Where to begin... My favorite modern R&B artist, Frank Ocean, has returned, but I still can’t tell whether or not it was worth the wait. No matter how you feel about the agonizing build-up, we should all be thankful he didn’t Lauryn Hill us. But since he didn’t bail, Frank Ocean had the very difficult task of following up one of the masterpieces of this decade. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he couldn’t do justice to what we wanted his sophomore effort to be. Unfortunately, multiple delays only made his fans hungrier. Ever since the first delay in July 2015, I was constantly checking for any signs of Ocean's return, scrounging for any hints at new music. If history has taught us anything, it’s that hype is a detriment. Expectations can only hurt. Admittedly, this happens to me too. It’s why I was initially disappointed upon the first run-through of this album. But, as always, things eventually grow on me and I learn to value the pros over being fixated on the cons. Some of these initial reservations I still hold, but a few reservations turned into aspects I now adore about this album.

Very few times does this album reach the heights of Channel Orange, but those heights might as well be on another planet. Ocean may be a genius, but I’m doubtful he has another “Pyramids” left in him. Like “Purple Rain” before it, there may not be another R&B opus of epic proportions like it for another couple of decades. Even if he could write another song like “Pyramids”, I highly doubt he’d revisit that territory. As evident from this release, Ocean is an explorer. Explorers are risky; they can never settle into one sound, even if that sound has yet to be worn and torn. Miles Davis, David Bowie, Kanye West are all masters of the craft who are always moving and can never sit comfortable with one sound. If this pattern continues, it looks like Ocean just might be one of them.

Blonde isn’t a dramatic shift from Channel Orange, but I’m pretty sure no one expected something this minimal. Quiet, but also intensely beautiful. On a record this subtle, the softest moments tend to ring the loudest. It’s almost too minimal, but Ocean is not one to let us completely doze off. You’ll easily get lost in these psychedelic textures; just listen to “Skyline To," a song that words can’t do justice to when describing its meditative, serene and celestial nature. You might even be intrigued by Ocean’s existential ramblings. Some are insightful, some are downright preachy. I find the straightforward ones the best.

“It’s hell on Earth and the city’s on fire. Inhale, in hell, there’s heaven. There’s a bull and a matador dueling in the sky. Inhale, in hell, there’s heaven.”

Ocean may have just given us his finest refrain yet. I can assure you that neither The Weeknd or R. Kelly will attempt to get this intellectual. But Blonde is nowhere near as accessible as either of those two’s work. Assuming Ocean even cares about chart potential, it’s hard to see any of these songs hitting the Billboard. Maybe “Ivy” and “Pink + White”, but there sure isn’t a “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You” on here. It’s great work, but few songs are as enticing as some of Channel Orange’s poppier moments. Don’t get me wrong, this is pop music in the guise of avant-garde R&B (if that’s even a thing). No matter what the album parades itself as it’s always compelling, but on a melodic level, it comes up short.

One question keeps pressing me: Is it worth the wait? I won’t deny that it made me think harder than any album in recent memory, but it also made me ask myself whether I loved this album as much as I admired it. It’s uneven, a couple of interludes too many, but above all, it’s a poignant listen and full of original ideas. In “Godspeed”, you may think Ocean is talking about a former lover, but in actuality, it’s his childhood. Holding back tears may be a challenge to the emotional listener. No doubt the work of a genius, and even though we’re fresh off a new album, I do wish time could be sped up if only to hear his next work. But was it worth the wait? I probably can’t answer that until his next album, but always remember this: This album took four years to complete. Channel Orange is more fulfilling in each and every way, and he did it in one. A-