Frank Ocean
“Bad Religion”
Channel Orange (Def Jam)
The reason why Frank Ocean’s decision to open up about his sexuality is so important lives right there in the first line of that iconic Tumblr post. “Whoever you are, wherever you are…I’m starting to think that we’re a lot alike.” That’s what this is all about, and that’s what I hope the primary (pop) cultural legacy of Ocean’s statement proves to be. What’s so arresting about “Bad Religion” isn’t that he’s singing about a man. It’s that he is feeling exactly what we feel. What the 17 year-old boy crushing on the hot girl at the cafeteria feels. What the suburban girl who’s in love with her best male friend feels. At first, much of the talk will be about the pronoun he uses, but the enduring impact of the song will not be that pronoun. It will be the way his quivering voice perfectly captures the crushing burden of holding unrequited love in your heart — loving somebody who just won’t fucking love you back. Frank Ocean’s decision to come out isn’t important because he’s special or different. Frank Ocean’s decision to come out is important because he is just like everyone else. “Bad Religion” is not special because it is about being a homosexual. It is special because it is about being a human, and he captures a universal, deeply personal aspect of our humanity in heartbreaking totality. It may seem an elementary reality of modern life, but when we are cut, we all bleed the same color. And I believe that Channel Orange will teach a huge amount of people that, which will hopefully lead to greater understanding about ourselves and each other.
