Frank Ocean attends 2013 Time 100 Gala
Katonya Breaux & Frank Ocean (Photo: Dia Dipasupil).
Frank Ocean wore a black Lanvin suit, bow tie, and shoes to the 2013 Time 100 Gala, held at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 23. He brought his mother, Katonya Breaux, as his plus-one. Time invited Ocean to the event after naming him as one of the world’s most influential people in its annual Time 100 list, published in a special issue of the magazine on April 18.
Time asked singer-songwriter John Legend to write a blurb about Ocean for this year’s list. Legend highlighted Ocean’s creative talent, his 2012 album Channel Orange, and his 2012 coming-out letter about his sexuality:
Frank is brilliant. The day I started writing with him, it was clear that he has a very interesting mind and a distinctive way of expressing himself. He was fearless and innately creative. You talk to some people in this business, and you get the sense that they’re very focused on radio: what will be a hit or won’t be a hit. You never get that from Frank. The focus is on creating something that’s beautiful, that’s great art.
Frank broke a lot of rules with his album Channel Orange. He wasn’t focused on “What’s gonna be my single?” And obviously, one of the cardinal rules was that he wasn’t supposed to come out. But he did, and he did it in a way that speaks to what kind of artist he is, in a beautifully written letter to his fans. The day the letter was published, he came over to my house for a July 4 barbecue, where he was among friends who supported him and showed him love.
How fitting that he released his “declaration” on Independence Day. I think Frank’s career will be defined by his fearlessness and his artistic freedom. He has the talent, the ability, and the brilliance to have an impact for a long time. He will follow his muse wherever it goes—he’s not the kind of artist to adhere to everyone else’s schedule. That’s what makes him special.
The full Time 100 list is available at Time.com. Photos from the ball are shown below.
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