It’s been a long time, almost two years, since we last heard from Frank Ocean, the singer behind 2012’s stunning Channel Orange, but while the rest of us were celebrating Black Friday last week, Ocean sneakily dropped a new track via Soundcloud.
Titled “Memrise,” the low-key, two-minute-long song finds Ocean pouring his heart out to a lost lover. It’s a gorgeous little track, and Ocean’s first post-Channel Orange solo work since he contributed “Wise Man” to the Django Unchained soundtrack (though the song was never released there).
We originally expected to see a full-length follow-up to Channel Orange this past summer, but as we head into the winter, it looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer to see what Ocean has in store for his second act. Where does “Memrise” fit in? Is it off the upcoming release or a throwaway treat for patient fans? So many questions, and it may be a while until we get answers.
Until then, enjoy the song below, and check out the tantalizing lyrics, which Ocean unveiled on his Tumblr:
“I memorized the wayward expressions
Never look down
Never let you see me down
I memorized the way no directions
Can I come over now
I’d like to stay a little while
I memorized your body exposed
I could fuck you all night long
From a memory aloneI never forget a face
Don’t go plastic on me
Nothing’s set in stone
You’re not dipped in gold
Dipped in gold
You can’t breathe if you’re dipped in gold
You are not on paper
You are not a copy
You’re so, you’re so… so thick, so thick”
