11 Facts About Channel Orange

Channel Orange's songwriting explores themes of unrequited love, decadence, class, and drugs through the use of surrealistic imagery, conversational devices, and descriptive narratives depicting dark characters.

Channel Orange titled the album as a reference to the neurological phenomenon grapheme–color synesthesia, through which he had perceived the color orange during the summer he first fell in love.

At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Channel Orange was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Urban Contemporary Album.

Channel Orange was inspired to write the song "Crack Rock" by stories he heard sitting in on Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous groups mentored by his grandfather, who dealt with substance abuse in his youth.

Channel Orange recorded most of the album at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, near where he was renting a home at the time.

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Ocean produced most of Channel Orange and was assisted by Malay, who played guitar, bass, keyboards, and brass instruments.

Channel Orange described his own contributions as "behind the scenes" to Ocean's "diligent" work ethic.

Channel Orange previewed songs at different stages of completion to get feedback from guest artists, some of whom he cited as his "creative heroes", including record producer Pharrell Williams, who co-wrote and co-produced "Sweet Life" with Ocean.

Similar to Nostalgia, Ultra, Channel Orange has interludes that feature sounds of organs, waves, tape decks, car doors, channel surfing, white noise, and dialogue.

Channel Orange was inspired by West and Jay-Z, who prevented their 2011 album Watch the Throne from leaking by announcing several misleading release dates.

Since then, Channel Orange has appeared on several decade-end and all-time critics' lists.