Chanel (Frank Ocean song)
2017 single by Frank Ocean
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"Chanel" is a song by American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean, released as a standalone single on March 10, 2017. "Chanel" was premiered on the second episode of Ocean's Blonded Radio. A remix of the song featuring American rapper ASAP Rocky was also aired alongside the song's premiere.[2]
| "Chanel" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Frank Ocean | ||||
| Released | March 10, 2017 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:30 | |||
| Label | Blonded | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Frank Ocean singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "Chanel" on YouTube | ||||
Background
On the morning of March 10, 2017, it was reported that Frank Ocean was set to release his second song of 2017.[3] "Chanel" followed the release of Scottish producer Calvin Harris' "Slide" featuring Ocean and American hip-hop group Migos.
Composition
"Chanel" is a slow piano ballad with Ocean rapping his verses and crooning the hook "I see both sides like Chanel/See on both sides like Chanel." Ocean uses the symbolism of duality to discuss sexual fluidity and masculinity. In the remix, ASAP Rocky raps about ex-girlfriend Chanel Iman.[4][5]
Reception
Immediately upon its release, "Chanel" was praised for its lyrics about sexual fluidity and challenging heteronormative notions of masculinity. Austin Williams of The Undefeated described the song as "the coldest, gayest, and most securely masculine flex in the history of rap."[5] LGBT fans on Twitter called "Chanel" a bisexual anthem.[6] Pitchfork named the song as "Best New Track",[7] and in 2019 included it on their list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s" at number 180.[8]
On March 15, 2017, French luxury brand Chanel released two ads with the captions "We see both sides like Frank Ocean", flipping the lyrics of the song. A Chanel spokesperson told The Fader through email that, "This is simply our way of acknowledging his nod to Chanel in his latest single."[9]
Charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[10] | 65 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[11] | 2 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[12] | 80 |
| UK R&B (Official Charts Company) | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 72 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] | 30 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[15] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[18] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 10 March 2017 | Digital download | Blonded | [19] |