Pray they’ll get to see me, me wither” (Ocean, 2016, track 9). Hope our children walk by spring when flowers bloom Hope a garden grows where we dance this afternoon “And tonight I’ll hold you close, close enough to bruise Later in the album on the track Wither, Ocean sings about his desire to start a family with a long-term partner. Research has shown that many in the early adulthood stage often exchange sexual freedom of adolescence with multiple partners towards a more monogamous long term-relationship (Boislard, van de Bongardt, & Blais, 2016 Collins & Laursen, 2012 Yablonska, 2013). The sexual promiscuity found in this song is more reminiscent of romantic relationships in late adolescents than in early adulthood through its focus on sexuality over romanticism. He was seeing double” (Ocean, 2016, track 6). In Comme des Garcons, French for “as the boys ,” Ocean talks about starting a romantic relationship with someone, while both were cheating on their respective partners.

The listener can find this distinction by comparing an early song on the album Comme des Garcons with later tracks. A large part of Endless is devoted to the idea of settling down with a partner and forgoing the open relationships he enjoyed for early-on in his life. Higher commitment to a significant other, as well as longer-term connection to a partner (Erikson, 1968 Yablonska 2013).įrank Ocean, in his four album discography, incorporates writing about positive and negative romantic relationships. People in early adulthood also put more personal investment into complex relationships, involving As opposed to adolescence, relationships in the early adulthood stage often focus on interdependence and commitment, and last longer on average (Chen, 2006 Collins & Laursen, 2012). Thus, this album review explores how Endless grapples with this psychological stage through showcasing Ocean’s changing attitudes towards love interests specifically the exchange of sexual freedom for long-term relationships, as well as the identity formation found in accordance with the themes of emerging adulthood.Įrikson’s Early Adulthood stage describes people ages 21-29 through the crisis of need for intimacy and fear of isolation (Erikson, 1968).

Ocean explores the theme of transitions by discussing his own experience of this age-range, writing about moving from poverty to wealth, the formation and dissolution of romantic relationships, as well as the acceptance of his own sexuality. Further, people in this stage often explore careers, finalize identity formation, and form long-term romantic interests (Arnett, 2000). Previous research has linked this transition period, usually between the ages of 18 to 25, to significant growth in identity formation and one’s world view (Davis, 2007 Lee, 2019). In this stage, the individual person typically learns to depart from their home life, upbringing, and immediate family learning to become an independent and self-sustaining adult (Arnett, 2000). In more recent years, developmental psychologists have started to call this life-stage emerging adulthood, a period that focuses on the transition from adolescence to adulthood (Arnett, 2000). Ocean often holds this idea in contrast to the freedom of sexual promiscuity and indulgence that his newfound wealth has given to him. Endless involves much deliberation on the idea of finding a life partner and settling down to start a family. In this stage, Erikson (1968) found an overarching presence of desire for intimacy and fear of isolation. The subject matter of Endless is largely derived from Ocean’s early to mid-twenties, a stage that developmental psychologist Erik Erikson called early adulthood.

The album defies standard music conventions, such as the song-writing structure of verse–bridge–chorus repetition, and incorporates a stream of conscious writing style, allowing Ocean to showcase his inner thoughts instead of standard lyrical narratives. Since its release, Endless has grown to be a cult-classic amongst fans who often praise the album for its unpolished tone and experimental qualities. Four years after his debut album, Channel Orange, Frank Ocean released a 45 minute album titled Endless.

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