Blonde // Frank Ocean // Album Review
Tyler’s Favorite Song : “Nikes”
Matthew’s Favorite Song : “Nights”
In 2012, Frank Ocean released his first studio album, channel ORANGE. His breathtaking vocals and fresh style left his listeners stunned. The album put him in the spotlight and showed the world that he was a gifted vocalist. Not long after the album released, in the midst of his fame, Frank vanished. Four long years passed, and on August 19, 2016 he made his shocking return to the industry with his visual album, Endless. The very next day, he released his second full length album titled Blonde, and with it, Frank brought yet another masterpiece.
Our review of this album is extremely good. Through his music, Frank tells several stories and conveys his emotions. The music takes you with him on this journey as you find yourself also feeling some of what Frank is feeling. “Nikes”, which is the opening track, and the lead single, is a song with a deep meaning of picking the right friends and watching out for gold diggers. The song “Solo” is an emotional song that tells a story of love and loss. Frank talks about how he deals with his problems, and for the first time on the album, the audience recognize how much Frank’s already good vocals have progressed since channel ORANGE. However, the track “Nights” is arguably the most reminiscent of Frank’s old work on this album. This song begins with an upbeat nature before eventually completely flipping into a slow, rhythmic vibe about Frank’s life growing up and his hardships. The album closes on a strange but fitting note, with the final track “Futura Free”. This song ends the album with a message to his mom, friends, and fans, as he assures them that he has finally made it.
This album is more mature, and more serious than Frank’s previous works, and it shows that the four-year wait for more of his music was well worth it. The soulful songs and the soothing sound of Frank’s now perfect vocals make this one of the highest points in all of music during 2016. We give this album a 4.75 out of 5. Frank’s return to music was an excellent one, and we hope it doesn’t take four years for another release. This album is available on iTunes and Spotify.