In the four years following his debut "Channel Orange," Frank Ocean appeared to have played with the emotions of his fans by prolonging his next album. In 2016, not only did he release an album, he released a website giving a sneak preview stream of what was to come. This was followed by the visual project "Endless" and led to the Apple Music-exclusive release of the long-awaited second album "Blond." Not to mention that the rumored Boys Don't Cry was actually a magazine that was created and is being released by way of Pop-Up shops across the country. Many have wondered if the long wait was worthwhile, and in all honesty, it was. For those who may not be so lucky to listen to the album which is currently only on Apple Music, here are some things to look out for in Frank Ocean's highly-anticipated sophomore album.

Sexuality

Frank's sexuality was first hinted at in "Channel Orange," and has been long regarded that Frank was either bisexual or gay. He even wrote a coming out letter and posted it to his Tumblr account back in 2012. So we do have an answer - sort of. Anyway, he dabbles into his sexuality and relationships all throughout the album. Here that we get a look into Ocean's life. Whether it be past or present experiences, or maybe even fictitious, who knows? Openly and confidently we hear the stories of love, the end of a relationship, and even the thought of reigniting an old flame. This in itself is groundbreaking, as it is more common now than ever that musicians are open with who they are as a person, given the circumstances similar to being under the lens of a microscope. In theory, this generation alone has been more open about who they are, and they're not necessarily afraid to show it, Ocean being one of them, but more subtle. Now who it is that Ocean is talking about is unknown, but one can only hope that we get an answer in due time (or it'll probably stay private, which is okay too).

Mellowness and Sensitivity

It's no surprise that "Blond" was more on the mellow, laid back side of the music spectrum. The cool melodic sounds of guitars dominate the entirety of the album, and the best part is that it meshes beautifully with Ocean's voice and every lyric that follows it. In "Blond," we see a more stripped-down version of Frank Ocean. Even with both "Channel Orange" and the predecessor mixtape "Nostalgia, Ultra" there was always a laid-back energy that would keep you relaxed and made the music enjoyable. Blond is albeit a more up-close and personal side to Frank Ocean in the sense of being relatable and can even make you reminiscent of your own love live experiences and lessons. In the record titled "Facebook Story," a man describes how his ex broke up with him because he didn't add her on the social media site and assumed he was cheating. "...I could hate you now. It's quite alright to hate me now...But we both know deep down the feeling's still--deep down it's good..." referencing an old relationship that has gone sour in the second song, Ivy. The evident devastation in the failed love gives both despair and hope in what could either become reignited, or simply nothing more than a memory in yesteryear.

The All-Star Guestlist

In this four year wait, it's pretty evident that although this project wasn't just a solo effort. Contributions were made from all over the music industry, from well-known names like Andre 3000, Pharrell, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West to seasoned musical geniuses Rick Rubin and Johnny Greenwood. Even inspiration can be traced to The Beatles and the late David Bowie. The credits for "Blond" can be found in the Boy Don't Cry magazine which also nods countless others for their part in making the album one way or another.

There's also quite a few unexpected nods in "Blond" too. For instance, Gospel and R&B singer Kim Burrell, Japanese rappers KOHH and Loota, and even Swedish rapper Yung Lean have all played a part in the making of this project. Although all very different from one another, they all had something that made "Blond" more eclectic and individual than other music out now.

Production and Speculation

The first bit of speculation post-Channel Orange began with a simple Tumblr post, which led the belief of Frank Ocean releasing both an album and a magazine. Although it can even be traced further than that when rumors swirled of a 2015 release, which in turn, never happened. There was even word that allegedly the album wasn't even started yet, which resulted in angry fans telling Ocean to hurry with the album, as well as memes inspired by what appeared to be procrastination. Well, those fans were thanked in a personal message from Ocean himself. So in short it was well worth the reminding and the wait. Many had wondered what Ocean was doing with his time following "Channel Orange." First, a sneak-peek live stream appeared, which seemed as if Ocean was trolling practically everyone, and ended up being a mini-lesson in respecting creative space and energy. From there "Endless," a visual album dropped, releasing several songs and showing Ocean himself building a staircase. Then came the "Boys Don't Cry" magazine released for free in Pop-Up shops, and finally the moment we've waited for: "Blond."

Final Thoughts

All in all, I must say that "Blond" definitely did not disappoint, and makes for a great album. As for the explanations of Ocean's inspiration, I'll leave that to him to explain if he chooses to. After a four year long wait, it was well worth the anticipation and the gems within that album. Although currently only exclusive to Apple Music, other streaming sites such as Tidal and Spotify will probably have the album soon enough (fingers crossed). It can truly be said that Blond will show you many different emotions, but for some reason, they all seem to work with one another. No matter how it makes you feel, the album which is just over an hour long and filled with 17 melodic, vibrant and eclectic records will be sure to soothe and prove that Frank Ocean's relevance as an artist is very far from over.