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24 December 2012
Frank Ocean – Pyramids
At just under ten minutes long, Frank Ocean defied popular music convention with the second single from his triumphant channelOrange; ‘Pyramids’. Telling the story of a pimp falling in love with his client, the track intertwined a seriously smooth beat with various references to Egyptian culture and history. The song successfully survived its lengthy running time by effectively splitting into two – the first half setting the scene with prominent synthesizers over a straightforward R&B beat. Rather than sounding misplaced, the change between the two sections of the track retained a consistent link in both lyrical content and overall style. This allowed for the introduction of an unusually high number of musical styles; from the aforementioned synths, through down-tempo R&B, club infused vibes and more commercial twists on the composition. Comments on the epic nature of the song were largely due to the smooth transition between these styles, and the story which eventually underpinned the full ten minutes.
