The long winding journey leading up to Frank Ocean’s highly anticipated album Blonde resembled the meticulously crafted staircase showcased on Endless, Ocean’s visual project that successfully enamored the Internet. Despite the frustration felt by fans who had been continuously disappointed over the years by Frank’s calculated teasing, the raw, mixtape aesthetic of Endless excelled in captivating its widespread audience. A splendid vocal performance from Ocean over a wide array of quickly transforming production provided a giant sigh of relief. For those who had been in a famine since the critically acclaimed and globally celebrated landmark work of Channel Orange, Endless served as a tasteful appetizer and spurred more hunger for an even greater body of work.
Quenching the thirst of the masses, a music video for “Nikes” was quickly followed by Blonde, a 17-track entree with more than enough substance to make up for the years of unfulfilled expectations. However, those who suspected an album in the same vein as Channel Orange did not have the foresight to predict Ocean’s evolution as an ambitious creative. The enchanting serenity of his voice may be familiar, but Blonde places Ocean on a grander throne of perspective, leaving behind easily accessible records for more abstract stories which tell rich tales of duality and compelling romance existing in many forms.
Lead single and appropriate intro track “Nikes” is filled with socially relevant lines (‘RIP Trayvon, that nigga look just like me’) and commentary on materialism while setting the tone for a project built upon relatable themes, yet delivered by an artist who is unmatched in his ability to command attention. Not forcefully, but with a refreshing freedom allowing the listener to either to enjoy the music at face value or break down each word brick by brick.
Records such as “Ivy” and “Pink + White” glow in their deep-rooted nostalgia and excel sonically in their stripped-back nature, a quality of Blonde that provides Ocean with a humble spotlight throughout the duration of the album. And while the pure ecstasy of Frank’s voice transports us to a sunny drive in one of his BMW’s on the coast of California, his masterful songwriting makes it clear we are living in a flawed world.
One of many standout cuts “Solo” hits on attempting to deal with both internal/external chaos (‘It’s hell on Earth and the city’s on fire, Inhale, inhale there’s heaven’) via drug use, but the battles travel deeper than marijuana hits. It is the moments on Blonde entrenched with struggles of loneliness and lost love that make it so profound. Perhaps there is no better track exemplifying Ocean’s storytelling aptitude and mastery of mood than “Nights”, an epic display of versatility blending in melodic raps and multiple beat switches soaked in atmospheric R&B grooves, which are incredibly well-fit for Ocean’s verses depicting life after leaving his home of New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina.
As a whole, Blonde is thematically open-ended and meditative in its sparse production, all while containing experimental moments such as the jarring intro of “Pretty Sweet” and quick-strike, Stevie Wonder influenced “Close To You”. In terms of contributions, Andre 3000 is an obvious highlight with his inspired verse on “Solo (Reprise)”, but Blonde is an album created with carefully thought-out influences which cannot be labeled via a mere track-list. The emotional depth heard on records such as “White Ferrari” and “Seigfried” come from an impassioned artist who delved deeply into his soul in order to create inspiration, rather than take it from the work of others.
It will take some time before we can accurately gauge Blonde’s broader impact, and every listen results in new takeaways not heard the first time around. But one thing is for sure as of right now — Frank Ocean is a rare specimen in how he can tenderly compel you to listen and fully absorb his every word in an era where other artists overstep their boundaries for the slightest bit of attention. In Blonde, Frank Ocean perfects the balance of delivering an album with complex undertones through unpretentious execution.
By not succumbing to outside pressures and turning a fabled gem into what is sure to be one of the most revered albums of the year, perhaps Ocean will galvanize others to patiently seek out the answers to their existential questions, and package them into art that can be comfortably comprehended, yet also pass the precious test of time.
Repeatable: “Solo”, “Nights”
Skippable: “Be Yourself”
Purchase: iTunes