Frank Ocean is one of the premiere acts in today’s R&B scene. With a strong, experimental vibe unlike any other artist in the industry, Ocean is perfect for those looking for something that is not only rhythmically competent but also lyrically deep and mature. Here are the top 10 of my personal favorite tracks from the artist’s still young career.

10. Swim Good
This track from Frank’s 2011 mixtape “Nostalgia Ultra” was one of the first indications that we were dealing with an unorthodox genius. Effortlessly blending the seemingly unrelated imagery of the sea, funerals, and highways, Ocean gives us an interesting parable about survival and killing to a hard, almost mechanical edge. The song is so deep and tightly produced that it can almost make you forget that it’s about a murder-suicide.

9. Lost
One of the most upbeat songs from Channel ORANGE is also one of its most overlooked. Ocean has a special talent for storytelling in his music. Sometimes it’s about simple actions and feelings and sometimes it’s elaborate stories that could be worthy of writing a novel out of. In this particular track Frank tells us about an attractive but ultimately naive girl who’s used as a drug mule for her suave but slimy boyfriend. It’s dangerous work but she is, as Ocean sings, “Lost in the thrill of it all,” traveling around the world and falling in love. The amount of conveyance packed into this four minute song really makes it one of the great hidden gems of R&B.

8.  Nikes
The first single from Ocean’s new album Blonde threw a lot of people off. The seemingly sporadic release, high-pitched vocals and bizarre music video were a lot to digest at the time. On my first listen I, like many others, appreciated Frank’s artistic direction but didn’t know what to make of what was supposed to be the successor to the far more radio-friendly Channel ORANGE. Like most of Blonde subsequent listen-throughs won me over with its clever lyrics (She said she needs a ring like Carmelo / Must be on that white like Othello), lackadaisical beat and well-calculated risks won me over. Frank Ocean always strives to sound different, but this was one song that took refuge in the bizarre and owned it.

7. Pink Matter
In the highly sexualized environment of music, songs about intimacy and women are a dime a dozen. What sets Pink Matter apart is just how little time Frank dwells on it. Crooning to a mellow beat, Ocean vents about his relationship frustrations, his desire for platonic affections, and childhood bliss at a time when he was oblivious to sexual desires and pursuits. It is perhaps the ultimate deconstruction of the typical R&B love song that is only enhanced tenfold by Andre 3000’s excellent verse towards the end.

6. Thinkin Bout You
Ocean’s biggest mainstream hit is well deserved of its notoriety. Unabashedly mellow and wistful, Frank compares his troubles and preparation for the future to his lover’s in-the-moment mentality. Compared to the rest of his tracks, ‘Thinkin Bout You” has an almost sweet, juvenile air to it. Rather than some broken lover looking back on what was or what could have been, it’s a song about about new love and what is. Providing a hint of warm optimism in a set full of complicated despair, “Thinkin Bout You” deserves this spot.

5. Super Rich Kids
If “Thinkin Bout You” is a lighter shade of gray, “Super Rich Kids” is pitch black. A meticulous tone thumps in the background as Ocean plays the role as a spoiled rich brat growing up in Ladera Heights. He calls out for “real love” and blames his pathetic lifestyle on his parents and friends. Whether or not this pain is justified or if his fall is all his own doing is left up to the listener. Rich (Get it?) in elaborate wordplay and puns and featuring an excellent verse from Earl Sweatshirt, this song about greed will only makes you greedy for another listen.

4. Pink + White
The pleasant, soulful beat of this gem gives off the mood of a August afternoon. Blonde has this great theme of youthful summer throughout its songs, especially the hidden dread as the season draws to a close and it’s back to school. The narrator in this song describes a blissful relationship but also notes how “it’s all downhill from here”. Although he feels on top of the world he can’t help but look down. Along with a deep message comes probably the easiest track on the whole album to listen to, and Beyonce’s backup vocals near the end make it borderline euphoric. An exceptionally deep song, Frank Ocean contemplates the mortality of lives, seasons, and relationships, and the immortal memories that string them all together.

3. Novacane
The standout track from his original “Nostalgia Ultra” mixtape, this song is notable for the whirring beat that carries it. Unlike some of his more mellow songs, Ocean’s suffering and frustrations with love and life are on full display in this piece. The beat is much, much faster than most other tracks on this list which fits with the protagonist’s racing mind as his sedative drug of choice wears off. While not as lyrically impressive as some of his album works, “Novacane” makes up for its lack of subtle style with enough substance and excellent instrumentation that it’s worth five extra listens after the beat first kicks in. Just like many others, this was the first song I ever listened to by Ocean all the way back in 2012, and it quickly won me over.

2. Nights
The track positioned perfectly at the center of Blonde, this is Ocean’s most technically spectacular song. Unlike some of his more narrative-based work, Ocean takes a step towards abstract storytelling. He focuses on his personal thoughts and feelings about the jaded, sinful nature of night compared to the youthful innocence of day. Rather than the blind bliss of “Pink + White”, Ocean opts for a more openly melancholy state when talking about his childhood. It’s a period of his life completely gone now, replaced by boozing, partying and hangovers. Many of the previously mentioned songs touch on these themes, but none fully embrace them like “Nights” does.

1. Pyramids
Clocking in at almost ten minutes long “Pyramids” is unapologetically grandiose and opulent. It’s a perfect blend of storytelling (complete with something of a plot twist in the last verse!), rhythm and theming. The vainglorious suicide of Cleopatra and her lover Antony is juxtaposed with a dingy hotel room and a relationship that has become decidedly become one-sided. Finished off with a guitar solo for the ages courtesy of John Mayer, ‘Pyramids’ combines the pop flair and the experimental influences that made Ocean so popular in the first place. The centerpiece of Channel ORANGE, “Pyramids” is the quintessential opus of not just Frank Ocean, but also modern day R&B.