does the actual ‘room’ come into play? That would be on the outro:

“My room, my room, my room with me
Every night you were in my room
My room, my room with me
I guess I can’t state my feelings too soon
I don’t know you
And I can’t put no threats in the air.”

Final Thoughts 

So, how does “In My Room” stack up? It’s an okay record for Frank Ocean.  Compared to his best, “In My Room” doesn’t attain that same level of greatness, however.  The ‘alternativeness’ of this song is something that Ocean has always excelled that.  In regard to replay value and characterizing this record as a contemporary classic of sorts, that’s pushing it, period.  Ultimately, “In My Room” doesn’t channel back to those glorious Channel Orange days, still my personal favorite material from him.

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Frank Ocean • In My Room [Single] • blonded • Release: 11.2.19

Photo Credit: Blonded