Frank Ocean and Solange brought a dose of black excellence to FYF Fest 2017 . Ocean, 29, and Solo, 31, were the youngest solo headliners at this year’s festival, which was held at Exposition Park in Los Angeles.
To be fair, Ocean was easily the most-anticipated act on the bill. In the weeks before FYF, it seemed as if he was dodging the stage, after canceling a string of shows due to “production delays.”
In June, Ocean performed for the first time in three years at NorthSide Music Festival in Denmark. And by the time he made it to the FYF Fest, the images in his stage show had been refined to near perfection, as he performed a setlist of that included, “Ivy,” “Pink + White” “Biking,” “Good Guy,” “Lens,” Thinkin’ Bout You.”
With director Spike Jonez behind the camera, the New Orleans-born singer created a mini-movie for the crowd, complete with a Brad Pitt cameo.
BRUH FRANK OCEAN REALLY BROUGHT OUT BRAD PITT TO SIT AND “LISTEN ON A PHONE” (CLOSE TO YOU/NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE) pic.twitter.com/WwKpkNN2oW
— Cody Patrick (@codysfunctional) July 23, 2017
The Grammy-winner covered Stevie Wonder’s rendition of The Carpenters’ “Close To You,” while Pitt sat on the side of the stage pretending to be on the phone.
Though Pitt’s guest appearance stunned the crowd, the world’s biggest movie star couldn’t dim Ocean’s shine. And the singer became more comfortable with the crowd (even when he made mistakes) as the show came to a close.
On Sunday (July 23), Solange brought A Seat at the Table to FYF Fest, where she further proved that her creative aesthetic will never go out of style.
From choreography to wardrobe and lighting, Solo’s “magical” performance served as a full optical feast with “Don’t Touch My Hair,” “Mad,” and “FUBU,” weaved among older records like “T.O.N.Y.” (from her Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams LP), on the menu.
Solange and Ocean certainly made a mark at FYF Fest, but the annual musical festival offered a little something for everyone. The eclectic performance roster featured fellow headliners Missy Elliott, Nine Inch Nail, A Tribe Called Quest, MGMT, and Bjork; along with Erykah Badu, Little Dragon, Iggy Pop, Thundercat, Kehlani, Majid Jordan, Flying Lotus, and Run the Jules.