Ivy (Frank Ocean song)

Last updated
"Ivy"
Song by Frank Ocean
from the album Blonde
ReleasedAugust 20, 2016 (2016-08-20)
Genre
Length4:09
Label Boys Don't Cry
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Ivy" is a song by American R&B singer Frank Ocean, released as a part of his 2016 studio album Blonde . The minimalistic guitar-driven song embodies indie rock, avant-R&B and guitar pop, with its nostalgic lyrics exploring memories of a lost love. Ocean wrote the song with frequent collaborator Malay Ho, and produced it with Om'Mas Keith and former Vampire Weekend multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, the latter of whom also arranged the track. Guitars on the track are performed by a musician credited as Fish. The track appeared on multiple year-end lists, with some critics describing it as amongst Ocean's best work, and charted at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, despite not being released as a single.

Contents

Background

Ocean initially debuted a version of the song in a live performance in Munich, in June 2013, alongside "Seigfried". The version performed live differed significantly from the track included on Blonde , incorporating a jazz style not evident in the studio recording, as well as alternative grammatical person in sections of the track. [1]

Composition and lyrics

"Ivy" is an indie rock song, with the track employing "heady guitar work" Ocean had previously displayed an admiration for. [2] The track has been described as a "guitar pop reverie" and a "minimalist guitar chug", featuring "chiming" palm-muted power chords "doused in crystalline tones" and no percussion. [3] [4] [2] The track depicts an "avant-R&B tale of heartbreak [sung] over distorted electric guitar", and incorporates the soul and rock of Ocean's earlier work with a hip hop sensibility. [5] The "shimmery" guitar intertwines with Ocean's vocals, forming a "snake space" described as "mesmerizing". The track's only other musical element is a subtly propulsive bass line. [6] The track's use of guitar has been compared to the indie rock of Alex G, with the "sheer force" of Ocean's voice differentiating the song from other "intimate strummers". The guitar tone emphasises Ocean's word "dreaming", which is repeated in a high-pitched squeal as the track concludes, with Ocean's vocals being compared to Prince. [3] The track then features multiple seconds of indeterminate background noise, symbolising how "messiness both fucks with grace and makes it possible". [6] The song has been compared to "Usher singing for Deerhunter", in relation to its incorporation of indie rock and R&B. [7]

The track has been described as a "ballad of reflection and regret". [6] It features Ocean reminiscing "poignantly" and nostalgically about lost youth, innocence, love and sex, with the repeated lyric "I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me" plaintively addressing someone whose heart was broken by the narrator. The line "the feeling still deep down is good" highlights the ultimately worthwhile nature of the relationship. [5] [3] The song has been likened to "a diary entry where a long-buried memory surges back into his mind in bits and pieces", with the "bittersweet angst" being compared to Brian Wilson, "mourn[ing]" that "We'll never be those kids again". [5] Ocean's voice is digitally manipulated such that he sounds younger, in order to capture the time period the track evokes. [8]

Critical reception

Marc Hogan of Pitchfork awarded the song "Best New Track", stating that the track continued Ocean's tradition of masterful short story writing, and that "the lyrics refer back to and build on themselves, so the emotional payoff is all the more powerful". [3] The publication later listed the song as the fourth best of the year, with Jace Clayton writing that "love songs that trade in high-contrast emotions draped over straightforward song structures may be aspirational but they rarely ring true, which is why this love song stays with us, irrefutable and unexpected". [6] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone listed the song as the second-best track of 2016, describing it as "the most powerful song Ocean has created yet". [5] Chris Payne of Billboard listed it in Ocean's top ten tracks, praising the track's incorporation of indie rock. [2]

Cover performances

American indie rock band Car Seat Headrest has regularly covered the track live since September 2016, featuring new and reworked lyrics including "if I could guess your password, you know I’d break in to the empty heart that you keep my face in". A 2018 performance of the cover was included on their live album Commit Yourself Completely . [9] [10] Australian hip hop group Thundamentals covered the song in December 2017, as a part of Australian radio station Triple J's "Like A Version" segment. [11] American singer-songwriter Indigo de Souza covered the song in November 2021. [12]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [13] 75
New Zealand Heatseekers (Recorded Music NZ) [14] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [15] 103
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [16] 16
US Billboard Hot 100 [17] 80
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [18] 28

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [19] Platinum90,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] Platinum600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vampire Weekend</span> American indie rock band

Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016.

Om'Mas Keith, also known simply as Om'Mas, is a Grammy Award-winning record producer, musician, composer, engineer, and songwriter from Queens, New York. He has worked with Frank Ocean, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Jay-Z, Kevin Abstract, and Vic Mensa. He is also known as a member of The Sa-Ra Creative Partners, alongside Taz Arnold and Shafiq Husayn.

<i>Contra</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Vampire Weekend

Contra is the second studio album by the American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It was preceded by the 2009 singles "Horchata" and "Cousins."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cousins (song)</span> 2009 single by Vampire Weekend

"Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara. The single was released November 17, 2009 and a 7" was released December 15, 2009.

"No Church in the Wild" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring American singers Frank Ocean and The-Dream, from the former two's first collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). Opening the album, the song explores themes of religion and decadence. The track received highly positive reviews from music critics, who praised Ocean's vocal hooks, the depth of the verses, the cinematic production and the song's power as an opening track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Ocean discography</span>

American singer Frank Ocean has released two studio albums, one visual album, one mixtape, 21 singles and eight music videos.

<i>Channel Orange</i> 2012 studio album by Frank Ocean

Channel Orange is the debut studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released on July 10, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. After releasing his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra the previous year, Ocean began writing new songs with Malay, a producer and songwriter who then assisted him with recording Channel Orange at EastWest Studios in Hollywood. Rather than rely on samples as he had with his mixtape, Ocean wanted to approach sound and song structure differently on the album. Other producers who worked on the album included Om'Mas Keith and Pharrell Williams. Its recording also featured guest appearances from Odd Future rappers Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator, vocalist/songwriter André 3000, and guitarist John Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramids (song)</span> 2012 single by Frank Ocean

"Pyramids" is a song by American singer Frank Ocean, released as the second single from his debut studio album Channel Orange (2012). The song was written by Ocean and produced by Malay and Om'Mas Keith. The track features an uncredited guitar solo from singer John Mayer. On June 7, 2012, Ocean posted a small teaser video featuring a snippet of the song onto his Tumblr account, and released the full, nearly 10-minute song later that day onto his official SoundCloud account.

<i>Modern Vampires of the City</i> 2013 studio album by Vampire Weekend

Modern Vampires of the City is the third studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. It was released on May 14, 2013, by XL Recordings. The group began to write songs for the album during soundchecks on the supporting concert tour for their 2010 album Contra. After a period in which each member explored individual musical projects, they regrouped and continued working on Modern Vampires of the City in 2011. With no deadline in mind, the band brought in an outside record producer for the first time, Ariel Rechtshaid, to record the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Car Seat Headrest</span> American indie rock band

Car Seat Headrest (CSH) is an American indie rock band formed in Leesburg, Virginia, and currently located in Seattle, Washington. The band consists of Will Toledo, Ethan Ives, Seth Dalby (bass), and Andrew Katz.

"Frank's Track" is a song by American musician Kanye West, which was added to his seventh studio album The Life of Pablo (2016) when updates were made to it on March 16, 2016.

<i>Teens of Denial</i> 2016 studio album by Car Seat Headrest

Teens of Denial is the tenth studio album by American indie rock band Car Seat Headrest, released on May 20, 2016 via Matador Records. The album served as the band's second for the label and the first to consist of newly written material.

"Nikes" is a song recorded by American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on August 20, 2016, as the lead single from his second studio album, Blonde (2016), accompanied by a music video directed by Tyrone Lebon, exclusive to Apple Music. It is Ocean's first single since "Super Rich Kids", which was released in 2013. Ocean wrote the song, producing it alongside Malay Ho and Om'Mas Keith. Former Dirty Projectors vocalist Amber Coffman contributed additional vocals.

<i>Blonde</i> (Frank Ocean album) 2016 studio album by Frank Ocean

Blonde 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. The album features guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé, and Kim Burrell, among others. Production was handled by Ocean himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers, including Malay and Om'Mas Keith, who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange, as well as James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij, among others.

"Solo" is a song by American R&B singer Frank Ocean, released as a part of his 2016 studio album Blonde. Ocean wrote the song with frequent collaborator Malay Ho, and produced it with English musician James Blake. The song features additional vocals by American singer Jazmine Sullivan, who previously appeared on Ocean's visual album Endless. The track charted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, despite not being released as a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanel (Frank Ocean song)</span> 2017 single by Frank Ocean

"Chanel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean, released as a standalone single on March 10, 2017. "Chanel" was premiered on the second episode of Ocean's Blonded Radio. A remix of the song featuring American rapper ASAP Rocky was also aired alongside the song's premiere.

<i>Astroworld</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Travis Scott

Astroworld is the third studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on August 3, 2018, through Cactus Jack Records and Grand Hustle Records, and distributed by Epic Records. The album features guest vocals from Frank Ocean, Drake, Swae Lee, Kid Cudi, James Blake, Philip Bailey, Juice Wrld, Sheck Wes, the Weeknd, 21 Savage, Gunna, Nav, Don Toliver, Quavo, and Takeoff, among others. Production was handled by multiple producers, including Scott himself, Mike Dean, Allen Ritter, Hit-Boy, WondaGurl, Tay Keith, Tame Impala, Frank Dukes, Sonny Digital, Murda Beatz, and Thundercat, among others. The album follows Scott's second studio album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016), and his collaborative album with Quavo, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho (2017).

<i>Father of the Bride</i> (album) 2019 album by Vampire Weekend

Father of the Bride is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. It was released on May 3, 2019 by Columbia Records, as their first album on a major label.

<i>Commit Yourself Completely</i> 2019 live album by Car Seat Headrest

Commit Yourself Completely is the second live album by American indie rock band Car Seat Headrest, released digitally on June 17, 2019 by Matador Records. It compiles songs performed by the band on tour in 2018 across the United States, United Kingdom and France, with the members of the Naked Giants playing with the group in a seven-person lineup. The indie rock album includes live renditions of songs from Teens of Denial (2016) and Twin Fantasy, as well as a cover of Frank Ocean's "Ivy". It was promoted by a video of the band's performance of "Fill in the Blank" at Newport Music Hall.

<i>Making a Door Less Open</i> 2020 studio album by Car Seat Headrest

Making a Door Less Open is the twelfth album by American indie rock band Car Seat Headrest. It was released on May 1, 2020, via Matador Records. The album serves as the band's fourth for the label and the second to consist of newly written material.

References

  1. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (August 22, 2016). "Frank Ocean Actually Debuted the 'Blonde' Tracks 'Ivy' & "Seigfried' Back in 2013: Watch". Billboard . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Payne, Chris (July 8, 2017). "Frank Ocean's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hogan, Marc (August 22, 2016). ""Ivy" by Frank Ocean Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ Jonze, Tim (August 25, 2016). "Frank Ocean: Blonde review – a baffling and brilliant five-star triumph". The Guardian . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Sheffield, Rob (November 30, 2016). "50 Best Songs of 2016". Rolling Stone . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Clayton, Jace (December 12, 2018). "The 100 Best Songs of 2016". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  7. ↑ Breihan, Tom (August 22, 2016). "Premature Evaluation: Frank Ocean Blonde". Stereogum . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (November 15, 2016). "Frank Ocean Is Finally Free, Mystery Intact". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ Kaye, Ben (September 7, 2016). "Car Seat Headrest reworks Frank Ocean's "Ivy" live — watch". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Coming June 17 : Car Seat Headrest – 'Commit Yourself Completely'". Matador Records. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Thundamentals cover Frank Ocean for Like A Version". Triple J . December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Indigo De Souza Covers Frank Ocean's "Ivy"". Pitchfork. 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  13. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  14. ↑ "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 26, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  15. ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 27.08.2016 (wk34)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Frank Ocean – Ivy". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  20. ↑ "British single certifications – Frank Ocean – Ivy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.