Wiseman (song)

"Wiseman" (sometimes called "Wise Man" or "WiseMan") is an unreleased song by American R&B singer Frank Ocean. The song was written in 2012 for the movie Django Unchained, but was cut. Ocean later posted the song on his Tumblr page on December 23, 2012. The track gained notoriety in 2023, after Ocean performed a "punk rock" version of it at Coachella. That same year, Canadian rapper Drake featured a prominent vocal sample of "Wiseman" on his song "Virginia Beach".

This article is about the unreleased song by Frank Ocean. For the song by Uriah Heep, see Wise Man (song).

"Wiseman"
Song by Frank Ocean
ReleasedDecember 23, 2012 (2012-12-23) (Tumblr)
Length3:51
Songwriter(s)Christopher Breaux

On "Wiseman", Ocean presents his thoughts on the deep emotional effects of slavery, commenting on its relationship to family and personal strength. He reflects upon the struggle of slaves throughout American history. The song also discusses toxic masculinity and how it is spread through successive generations. The track features guitars and violins evocative of Western film soundtracks.

"Wiseman" was met with positive reception from critics, who praised the song's lyrics and themes.

Background

In a November 2012 interview with GQ, Ocean mentioned that he had many projects in development, including a song written for the Quentin Tarantino directed Django Unchained, which was set for release later that year.[1] However, a Frank Ocean song was not on the film's soundtrack when it saw release on December 18, 2012. Tarantino released a statement explaining the omission of the track, saying that he thought the song was a "fantastic ballad", but "there just wasn't a scene for it". Elaborating, he said "I could have thrown it in quickly just to have it, but that's not why he wrote it and not his intention."[2] On December 23, 2012, Ocean released "Wiseman" via his Tumblr site, stating that "django was ill without it."[3]

"Wiseman" did see use in the 2015 film Southpaw, where it is played in the background of the final scene.[4] At Coachella 2023, during Ocean's controversial headlining performance, he performed a "punk rock" remix of the song.[5] The opening track "Virginia Beach" from Canadian rapper Drake's 2023 album For All the Dogs featured a prominent vocal sample of "Wiseman".[6]

Composition and themes

As "Wiseman" was written for Django Unchained, the lyrics reflect the struggles of the titular character throughout the film, as well as the "timeless" struggle of slaves throughout American history.[7] The song contains themes of family, reincarnation and strength, with lyrics depicting the lasting psychological effects of slavery.[8][9] The track has been described by both Quentin Tarantino and music critics as a ballad, with Ocean singing over guitar notes reminiscent of classic Western film soundtracks.[9]

Lyrically, the song also comments on masculinity in modern society. Ocean, a bisexual man, reflects on and critiques societal expectations of masculinity. The opening lyrics to the song describe various men—weak men, strong men, good men, and sad men. Ocean explains how a "cult of masculinity" is created and spread amongst men, passed down from generation to generation.[4]

Critical reception

"Wiseman" received positive reception from critics, who praised Ocean's performance and the song's lyrics and themes.

Writing for Billboard, Natalie Maher called the song "beautiful", and praised its themes of family, reincarnation and strength.[8] Trent Fitzgerald of Popcrush lauded the track's "vibrating guitars, swelling synths and stirring violins." He further said that Ocean sang "the strengths of a determined man."[10] Mike Wolf of American Songwriter commended the emotional depth Ocean brought to the track, saying it was "everything that the film was not."[7] Slate writer Aisha Harris expanded on this, saying "Wiseman" was "hauntingly beautiful, and it doesn’t belong in Django Unchained." She explained that, unlike the film, Ocean probed deeply into "the psychological and emotional effects of slavery."[9]

References
  1. Wallace, Amy (November 20, 2012). "Frank Ocean: GQ's Men of the Year 2012 Interview". GQ. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  2. Phillips, Amy (November 30, 2012). "Quentin Tarantino Explains Why Frank Ocean Isn't on the Django Unchained Soundtrack". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  3. Coleman, Miriam (December 23, 2012). "Frank Ocean Releases Axed 'Django Unchained' Track". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  4. Johnson, Conor (March 3, 2019). "The Lone Wiseman". WYBC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  5. Mamo, Heran (April 17, 2023). "Frank Ocean Finally Headlined Coachella 2023 and There's A Lot To Unpack". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  6. Monroe, Jazz; Strauss, Matthew (October 6, 2023). "Drake Releases New Album For All the Dogs: Listen and Read the Full Credits". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  7. Wolf, Mike (February 7, 2013). "Frank Ocean Heads To The Grammys A "Wiseman"". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  8. Maher, Natalie (February 15, 2018). "5 Times Frank Ocean Quietly Released Deep Cuts on His Tumblr". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. Harris, Aisha (December 27, 2012). "Hear the Great Frank Ocean Song Cut from Django Unchained". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  10. Fitzgerald, Trent (December 24, 2012). "Frank Ocean Debuts Unreleased 'Django Unchained' Track 'Wise Man'". PopCrush. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.