A Quare Analysis of Coming Out in Frank Ocean’s and Tyler, the Creator’s Discographies

Tyler, the Creator has enjoyed nearly unrivaled buzz in the alternative hip-hop scene since the early 2010s. His eccentric music shook audiences worldwide with themes of murder, arson, and rape, so, unsurprisingly, controversy never strayed far. However, Tyler’s fourth studio album, Flower Boy (2017), presented a never-before-seen emotional tenderness, in which he comes out as having had romantic relationships with men. Despite his brave honesty, listeners reacted with doubt more than anything, as they have learned not to take what he says seriously. The contrast becomes stark when comparing Tyler’s coming-out to that of R&B artist Frank Ocean, a close friend and collaborator. In 2012, Frank revealed in a Tumblr post that his first love was with a man, which was met with praise from fans and celebrities alike. This reception of another queer Black male musician of comparable popularity shows how radically distinct the public reception of Tyler’s coming-out truly was. However, the question begs, why did everybody openly accept Frank Ocean as bisexual while finding it difficult to believe Tyler, the Creator when he came out as queer?