He arbitrarily labelled the mixtape as “bluegrass” and “death metal” on iTunes and called the concept of genres “dated” in an interview with the Quietus. In 2011, R&B had become a dirty word associated with corny chart-toppers – perhaps one of the reasons Ocean was so reluctant to be associated with it. Paired with the more nightmarish elements on tracks such as “Novacane”, it chimes with the pandemic-induced anxiety most of us are experiencing today. The sugary optimism and intense longing for the past is something we can all relate to.
Nostalgia, Ultra feels as pertinent now as it did ten years ago – in some ways more so. Said album was Channel Orange, released a year later to even greater acclaim. West even offered to feature on Ocean’s debut album, but he reportedly refused. He worked on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album, Watch The Throne, and wrote “I Miss You” for Beyoncé. Coldplay invited Ocean to support them on tour in 2012. Other artists were more conciliatory by now Ocean was stacking up the five star reviews and as the first Odd Future member to go mainstream established musicians wanted in. Four years later he was still holding onto the grudge, calling Ocean a “talentless little prick” in an interview with the Guardian. Following the mixtape’s Tumblr release, Eagle’s member Don Henley threatened legal action, despite the fact Ocean had made no money from the record. It is a seven minute-long remake of “Hotel California” by the Eagles, on which Ocean laments the state of love in America. The penultimate track, “American Wedding”, is at least part of the reason that Nostalgia, Ultra is so difficult to come by today (you won’t find it on Spotify or Apple Music). Cruising atop an undulating synth, Ocean paints a vivid picture – “I took a seat on the ice cold lawn / She handed me a ice blue bong” – while simultaneously aiming a sharp jab at the music industry: “Every single record, autotunin' / Zero emotion, muted emotion / Pitch corrected, computed emotion.” On the second single, “Swim Good”, the troubled protagonist drives his Lincoln Town Car into the ocean. The first, “Novacane”, tells the story of a dental student who uses local anaesthetic recreationally and pays for her studies by “doing porn in the Valley”. When Ocean reconciled with his label, two singles were released from the mixtape via Def Jam.