thinking about how I don't think there's anyone who's quite mastered the art of sprinkling references into a pop song quite like him. looking back it wasn't even the most obscure films or music but always very tasteful and just written into the song in a very elegant way

and it's kind of cool how he even helped mainstreaming stuff he referenced, like I'd argue him and Vegyn did for Aphex Twin. ofc he was already a big deal but I think they helped bridge his stuff outside of the electronic nerd bubble and show it as "cool" for a younger gen.

being a youngin then it was such a sick way to get exposed to various artists, his songs and Blonded radio rly had a noticable influence on my taste back in the day. I dunno if we quite have a pop star today who curates this intentionally for his audience like that.

Is you a natural blondie like Goku?
Sleepin' on my belly in a loop like a serpent
Talking Heads ripplin' on the surface

Eyes low, chin heavy, shoegazer
Moonwalkin', R.I.P. Stanley Kubrick

who's writing like this man.. just this density of references but then also how he plays with them

So much of Frank’s work is referential, it’s almost crazy no one in his lane has been able to crack the code. I like how his references are never overly sentimental nor do they rely solely on the referenced material to launder his reputation through them.

Like, he doesn’t sing “remember when we cried and listened to Elliot Smith in your car” or something to that effect. The reference is there, and even often important, but he treats that source of inspiration as a sort of fact of his life rather than this super cool thing that he needs people to know he knows.