“Blond” delivers after four years of anticipation. (Photo courtesy of Abbey Road Studios)

Henry St. Pierre
Connector Staff

Frank Ocean rose to prominence as a member of the Los Angeles-based alternative hip-hop collective, “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All”, more commonly referred to as “Odd Future.” Ocean made a name for himself with his breakout mixtape, “Nostalgia, Ultra” in 2011, and his debut studio album “Channel Orange” propelled Christopher Edwin Breaux (Ocean’s birth name) to superstardom in 2012.

“Channel Orange” set a bar as high as the stars for Frank Ocean, as fans and critics alike both anticipated something even greater for his next album. The buildup (quite literally, as I’ll explain later) – to his sophomore album was extensive, and Ocean’s secretive nature only added more suspense as the years went by without another album being released.

It was rumored for two years that Ocean’s sophomore album was nearly finished, only to have it not actually be released. Frank Ocean became a resented figure in music as fans did not know what he was doing. He became an Internet meme as a symbol of disappearance. Finally, in July 2016, the rumors of the long-awaited second album came to fruition when Frank Ocean’s brother posted what appeared to be the title of the new album, “Boys Don’t Cry”. As it turned out, “Boys Don’t Cry” was actually the name of Ocean’s magazine, which he went on to sell at various pop-up shops. On August 1, 2016, a live-stream of what was to become Ocean’s “Endless” visual album began, which shows Ocean building stairs, a possible metaphor to his building up to something great. And finally, and mercifully, on August 20, 2016, after four years of peaked and valleyed emotions of music-listeners, Ocean released his album, “Blonde.”

The album’s title adds one more piece of confusion as the album cover reads “blond” while music publications and Apple itself calls the album “Blonde.” The Apple version of the album is 17 tracks – a very strange 17 tracks. The album seems very experimental, yet very calculated and purposeful. Most of the tracks have extremely sparse instrumentation, giving Ocean’s vocals the spotlight, and the power of his lyrics and voice are practically shouting “I spent four years on this!”

The album opens with the track “Nikes,” and it is quite the way to begin an album. It is a stand-out track; the instrumental is hypnotizing, and the vocals (with a chipmunk, high-pitched effect being used) could bring the toughest person to tears (ironic, considering the magazine name). The lyrics are incredibly powerful, a trend that continues for most of the songs to come. One line that really stands out is “R.I.P Trayvon, that n***a looks just like me,” as Ocean sings in a voice that sounds like it is on the verge of tears.

Another track that pops out of the tracklist is “Self Control.” Ocean’s smooth vocals glide over an easy guitar rhythm while again singing lyrics which one can tell were the subject of tedious tinkering and perfectionism over the span of four years.

“Solo” is a track that is extraordinarily somber with its organ instrumentation, with an ominous whistling sound being heard every few seconds. On “Solo (Reprise),” Andre 3000 delivers an amazingly-flowed verse in a track just over a minute.

A major trend in the music of this album is its mixture of sounds, samples and track lengths. “Pink + White” is a more classic R&B track featuring backing vocals from Beyonce, while there are five songs that hover around the minute mark. “Futura Free” is the album’s concluding track and it is nine minutes, 24 seconds of sparse instrumentation, samples of Ocean’s friends talking about life, and a blank space in the middle of the song that makes it seem like the song is over when in actuality another four minutes remain. It is a mixed bag of musical expression, and it is a mixed bag of artistry.

Judging only from a first listen through the album, it may seem boring. There are not many catchy instrumentals. The genius in this album lies in its nuances and intricacies which only reveal themselves through multiple listens and undivided focus. Listen to this album with eyes shut and absorb everything this album has to offer and it is easy to hear why it took four years to craft this art. Art, it seems, can never be rushed.

This album is not something to bump in the car or at a party. It is something to listen to, not to simply just hear. It is something to make time for, not to pass time with. Frank Ocean spent four years creating this album. He can now rest, for the time being, knowing that people will be listening to “Blonde” or “Blond” (whatever it’s called) for a lot longer than four years.