"Lost" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Frank Ocean | ||||
from the album Channel Orange | ||||
Released | December 17, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:54 | |||
Label | Def Jam | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Malay • Frank Ocean • Om’Mas Keith | |||
Frank Ocean singles chronology | ||||
|
"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.
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]
"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.
"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]
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [54] | 8× Platinum | 560,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [55] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [56] | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
Germany (BVMI) [57] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [58] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [59] | 7× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [60] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [61] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [62] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [63] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [64] | 2× Platinum | 3,600,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom [65] | December 17, 2012 | Contemporary hit radio | Def Jam |
Germany [66] | March 22, 2013 | Digital download | |
"Lost" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Major Lazer featuring MØ | ||||
from the album Peace Is the Mission: Extended | ||||
Released | July 20, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2015 | |||
Genre | Reggae [67] | |||
Length | 3:15 | |||
Label | Mad Decent | |||
Songwriter(s) | Frank Ocean | |||
Producer(s) | Major Lazer | |||
Major Lazer singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
MØ singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio video | ||||
"Lost" on YouTube |
"Lost" is a song recorded by Major Lazer, [68] [69] featuring guest vocals from Danish singer MØ. She had previously worked with Major Lazer on "All My Love" and worldwide hit "Lean On" for Major Lazer's fourth studio album, Peace Is the Mission . [70] It was released to Major Lazer's SoundCloud on July 20,2015, [71] where it currently has over one million plays,and was promoted extensively on Twitter. [72] It serves as a cover or remake of Frank Ocean's 2012 Channel Orange single,"Lost", [73] and features reggae-style grooves,an up-beat tempo,electronic percussion and meta-Rastafarian synths. [74] [75] The lyrics remain unchanged from the original version of the song. A static video of the single's cover was uploaded to Major Lazer's YouTube channel on July 23,2015. [71] [76]
The song's release was originally hinted in May 2015 with the release of a 10-second preview snippet on Twitter. The song at that point was unfinished and the album and release date were still to be confirmed. [77]
Following the eager anticipation of Ocean's new album,Boys Don't Cry,Major Lazer initially wanted to demonstrate their production credentials and hint the release of Ocean's album,which was expected to be released on July 20. [78] It was also used to promote their latest studio album, Peace is the Mission ,which was released on June 1,2015. [74]
MØhad previously collaborated with Major Lazer for the lead single in the album "Lean On",which ended up becoming a worldwide hit,reaching the top 10 in the US and topping the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. [79] She also worked on "All My Love" as a writer along with Lorde and Ariana Grande. This prompted Major Lazer to once again collaborate with her on a new single,and they chose Frank Ocean's "Lost" due to personal preferences. [74] Another single,featuring Belgian singer Selah Sue is currently being worked on and is rumored to appear on Major Lazer's next studio album. [80]
The cover art for the song features a cartoon depiction of a circular enclosed maze,at the centre of which is a peace sign,referencing the song's title and Major Lazer's latest album. [81]
The song was well received by music critics, [82] [83] however reviews from Frank Ocean fanatics generally favored the original version,and many claimed that the single isn't at the "same level of the majorly infectious Lean On". [84] Lindsey Lanquist of The Edge Magazine gave a positive review of the song and stated that "the resulting cover is surprisingly great. Though we would expect MØand Major Lazer’s electronic influences to sound jarring when paired with Ocean’s rap and R&B roots,"Lost" is upbeat enough for it to work. The artists have essentially reimagined the song,turning it into something new and wonderful." [85] MØ's vocals were also praised by critics,with Matthew Meadow of YourEDM claiming that "for what it’s worth,MØ’s rendition of Frank’s vocals are oozing with sweet seduction;she absolutely nails it." [86]
The song was also named as one of "the 5 biggest songs" for the week of (July 24,2015) by Capital Xtra. [87]
MØperformed the song live at the Sziget Festival on August 13,2015,without a backing track. [88] She later performed the song at the GrapeFestival on August 15,2015. On June 4,2016,the song was issued for a live performance at the Orange Warsaw Festival.
American singer and songwriter Pink has released nine studio albums,one live album,five video albums,six compilation albums,59 singles,three charity singles,six promotional singles,and 51 music videos. Throughout her career,Pink has sold 60 million albums,75 million singles and 2.4 million DVDs worldwide. According to RIAA,she has sold 18 million albums and 13.5 million digital singles. She is also UK's second best-selling female artist of the 21st century. Billboard ranked her as the fifth top female artist of the 2000s,eighth top female artist of the 2010s and the 59th greatest artist of all time. Official Charts Company hailed her as UK's most played female artist of the 21st century.
"Beggin'" is a song composed by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina and first released as a single by American band the Four Seasons in 1967. Initially charting at number 16 in the US Billboard Chart,the song became popular in the Northern soul scene in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. It has been covered multiple times,with versions by Norwegian hip-hop duo Madcon and Italian rock band Måneskin topping music charts in Europe and beyond. The Four Seasons' version was remixed in 2007 by French DJ Pilooski and re-released as a single,reaching number 32 in the UK Singles Chart,commercially outperforming the band's original release in the UK.
The discography of Canadian singer Justin Bieber consists of six studio albums,three remix albums,three compilation albums,two extended plays,76 singles,and 10 promotional singles. Bieber has attained eight number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eight number-one albums on the US Billboard 200 charts. As of June 2019,Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide,making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),he has sold 24 million albums and 121 million digital singles units as a lead artist,in the United States. Bieber was named the "Greatest Pop Star of 2016" by Billboard. He was also named the Billboard Year-End Top Male Artist for 2016 and placed number seven on the magazine's Decade-End Top Artists Chart for the 2010s.
American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has released three studio albums,one collaborative studio album,one EP,32 singles and four promotional singles. With estimated sales of over 26 million albums and 200 million singles worldwide,Mars is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Six of his singles are among the best-selling singles of all time:in order of release date,"Just the Way You Are","Grenade","The Lazy Song","When I Was Your Man","Uptown Funk" and "That's What I Like". According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),he has sold 91.5 million copies in the United States. His first two albums have sold 5.04 million copies in the US market alone. In 2012,Mars was named 2011's best selling music artist worldwide. In 2022,he became the first artist to receive six diamond certified songs in the United States.
Australian singer-songwriter Sia has released 10 studio albums,six live albums,68 singles,and 45 music videos. In 1997,she released her debut studio album entitled OnlySee. It was commercially unsuccessful,and none of its songs were released as a single. Sia released her second album,Healing Is Difficult,in 2001. The album yielded three singles:"Taken for Granted","Little Man" and "Drink to Get Drunk". The lead single,"Taken for Granted",peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
American singer and rapper Frank Ocean has released two studio albums,one visual album,one mixtape,21 singles and eight music videos.
"Give Me Love" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as the sixth and final single from his debut studio album,+,on 21 November 2012. The song was written by Sheeran,Jake Gosling and Chris Leonard. The single peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. On the album,Sheeran's cover of the traditional Irish folk song "The Parting Glass" is included at the end as a bonus track. A cover of the song recorded live at the Capital FM Studios in London on 30 May 2014,is featured on the deluxe version of American singer Demi Lovato's fourth album,Demi.
Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen,known professionally as MØ,is a Danish singer and songwriter. She began her career in the mid-2000s as a member of the punk duo MOR and releasing a handful of side projects. After MOR disbanded in 2012,MØsigned a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment,releasing her debut extended play,Bikini Daze (2013),and her debut studio album,No Mythologies to Follow (2014).
"Am I Wrong" is a song by Norwegian musical duo Nico &Vinz. It was written by group members Nico Sereba and Vincent Dery,Abdoulie Jallow,and William Wiik Larsen. The song was initially released as a digital download single in Norway on 12 April 2013,credited to the duo's previous name Envy,and became a hit in various Nordic countries,including Norway,Sweden,Denmark,and Finland.
"Lean On" is a song by Jamaican-American electronic dance music group Major Lazer and French DJ and record producer DJ Snake featuring Danish singer MØ. It was released on March 3,2015,as the lead single from Major Lazer's third studio album,Peace Is the Mission (2015). It was written by MØ,Diplo,DJ Snake,Tchami,and Jr Blender,and produced by Major Lazer and DJ Snake. It is an EDM,electronic and moombahton song.
Peace Is the Mission is the third studio album by American electronic dance music project Major Lazer. It was released on June 1,2015. The album was preceded by the international hit single "Lean On" featuring DJ Snake and MØ. The single reached number one in Australia,New Zealand,Belgium,Denmark,Finland and the Netherlands and peaked within the top ten in an additional fourteen countries including the United Kingdom,the United States,and Germany.
"Powerful" is a song recorded by American electronic music project Major Lazer. It's the second official single off their third studio album,Peace Is the Mission (2015),featuring guest vocals from English singer Ellie Goulding and Jamaican singer Tarrus Riley. The song was initially planned to be the lead single from the album but was scrapped in favor of Lean On.
Danish singer and songwriter MØhas released three studio albums,three extended plays and thirteen singles,plus six as a featured artist.
"Light It Up" is a song by American electronic music producing group Major Lazer,featuring vocals from Jamaican singer Nyla,which appears on Major Lazer's third studio album Peace Is the Mission. A remixed dancehall version of the song,to which additional vocals from British-Ghanaian Afrobeats artist Fuse ODG were added,was included on a re-released version of Peace Is the Mission and released as the album's third single overall on November 5,2015.
"Final Song" is a song by Danish singer and songwriter MØ. It was released on 13 May 2016 for her second studio album,Forever Neverland,but was only included on the Japanese release of the album. The song was written and composed by MØand Noonie Bao alongside MNEK,who produced the song. "Final Song" was released by Chess Club and RCA Victor and premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 12 May 2016 at 7:00 PM BST at Annie Mac. It was released on YouTube the same day and on iTunes Store the following day. It reached the top 5 in Denmark,the top 20 in Australia,Norway and the United Kingdom,and the top 100 in Canada and Sweden.
"Cold Water" is a song by American electronic dance music production group Major Lazer,featuring vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber and Danish singer MØ. The song was released on July 22,2016,as the lead single from their debut greatest hits album,Major Lazer Essentials. It became Major Lazer's third collaboration with MØafter "Lean On" and "Lost".
"Pink + White" is a song by American R&B singer Frank Ocean,released as a part of his 2016 studio album Blonde. The song was written and produced by Ocean and American record producer Pharrell Williams. The song features additional vocals by fellow American singer Beyoncé. The track charted at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,despite not being released as a single.
"Run Up" is a song by American electronic band Major Lazer featuring Canadian singer PartyNextDoor and American rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on YouTube on January 26,2017,by Mad Decent and Because Music,intended to be the second single from Music Is the Weapon,but it was then confirmed as the second single from Major Lazer Essentials. The song was written by primary Major Lazer member Diplo,Stargate,PartyNextDoor,Minaj,and Phillip Meckseper,while the song's production was handled by Major Lazer,Stargate,and Jr Blender.
"Slide" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris featuring American musicians Frank Ocean and Migos as the lead single from the former's fifth studio album,Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, released on 23 February 2017 through Sony Music.
"Know No Better" is a song by DJ trio Major Lazer featuring singer Camila Cabello and rappers Travis Scott and Quavo. It was released on June 1,2017,as the lead single of the former's EP of the same name. The song was written by the featured artists alongside Starrah,Major Lazer member Diplo,and King Henry,the latter two producing it with Jr Blender.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)