Research -Generic Research

 Frank Ocean - Pink + White 

Blonde (alternatively titled blond) is the second studio album by American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on August 20, 2016, as a timed exclusive on the iTunes store and Apple Music and followed the August 19 release of Ocean's video album Endless. In 2013, Ocean confirmed that his follow up to Channel Orange would be another concept album. Initially known as Boys Don't Cry and teased for a July 2015 release, the album suffered several delays and was the subject of widespread media anticipation leading up to its release. Its physical release was accompanied by a magazine entitled Boys Don't Cry.

Frank Ocean ( born October 28, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, photographer, and visual artist. Recognized for his idiosyncratic musical style, introspective and elliptical songwriting, and wide vocal range.

Firstly his music video to Pink + White, we can view generic music video conventions being displayed through use of fast speed shot types , specifically of the main character as well as shots of scenery, Frank ocean manages to maintain his 'alternative' and more 'sad' atmosphere through the casting of shadows on fields which we as the reader would expect to be sunny, again showing his rejection of a mainstream music video. Intertextuality is implicitly shown by the recreation of shots that are famous to the popular UBO show 'Euphoria' not only is this fitting to Ocean's vibe but also to his young audience. The use of low camera shots, dark environments and the reoccurring theme of natural beauty of women and the planet helps to reflect the naturalist approach his lyrics take. 

Brent Faiyaz- Dead Man Walking 

Christopher Brent Wood (born September 19, 1995), better known by his stage name Brent Faiyaz, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Columbia, Maryland. 

Faiyaz started making music at the age of 12. His parents were not always understanding of his dreams as a musician, which Faiyaz said was warranted as he was "always distracted" by his love for music. However his motivation was to focus on what he wanted and to prove himself right. 

It’s become almost cliché to refer to one’s music drop as a movie. Yet there are genuinely times when a composition, whether it is an album or even more impressively a single song, is cinematic. The first sound of Brent Faiyaz’s new single “Dead Man Walking” is a shrill sliding synth. From the title and the initial tone, you feel transported to those 70’s Scorsese films as a character is walking down a lonely street about to meet their demise. As the plucked string instrument arrives, it feels like raindrops falling on the already mist-filled sonic environment.

Brent enters onto the track vocally with a clear intention of completing the mission of setting the scene. He sings one line, “drop the roof and let the smoke clear,” and just lets it sit for a minute. You take in a potential double meaning here. He could directly be referencing a car releasing the smoke after a hot box. However, with the already established film idea, he could also be paralleling someone’s head being blown off, making the “Dead Man Walking” fate become realized. The target on Brent in the cover art confirms this possibility.

As Brent’s first verse begins, “Dead Man Walking” seems to refer to a reckless lifestyle Brent has now made his signature. He describes a carefree night of debauchery on the Vegas strip as he sings, “Dice rollin’ on the Las Vegas strip tonight. Slip that on, and we might miss the fight.” It’s just him and his muse who he has brought on this particular trip. A sort of Bonnie and Clyde problematic relationship ensues. In the hook, Brent displays his full intention to exist purely off of impulse as life is fleeting. He sings, “Spend, what you wanna. Be who you wanna be. A young stunner. ‘Til I D-I-E.”

Tyler the creator- Earfquake 

Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), better known as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, visual artist, designer and comedian. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the co-founder and de facto leader of alternative hip hop group Odd Future and has performed on and produced songs for nearly every Odd Future release.

Tyler, the creator, has shared a new video for “EARFQUAKE,” from his just-released album IGOR. The video stars Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) and involves Tyler performing in a blonde wig on a television set that slowly catches fire. We can see Tyler's originality seep through the performance aspect of this music video, his character portrays of a more 'alternative' style and there is little reference to much mainstream music, styles sets or props. The video is set to be more a comedic sketch but directed in such a way it seems realistic that this would be a show on television, and this is where it can be said that the host and set is intertextuality to both The Ellen Show and Saturday Night Live, we are led to believe that this is so through the diegetic dialogue at the start aswell as the stage set up and camera equipment. 

The mise en scene is sculpted in a way to show this surrealist approach due to the set being too 'perfect' to be real and this further hints at the intertextuality. This is all relevant to Tyler as he enjoys being an institute for originality and disputing mainstream conventions, not only this but his fans are known for being almost obsessed with Tyler's mannerisms and product so therefore it is expected for them to decode this video to get this final message that Tyler is again, disputing the norms of such a curated industry.