In The Guardian’s review of the album reviewer Tim Jonze called Blonde, “one of the most intriguing and contrary records ever made.” It is considered to be one of the greatest R&B/pop albums of all time. Blonde debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and sold 276,000 album-equivalent units. Upon its release, the album was met with critical acclaim. On Augthe lead single “Nikes”, was released with an accompanying music video exclusively on Apple Music. The magazine also features an alternate version of Blonde. The magazine, titled Boys Don’t Cry, is a companion piece to Blonde and features various types of content including poetry and interviews from Frank himself. The album was released both physically, in magazines given away in pop-up stores around the country, and digitally on iTunes. The album was released on August 20, 2016, following a four-year hiatus after the release of channel ORANGE. The publication was rumored to be called Boys Dont Cry, and was slated to feature the aforementioned Memrise, although the track did not make the final track listing.Blonde is the second studio album by the enigmatic Frank Ocean. The album was ultimately not released in July, with no explanation given for its delay. The Independent wrote that one track bleeds languidly into another, as if were listening to a long, stoned stream-of-consciousness, and described the albums sound as a glitchy, miasmic brand of RB. Nina Corcoran from Consequence of Sound described Blonde as featuring an avant-garde minimalist style similar to the work of Brian Eno, and noted that Ocean often utilizes acoustic and electric guitars over traditional synth and bass-heavy RB. Songs change shape subtly as they go, rarely ending in the same place they began.Īnn Powers described the album as equal parts psychedelic indie rock, post- IDM electronica, post- U2 Coldplay -esque Eno -pop, post- Drake hip hop, and post- Maxwell drifty soul RB, and wrote that experimental, druggy sonics abound. The albums themes surrounds Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by personal heartbreak, loss and trauma. Were not telling the stories to ourselves, we know the story, were just seeing it in flashes overlaid.įeaturing a use of guitar and keyboard loops, writers noted that the rhythms on the album are languid and minimal. Surprising, to me, because the current phase is what I was asking the cosmos for when I was a kid. The Guardian described the song as: a song which affirms that despite reportedly changing labels and management, he has maintained both his experimentation and sense of melancholy in the intervening years. On November 29, 2014, Ocean released a snippet of a new song supposedly from his upcoming follow-up to Channel Orange called Memrise on his official Tumblr page. In June 2014, Billboard reported that the singer was working with a string of artists such as Happy Perez (whom he worked with on Nostalgia, Ultra ), Charlie Gambetta and Kevin Ristro, while producers Hit-Boy, Rodney Jerkins and Danger Mouse were also said to be on board.
Ocean ultimately began recording at New Yorks Electric Lady Studios and, after a period of writers block, recorded in London at Abbey Road Studios in addition to various other studios. He also stated that he was interested in collaborating with Tame Impala and King Krule and wanted to record the album in Bora Bora.
He later stated that he was being influenced by The Beach Boys and The Beatles. He revealed that he was working with Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell Williams, and Danger Mouse on the record. It earned first week sales of 275,000 with album-equivalent units in the US, with 232,000 being pure sales, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).Īmong other publications, Time named it the best album of 2016. Supported by its lead single Nikes, the album debuted at number one in several countries, including the United States. The albums themes surrounds Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by sexual experiences, heartbreak, loss and trauma.Ĭritics also complimented the album for challenging the conventions of RB and pop music. The album draws influences from Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys, while Oceans use of pitch shifted vocals particularly drew comparisons to Prince by critics. Production was handled by Ocean himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers, including Malay and OmMas Keith, who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange, as well as James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij, among others. The album features guest vocals from Andr 3000, Beyonc, Yung Lean, and Kim Burrell, among others.