Summative Critical Note

“Sweet Life” by Frank Ocean was released on his album “Channel Orange” in 2012. In his song, he suggests that those living the lives of the Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, should come out of their 24 karat gold bubble and open their eyes to the real world along with its many imperfection. Frank Ocean uses a very direct form of satire, focusing on magnifying how blind the affluent are to the realities of the world. 

As a smooth, mellow beat plays through the speaker, Ocean starts off singing about the people “Livin’ in Ladera Heights, the black Beverly Hills,” painting a picture of their “domesticated paradise.” Ladera Heights is known as the “hidden” neighbourhood for rich black people. By referencing Ladera Heights, he highlights the extent to which these wealthy people are hidden and sheltered as they isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Their seclusion is their way of differentiating themselves from those who are below them, making their financial and social inequality even more conspicuous. The financial and social inequality gap is especially significant because on October 15, 2011, a year before the song was released, an Occupy Wallstreet movement occurred worldwide. On that day, within 951 cities and 82 countries, thousands of people came together and peacefully protested, voicing their anger on the social and financial inequalities in their region. 

You’d think maybe protests would make some sort of positive change, right? Well, in a recent report by The Washington Post, they found that in the United States, the richest one percent now own more of the nation’s wealth than they have in the last 50 years. In fact, individually, they possess more wealth than all of the bottom 90 percent combined. Just even thinking about this blows my mind! In the 7 years since the Occupy Wallstreet Movement, the rich have just gotten richer, meanwhile everyone else is left to play catch-up.

Besides the huge inequality gap, Frank Ocean also criticizes the wealthy’s blindness to other people’s circumstances in the world within the same verse: 

But you're keepin' it surreal, whatever you like

Whatever feels good, whatever takes you mountain high

Keepin' it surreal, 

The line “keepin’ it surreal” is repeated twice throughout the verse, emphasizing their selectivity in choosing what’s important to them. They pick and choose what they want to care about, just the same as they pick and choose which picture matches their instagram theme. They hear of the events around them, yet they don’t genuinely digest their impacts or take any action because they are too oblivious to allow anything to taint their picture-perfect Barbie lifestyles.

The difference in how sheltered these privileged individuals are compared to the less fortunate, is illustrated in more detail when he mentions how “[They’ve] had a landscaper and a housekeeper since [they] were born.” The landscaper and housekeeper are specific examples as to how great of a difference there is in responsibility with the more money you inherit. More money means you have more people looking after you and cleaning up after your messes. More money means little to none responsibility.

Now, it may seem that Frank Ocean, could be considered a hypocrite as he is a well-known artist, who right now lives a wealthy lifestyle. However, he didn’t start off with the most luxurious beginnings. In fact, he came from a broken and low income family. Therefore, he has experienced both extreme sides of the spectrum, bringing in a fresh and new perspective. Ocean alludes to his humble beginnings when he sings of how “[His] TV ain’t HD” and because of that everything was “too real”. Here, the HD TV, or more so his lack of one, represents the wealth and extravagant lifestyle he didn’t have before. In our everyday lives, television serves as a distraction or an escape from our own lives. But only those who are rich enough, can afford to escape, meanwhile the rest can only look up and see the world for how it truly is in its glory and gory. 

Towards the end of the song, he shifts from describing the wealthy’s lifestyle to his own perspective. For him it was “everything [he] thought it would be,” but the longer he lives this lifestyle, the more it seems that his “neighborhood is gettin’ trippier.” By bringing in his own perspective, he illustrates how the more “perfect” something is, the less real it actually is. In the beginning, it may seem like sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, but that infatuation soon comes to an end, when one realizes how fake it all is. 

As an international student living in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world, I can’t deny the fact that I am very fortunate. Sure I may not spend my money on Gucci shoes or Supreme hoodies, but just like those kids living in Beverly Hills, I’ve had the privilege of having someone take a bit of responsibility off of my shoulders. Living in Singapore, there’s a very big “helper” culture. A culture that my family and I have been apart of since the day I was born. From cleaning my diaper when I was a newborn to washing my school uniform, they clean up after me, so I have less to do, and less to worry about. As our world becomes more fast-paced, we have a tendency to keep moving forward. In a way, it makes us selfish, as we constantly focus on ourselves and forget the rest of the world and the problems that we face as an entire society.