Super Rich Kids

“Super Rich Kids with nothing but loose ends, super rich kids with nothing but fake friends” – Frank Ocean 

Super Rich Kids encompasses the emotional undercurrents of being a teen in a predominantly upper-middle class, urban environment. Entering teenhood and adjusting to a big city at the same time brought a lot of change into my life; new environments, new people, new expectations, and the overwhelming desire to fit in. When I found this song, Super Rich Kids, in grade 9, it personally resonated with me then, and even more so now. As a privileged teen, everything is about the thrill and image. Our lives are painted as glamorous: full of clean uniforms, extra-curriculars, and parties. I was given access to everything, except for true emotional connection. Along with wealth comes “loose ends” and “fake friends”. This suggests the performative friendships of being in highschool. After moving into a new school, there were people who saw me first by my appearance and social status than who I truly felt I was. Here, people were noticeably more well-off than my last school, and I quickly noticed how people formed opinions on me based on surface-level and materialistic things. For a while, I subconsciously conformed to the narratives others wanted of me. But now, unlike Frank Ocean’s song, I found the friends I knew I wouldn’t have to change myself to be with. I prioritize people who value me for who I really am. With them, I never feel insecure about liking certain things or acting in a specific way. In the end, I found the “real love” that the song never accomplished.