“Self Control” by Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean's "Self Control" sits seventh on Blonde, his second album, released in August 2016, and it's about the hardest part of a love affair: letting go. Ocean described a relationship where the feelings ran both ways but the two of them never got on the same wavelength. It rides a guitar melody and ends in a somber, almost orchestral swell, with Ocean harmonizing against his own overdubbed voice.

Alex G and Austin Feinstein of Slow Hollows play guitar with Malay; Alex G joined sessions in London while touring the UK, then in Los Angeles. Feinstein, who met Ocean through Tyler, the Creator, was 19 when he was asked to sing on it, and Yung Lean adds vocals too; Ocean had tried several versions with different guests that, as Feinstein put it, never quite came together. Jon Brion, Malay and Ocean produced.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.