Pyramids (song)

Not to be confused with Pyramid (song) or Pyramid Song.

"Pyramids"
Single by Frank Ocean
from the album Channel Orange
ReleasedJune 7, 2012[1][2][3]
Recorded2012
Genre
Length9:53
LabelDef Jam[7]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Frank Ocean singles chronology
"Thinkin Bout You"
(2012) 		"Pyramids"
(2012) 		"Sweet Life"
(2012)

"Pyramids" is a song by American singer Frank Ocean, released as the second single from his debut studio album Channel Orange (2012). The song was written by Ocean and produced by Malay and Om'Mas Keith. The track features an uncredited guitar solo from singer and guitarist John Mayer. On June 7, 2012, Ocean posted a small teaser video featuring a snippet of the song onto his Tumblr account, and released the full, nearly 10-minute song later that day onto his official SoundCloud account.

The song explores a narrative of a pimp falling in love with one of his sex workers. Lyrically, the track contains several extended metaphors referencing Cleopatra, pyramids, strip clubs and luxury. The song received highly positive reviews and was called epic in nature by several publications, who praised the ambition and scope of the track's length, along with the lyrical merit.

The song was featured in a teaser for Ocean's then-upcoming album and was released with a cover that featured The Simpsons style characters. The music video was directed by Nabil Elderkin and featured an orange car with an atmospheric background. The song has since debuted on the UK R&B Chart at number 31. The track has been featured during television promos for Channel Orange. Ocean performed "Pyramids" during his Channel Orange tour through North America.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference pitch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference billy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ James, David and Paul (September 6, 2012). "Blog jam: Bonafide Magazine". The Guardian. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference pitch2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Sacher, Andrew. "30 essential psychedelic soul songs". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ^ Youngs, Ian (2012-01-05). "Sound of 2012: Frank Ocean". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  8. ^ a b Wete, Brad (2012-07-06). "Interview: Frank Ocean's Co-Writer And Producer Malay". Complex Magazine. Complex Media. Retrieved 2018-06-15.