Music Monday: Frank Ocean - “Bad Religion”
January 7, 2013
Prior to the release of his most recent album, Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released a statement stating that he had been in a relationship with another man. I hope that one day this isn’t “news”, but today it is, and it is especially news within the hip-hop community. It was also news because Frank Ocean is associated with the hip-hop collective known as Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) whose leader, Tyler the Creator, spews notoriously homophobic lyrics. Either way, Frank Ocean’s announcement is good for progress, and we are better off for it. His album, on the other hand, is good for my ears, and they are better off for it.
The song from Channel Orange that particularly grabbed my attention was “Bad Religion”, which he sang on Jimmy Fallon this past summer (video featured below). While I think the song is beautiful as a whole, I particularly found the lyrical content about religious struggle to be quite revealing of Ocean’s view of religion as a gay man. I hope you enjoy the song as much as i do.
As always, if you get a chance, send your suggestions for future Music Mondays to me at chashman@centerforinquiry.net, leave a comment below, or @tweet us at @CFIOnCampus. Your suggestions, along with future and past songs, may end up in the official Course of Reason Music Monday Grooveshark playlist or Spofity playlist that anyone can listen to.
About the Author: Cody Hashman
