Self Control

Album: Blonde (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • Frank Ocean attempts to woo somebody who has caught his eye here. He can't control himself around the person and wants to be with them, even though they are also involved with someone else.
  • Austin Feinstein of LA band Slow Hollows sings the first chorus. He previously worked with Ocean's fellow Odd Future member Tyler, The Creator, when he appeared in the video for the song "F---ing Young/Perfect." Feinstein is joined on the second run of the hook by Swedish rapper Yung Lean.
  • The distinctive vocal of Swedish rapper and singer-songwriter Yung Lean can be heard in the second chorus. He recalled the story of the collaboration during an interview with MTV News: "Frank Ocean called me when I was in Stockholm when I was like 17. I was buying drugs on a subway station and Frank Ocean called me and I was very very surprised. He was like, 'Hello Yung Lean, do you know who this is?' Like, 'No, who is this?' 'Frank Ocean, I would love to have you come over to London and record with me.'"

    "We had dinner. We had Indian spicy dinner and watched The Dictator — me, Mike Dean, and Frank Ocean," he added. "I was drinking lean and smoking weed, recording. I was singing on this part with me and Kid Cudi, and Frank was telling me to like, 'cause I had like this super raspy voice and was, like, was drinking lean, and he's like, 'Yes, keep on singing like that Jonathan, Lean. That's perfect. That's perfect.'"

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