The mysterious R&B artist Frank Ocean captivated audiences as he exclusively released the awaited sophomore album “Blonde” through Apple music and iTunes. Attached with the initial release came a wave of Ocean like material: a visual album entitled “Endless” that features Frank Ocean building an endless staircase accompanied by new music separate from “Blonde”, a four pop-up stores in various cities that included merchandise from Frank Ocean, and a vague 300 page magazine that was the former album’s name, “Boys Don’t Cry.” The 17 track album, “Blonde” (cover art spelled blond) adds luscious wordplay and verses that challenge the source of thought and causes an intimate realization of self and what it means to be alone and personal.
Frank Ocean reached an aesthetic that most artists dream of obtaining. He spent four, long years, perfecting it, to find the voice and tone he wanted to deliver to his audience. Ocean’s music and tone represents a light and mellow form that allows for deep interpretation. Lines cannot be simply skipped over if something is repeated there is a deeper meaning. The music is about the subtle experiences, that appear to be universal, but at the same time very particular. There is no hit single, not like ‘Thinking ‘bout You’ from “Channel Orange”, instead if a song were to be singled out, the full understanding would be misunderstood. It would be compromised.
The features on “Blonde” are minimal as well. Beyoncé provides subtle humming in the backdrop of "Pink+White," and Andre 3000 receives the best treatment, solidifying the reprisal of the song ‘Solo’ as he raps about the abilities that are acquired from being a solo man. Andre 3000 also contributes a slight jab towards ghost writers and the faultiness of producing music that came from the pen of another.
The beats itself are not something that comes from a producer who just emailed Ocean to lay a couple verses to make a track. No, years were spent to find the perfect reflection of the true inner style Ocean wants to portray. The album proves why artists should never be rushed. The awkward teases of would be releases makes a listener ponder why Ocean chose to wait an extra month. The simple answer becomes art cannot be rushed.
Waiting the four years felt like a lifetime, but with the music produced and carefully manipulated, Ocean managed to intrigue many audiences to feel that it was worth the wait. And it would be safe to assume that if waiting another four years would hope to produce something on the same level as “Blonde”, it would create the appreciation.
