Frank Ocean Finally Blesses the World with New Album "Blonde"

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After releasing Channel Orange, one of the most critically acclaimed albums of all-time, back in 2012, Frank Ocean essentially disappeared from the music scene, only coming out to occasionally build hype for the release of his highly anticipated follow-up release. His most notable announcement came in early 2015, when he revealed that his album would be dropping in July of that same year. But when the album didn’t come out as expected, without any explanation, Frank’s fans were understandably upset.

But then, over a year after the anticipated date, Frank Ocean finally released his album. Utilizing the element of surprise, Blonde was released early Saturday night after Frank debuted the single “Nikes” in the early morning while most of his fans were asleep.

For those expecting a “Channel Orange 2,” they might be a bit disappointed. On Blonde, Frank Ocean delivers a completely new sound to his audience. The lack of drums brings atmospheric and dreamy vibes to the project. This production style paired with Frank’s vocals ends up creating some incredibly beautiful sonic moments on pretty much every track. There is no really “bad” song per se. Aside from a few skits that the album could potentially do without,  every track is enjoyable and holds something that every listener can find value in. 

At the end of the day Blonde was well worth the 4+ year wait. While there might not be a track that could have as much pop appeal as “Thinkin Bout You,” his project may just be enough to keep fans satisfied for another whole four years.