Lost (Frank Ocean song)

Last updated
"Lost"
Single by Frank Ocean
from the album Channel Orange
ReleasedDecember 17, 2012
Recorded2012
Genre
Length3:54
Label Def Jam
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Malay • Frank Ocean • Om’Mas Keith
Frank Ocean singles chronology
"Sweet Life"
(2012)		"Lost"
(2012)		"Super Rich Kids"
(2013)

"Lost" is a song by American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean. It was released as the fourth single from his debut studio album Channel Orange (2012). The song was written by Ocean, Micah Otano, Paul Shelton, and Malay; with production primarily handled by the latter.

Contents

The single has also been covered by American record production trio Major Lazer, featuring vocals from Danish singer MØ, along with English electro band Swiss Lips as well as covered by English singer-songwriter Jorja Smith. [1]

Composition

"Lost" is a pop rock and R&B [2] song set in common time at a straight-up pop rock tempo of 123 beats per minute. The song is in a G minor, with a chord progression of Gm−B♭maj7−E♭−B♭maj7 followed throughout, and Ocean's vocal spans from C4 to G5. [3] According to The Quietus , "A bouncy indie-rock rhythm and chicken-scratch guitar propels a buoyant Frank, as he takes to the road in the hope of getting well and truly lost in sunny California. Flowing atop a narcotic bass melody and a trio of harmonising vocalists, the choruses eventually pan back for a coda of whistling synths and ELO-esque keys." [4] The lyrical content of "Lost" describes the protagonist's relationship with a cocaine-cooking girlfriend. [5] The song contains samples from the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), a fragmented film centered on drug experimentation. [6] [7] Ocean, Micah Otanom and Malay construct a fictional story of Ocean reflecting on his love, addiction, and greed. His love interest, a woman who once had different ambitions, becomes absorbed in a lifestyle of material and high thrill through him which is alluded to by his repeated use of the phrase “triple weight” referring to both a magnitude of his love for her as well as the triple beam balance he uses to measure drugs. The repeating chorus illustrates that the couple are getting further consumed by their high risk lifestyle and the pleasure of traveling around the world are not fulfilling as there is an ever present sense of feeling lost. [8] Ocean eventually reaches a point of regret for getting her involved in his activities yet his own addiction and chase forces him to make false promises to her and himself:

She’s at a stove (who)

Can’t believe I got her out here cooking dope (cooking dope)

I promise she’ll be whipping meals up for a family of her own someday

Nothing wrong (nothing wrong)

No, nothing wrong (aint nothing wrong) with a lie (ohh)

Nothing wrong (nothing wrong) with another short plane ride (aint nothing wrong)

Through the sky (up in the sky)

You and I (Just you and I)

He recognizes that his girlfriend is now distant from the person she once was as she has so easily adapted to a life of drugs. He's regretful in the role he's played, so he promises that she will one day have an ordinary life; However, the following lines suggest that he'll be unable to fulfill his promises. His use of “nothing wrong” draws a parallel to the lies that frequently result of justifying addiction. He closes out the verse with him and his girlfriend taking another short plane ride which suggests that he and his girlfriend will be continuing to sell and take drugs, delaying and potentially never delivering his promises to return his girlfriend to a normal life.

Reception

"Lost" received high praise and acclaim among critics, complimenting Ocean's idiosyncratic style and pop sensibilities as well as Malay, the album's prominent producer. It is often referred to as a highlight on his debut studio album Channel Orange and is his most straightforward "pop" song.

"Lost" debuted at number 91 on the Australian Singles Chart on the chart issue dated for the week of October 17, 2012 [9] and peaked at number 46. The song also peaked at numbers 38, 53, and 9 on the Danish Singles Chart, UK Singles Chart and UK R&B Chart respectively. [10] [11] [12]

"Lost" achieved its greatest level of success in New Zealand. The song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 32, peaking at number 5 three weeks later and becoming Ocean's first top-ten single. The song was eventually certified gold and subsequently platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) in its fifth and ninth week on the chart, respectively. [13]

In early 2022, the song gained a viral resurgence from the social media platform TikTok. The song was used in over 176,000 videos from the app. [14]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Lost"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [54] 8× Platinum560,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [55] Gold30,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [56] 4× Platinum360,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [57] Platinum300,000‡
Italy (FIMI) [58] Gold50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [59] 7× Platinum210,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [60] Gold10,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [61] Gold30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [62] 2× Platinum1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [63] 3× Platinum3,000,000‡
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [64] 2× Platinum3,600,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates for "Lost"
CountryDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom [65] December 17, 2012 Contemporary hit radio Def Jam
Germany [66] March 22, 2013 Digital download

Major Lazer version

  1. ↑ "Jorja Smith Covers Frank Ocean's "Lost": Listen". Pitchfork. 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  2. ↑ "R&B Pick: Frank Ocean - Lost". HipHop DX. 11 July 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  3. ↑ Frank Ocean - Lost Sheet Music - Download & Print. Musicnotes.com. Accessed from June 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ Calvert, John (July 3, 2012). The Future's Bright: Frank Ocean's Channel Orange Track-by-Track. The Quietus. Accessed from June 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (July 10, 2012). "Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  6. ↑ Channel Orange (CD liner). Frank Ocean. New York: Def Jam Recordings. Island Def Jam. 2012. B0015788-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Summary and Study Guide". SuperSummary. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  8. ↑ Frank Ocean – Lost , retrieved 2023-12-17
  9. ↑ "Chartifacts – Wednesday 17th October 2012". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Discography Frank Ocean". danishcharts.dk. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  11. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update – 1.12.2012 (Week 47)". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  12. 1 2 "2013-01-20 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  13. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 06 May 2013". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  14. ↑ Dellatto, Marisa. "A 10-Year-Old Frank Ocean Album Is Rising In The Charts—Thanks To TikTok". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  15. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Dutch). Ultratop Urban. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  21. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20137 into search. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Gaon International Digital Chart". Gaon. gaonchart.co.kr. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  24. ↑ "R&B Songs : Jan 19, 2013". Billboard . Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 42, 2020" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  26. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 7/2022". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög - Vika 8, 2022" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  34. ↑ "2022 3-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  36. ↑ "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2022-07". VG-lista . Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  38. ↑ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 06-2022". The Official South African Charts. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 3". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  40. ↑ "Frank Ocean – Lost". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  41. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  43. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History: Hot 100 Recurrents". Billboard . Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Frank Ocean Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  45. ↑ "Streaming Top-50" (in Danish). Tracklisten. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2013". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  47. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2022". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  49. ↑ "Track Top-100 2022". Hitlisten. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  51. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2022". Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  52. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles Chart for 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2023". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  54. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  55. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  57. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Frank Ocean; 'Lost')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  58. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  59. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  60. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  61. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  62. ↑ "British single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  63. ↑ "American single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  64. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Frank Ocean – Lost". IFPI Danmark . Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  65. ↑ Skey, Jamie (December 17, 2012). "Singles column 17 Dec 2012 – Frank Ocean, Killers, Ellie Goulding, Toy, The National & more". Q . London. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  66. ↑ "VÖ-Vorschau" (in German). Beatblogger. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  67. ↑ "Major Lazer & MØ Cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost,' Reggae-Style: Listen". Billboard .
  68. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (July 23, 2015). "Major Lazer and MØ cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost' for new single". digitalspy.com.au/. Digital Spy UK. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  69. ↑ "Scoren Major Lazer en MØ weer een megahit met 'Lost'". funx.nl (in Dutch). NPO Funx. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  70. ↑ Edwards, Morgan (October 29, 2014). "Ariana Grande Reveals 'Hunger Games' Collaboration with Lorde, Diplo". Variance Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  71. 1 2 "Major Lazer - Lost feat. MØ (Frank Ocean cover)". SoundCloud. Major Lazer. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  72. ↑ "Peace is the Mission – @MAJORLAZER". twitter.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  73. ↑ Tyseson, Cameron (July 22, 2015). "That Frank Ocean cover art might be fake, but this Major Lazer "Lost" isn't". pedestrian.tv. Pedestrian TV. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  74. 1 2 3 Porter, Nathan (July 23, 2015). "LISTEN: Major Lazer And MO Cover Frank Ocean's "Lost"". music.mxdwn.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
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  79. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (July 3, 2015). "Major Lazer Beams to No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
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"Lost"
Major Lazer - Lost (feat. MO).png
Single by Major Lazer featuring MØ
from the album Peace Is the Mission: Extended
ReleasedJuly 20, 2015
Recorded2015
Genre Reggae [67]
Length3:15
Label Mad Decent
Songwriter(s) Frank Ocean
Producer(s) Major Lazer
Major Lazer singles chronology
"Powerful"
(2015)		"Lost"
(2015)		"Light It Up (Remix)"
(2015)
MØ singles chronology
"Lean On"
(2015)		"Lost"
(2015)		"Kamikaze"
(2015)
Studio albums
Visual albums
Mixtapes
Singles
Featured singles
Other songs
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