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Frank Ocean – Chanel Lyrics Meaning
The lyrics in the song ‘Chanel’ hints at the meaning of the revealing sexuality of Frank Ocean who is widely assumed to be gay or bisexual. In the song, he sings “my guy pretty like a girl”, which highlights the fact that he has dated both men and women. This is the reason why, we, his fans stress over his sexuality – is he gay, or bisexual? Hello everyone, this is Chris for Laviasco. You can find us on Twitter @laviasco as well.
The dreamy sound of ‘Chanel’ heightened its popularity on a popular video-sharing app, TikTok. Its remix version has been popular amongst young heartbroken people.
Introduction: Chanel Lyrics
The song has principles that are followed quite frequently in Frank’s music, such as his sexuality and discovering both perspectives of the sexual range. We can see, the grandiose first few lyrics of ‘Chanel’ which might be the coldest, gayest, and extremely comfortable masculine show off in the history of hip-hop culture. The first line of the song is quite secretive about what we comprehend of his sexuality while persisting to be confident with his masculinity.
My guy pretty like a girl
And he got fight stories to tell
I see both sides like Chanel
See on both sides like Chanel
Notable lyrics to ‘Chanel’ by Frank Ocean
Chanel Lyrics Meaning
Let’s dissect the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘Chanel’ by Frank Ocean section-wise. Before that let’s point out a few facts from the song.
Facts About Chanel by Frank Ocean
- The song is about Frank Ocean openly accepting his sexuality, being bisexual
- It has an amazing artistic expression making it one of the iconic songs by the singer
- ‘Chanel’ is the first solo track dropped by him after his 2016 projects, Blonde and Endless
[Verse 1]
In this section, Frank introduces us to his male significant other while implying that he is as beautiful as a girl. But despite the feminine physique, he has a history of fighting which shows his masculinity as well. The singer compares this dual side of his romantic interest to the logo of the luxury brand, Chanel, which has two C’s crossed over one other to look at both sides. This is where heavy speculation of the sexuality of Frank Ocean began. People, including me, are convinced that he came out to the world as a bisexual man with the help of this song.
Shibuya is a Japanese city with outstanding nightlife. In this city, having tattoos is not well received and he is trying to hide his identity in this city by hiding his tattoo. Then, the singer continues to talk about how his fame has changed the way he looks at the world. He sees everyone around him as small and treats himself like a big person. Towards the end of the verse, the singer gives a shoutout to a popular meme surrounding 21 Savage, “Issa Knife”. The phrase can be heard at 05:50 mark of this popular interview. Then, the singer ends his verse by implying that he doesn’t like fighting because he sees no point in revenge.
[Chorus/ Bridge/ Outro]
In the chorus section, the singer stresses on the fact that he tries to see both sides of everything. However, this part is what made his fans double down on the speculation that Frank Ocean is in fact bisexual. In the Bridge section, he goes on to express undying love for his male romantic interest saying he is the only one in Ocean’s mind. Then, the singer flaunts his artistic versatility by switching the flow of the song. In this beautiful outro, he talks about his cards getting maxed out because of his lavish purchases.
Despite coming from a humble background of the singer working regular jobs, he has made it. He is a self-made millionaire and he is proud to say it openly. While he goes on to explain how he made his money, he gives us a hint of him hiding his money from authorities. Instead of paying taxes like a regular person, he would rather hide his earning to make lavish purchases. He implies that he is running away from the authorities and is counting the money inside his home in peace.
[Verse 2]
The second verse stands out because of his high-pitched vocal delivery. Here, in the first line of the verse, he shows his love for cars. Frank is boasting about how much he loves narcotics. An “L” is slang for a narcotic, but it’s ridiculous to take a narcotic from both sides because you burn the other end. The singer is being deliberately contradictory. Hail is a heavy condensation that needs powerful, upward movements of air to exist. Despite Frank seeing the attraction of a luxurious lifestyle, he understands that real significance comes from within.
He portrays his whole musical partners as diamonds. This is particularly because he values the power of his co-sign. We can see this by the rise of Tyler, The Creator after his alliance with Frank. By “belt” he could be referring to himself as being a champion. He is aware of the fact that there are many people that are trying their best to outperform him. But as much as he loves competition, he believes everyone has to do what is best for them. His whole life experience is a slow hustle for wealth and nothing else.
Is the Sexuality of Frank Ocean Gay or Bisexual?
The rumors of Frank Ocean being a homosexual man started in 2012. Pitchfork acknowledges this as well. However, the coming out was definitely not an easy feat for him. This is particularly because his whole crew and team were widely known for using anti-gay language. We can see this vividly in the evolution of Tyler, The Creator, and his lyrics for his song ‘Yonkers‘. But, now with the release of ‘Chanel’, Frank seems to be accepting himself as he is. Frank Ocean seems to be proud to be a bisexual man. There is really no difference in identifying him as a gay man or as a bisexual man.
Conclusion: Chanel Meaning Frank Ocean
‘Chanel’ by Frank Ocean is widely accepted as the bisexual theme. The song tells his avid listeners to see both sides of the story while making decisions other than expressing his bisexual sexuality.
What do you think is the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘Chanel’ by Frank Ocean? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter @laviasco.
Read the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘Chanel’ by Frank Ocean on Genius in detail.
