Lost (Frank Ocean song)

"Lost"
Single by Frank Ocean
from the album Channel Orange
Released December 17, 2012
Format Digital download
Recorded 2012
Genre
Length 3:54
Label Def Jam
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Malay
Frank Ocean singles chronology
"Sweet Life"
(2012)		 "Lost"
(2012)		 "Super Rich Kids"
(2013)

"Lost" is a song by American singer 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 and Malay; production was 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.

Composition

"Lost" is an R&B[1] and pop song set in common time at a straight-up pop 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.[2] 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."[3] The lyrical content of "Lost" describes the protagonist's relationship with a cocaine-cooking girlfriend.[4] The song contains samples of the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).[5] The song also may be another Coldplay reference, since Ocean has covered Coldplay's song Strawberry Swing, and sampled Lovers in Japan and Life in Technicolor, all by Coldplay.

Reception

"Lost" has received high praise and acclaim among critics, praising 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[6] 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.[7][8][9]

"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.[10]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
scope="row" Australia (ARIA)[11] 46
scope="row" Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[12] 13
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders Urban)[12] 25
scope="row" Denmark (Tracklisten)[13] 14
scope="row" Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 85
scope="row" New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 5
scope="row" Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[16] 41
South Korea (Gaon International Chart)[17] 59
scope="row" UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 53
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[9] 9
US R&B Songs (Billboard)[19] 25

Year-end charts

Chart (2013) Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 29

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United Kingdom[21] December 17, 2012 Contemporary hit radio Def Jam
Germany[22] March 22, 2013 Digital download

Major Lazer version

"Lost"
Single by Major Lazer featuring MØ
from the album Peace Is the Mission
Released July 20, 2015
Format Digital download
Recorded 2015
Genre Reggae[23]
Length 3:15
Label Mad Decent
Writer(s) Frank Ocean
Producer(s) Major Lazer
Major Lazer singles chronology
"Powerful"
(2015)		 "Lost"
(2015)		 "Light It Up (Remix)"
(2015)
MØ singles chronology
"Lean On"
(2015)		 "Lost"
(2015)		 "Kamikaze"
(2015)
Music video
"Major Lazer - Lost feat. MØ (Frank Ocean Cover) Video on YouTube

"Lost" is a song recorded by Major Lazer,[24][25] 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.[26][27] It was released to Major Lazer's SoundCloud on July 20, 2015,[28] where it currently has over one million plays, and was promoted extensively on Twitter.[29] It serves as a cover or remake of Frank Ocean's 2012 Channel Orange single, "Lost",[30] and features reggae-style grooves, an up-beat tempo, electronic percussion and meta-rastafarian synths.[31][32] 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.[28][33]

Background

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.[34]

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.[35] It was also used to promote their latest studio album, Peace is the Mission, which was released on June 1, 2015.[31]

MØ had 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.[36] 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.[31] Another single, featuring Belgian singer Selah Sue is currently being worked on and is rumored to appear on Major Lazer's next studio album.[37]

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.[38]

Reception

The song was well received by music critics,[39][40] 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".[41] 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 MØ and 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."[42] 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."[43]

The song was also named as one of "the 5 biggest songs" for the week of (July 24, 2015) by Capital Xtra.[44]

Live performances

MØ performed the song live at the Sziget Festival on August 13, 2015, without a backing track.[45] She later performed the song at the Grape Festival on August 15, 2015. On June 4, 2016, the song was issued for a live performance at the Orange Warsaw Festival.

References

  1. ↑ "R&B Pick: Frank Ocean - Lost". HipHop DX. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  2. ↑ Frank Ocean - Lost Sheet Music - Download & Print. Musicnotes.com. Accessed from June 2, 2013.
  3. ↑ Calvert, John (July 3, 2012). The Future's Bright: Frank Ocean's Channel Orange Track-by-Track. The Quietus. Accessed from June 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (July 10, 2012). "Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ Channel Orange (CD liner). Frank Ocean. New York: Def Jam Recordings. Island Def Jam. 2012. B0015788-02.
  6. ↑ "Chartifacts – Wednesday 17th October 2012". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Discography Frank Ocean". danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update – 1.12.2012 (Week 47)". zobbel.de. Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  9. 1 2 "2013-01-20 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  10. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart – 06 May 2013". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Frank Ocean – Lost". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Frank Ocean – Lost" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Frank Ocean – Lost". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Frank Ocean – Lost". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Frank Ocean – Lost". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  16. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20137 into search. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Gaon International Digital Chart". Gaon. gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2013-01-20" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  19. ↑ "R&B Songs : Jan 19, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2013". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  21. ↑ Skey, Jamie (December 17, 2012). "Singles column 17 Dec 2012 – Frank Ocean, Killers, Ellie Goulding, Toy, The National & more". Q. London. Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  22. ↑ "VÖ-Vorschau" (in German). Beatblogger. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  23. ↑ http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/133514
  24. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (July 23, 2015). "Major Lazer and MØ cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost' for new single". digitalspy.com.au/. Digital Spy UK. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Scoren Major Lazer en MØ weer een megahit met 'Lost'". funx.nl (in Dutch). NPO Funx. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  26. ↑ Vinaixa, Josep (July 21, 2015). "Major Lazer "Lost" (featuring MØ) [Single Premiere]". josepvinaixa.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  27. ↑ Edwards, Morgan (October 29, 2014). "Ariana Grande Reveals 'Hunger Games' Collaboration with Lorde, Diplo". http://variancemagazine.com. Variance Magazine. Retrieved November 18, 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  28. 1 2 "Major Lazer - Lost feat. MØ (Frank Ocean cover)". SoundCloud. Major Lazer. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Peace is the Mission – @MAJORLAZER". twitter.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  30. ↑ Tyseson, Cameron (July 22, 2015). "That Frank Ocean cover art might be fake, but this Major Lazer "Lost" isn't". pedestrian.tv. Pedestrian TV. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  31. 1 2 3 Porter, Nathan (July 23, 2015). "LISTEN: Major Lazer And MO Cover Frank Ocean's "Lost"". music.mxdwn.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  32. ↑ Middleton, Ryan (July 21, 2015). "Major Lazer, MØ Cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost' [LISTEN]". musictimes.com. Music Times – Notice the Difference. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Major Lazer - Lost feat. MØ (Frank Ocean Cover)". YouTube. majorlazer. July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  34. ↑ Carley, Brennan (May 7, 2015). "Hear a Snippet of Major Lazer and Mø's Remake of Frank Ocean's 'Lost'". Spin.com. Spin. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  35. ↑ Lyons, Patrick (July 21, 2015). "Major Lazer - Lost (Frank Ocean Cover) Feat. MØ [New Song]". hotnewhiphop.com. Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  36. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (July 3, 2015). "Major Lazer Beams to No. 1 on Dance/Electronic Albums". billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  37. ↑ De Roo, Eva (June 1, 2015). "Major Lazer neemt nummer op met Selah Sue". http://stubru.be. Studio Brussel. Retrieved July 24, 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  38. ↑ Murray, Robin (July 22, 2015). "Listen: Major Lazer Cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost'". clashmusic.com. CLASH. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  39. ↑ Jarvis, Nick (July 21, 2015). "Major Lazer and MØ just dropped a dope Frank Ocean cover". inthemix.com.au. In the Mix Australia. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  40. ↑ Tan, Emily (July 22, 2015). "Major Lazer and MO Give Frank Ocean's 'Lost' Some Reggae Love". http://theboombox.com. The Boombox. Retrieved July 25, 2015. External link in |work= (help)
  41. ↑ "New Music: Major Lazer (feat. MØ) - "Lost" [Full Audio / Frank Ocean Cover]". directlyrics.com. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  42. ↑ Lanquist, Lindsey (July 21, 2015). "MØ and Major Lazer cover Frank Ocean's 'Lost'". elonpendulum.com. The Edge Magazine. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  43. ↑ Meadow, Matthew (July 21, 2015). "Major Lazer provides soothing cover to Frank Ocean's "Lost"". youredm.com. YourEDM. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  44. ↑ "The 5 Biggest New Songs Of This Week (24th July 2015)". capitalxtra.com. Capital Xtra. July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  45. ↑ Deszkahu, Szorf (August 13, 2015). MØ Lost Sziget 2015 (YouTube Video). Sziget Festival: szorfdeszkahu. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
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