Lyrically he’s both playful and somber, passionate and sweet, all of which listeners sense with the topic hopping Ocean does on the album. “I’ll be the boyfriend in your wet dreams tonight”
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FRANK OCEAN BLONDE ALBUM REVIEWS PLUS
“Nights” is possibly the most strictly “pop” song in the most typical sense of the word-it’s very melodic with a distinct and heavy beat, plus a jaw dropping impressive second half transition. Before it trails off it allows for an ending with a choir which is a gorgeous choice and once again implies the artists eclectic nature. There are the underlying vibes of a song talking about the anxieties of a new relationship and they all come pouring out in those nine words.Īn idiosyncratic musician, Ocean can transform from the sweet seductive pain of “Solo” and move onto “Skyline To”, a bare number at the star that slowly builds, a low percussion providing the backbone. It’s a resurgence of liveliness after a few meditative numbers with the “ it’s hell on earth and the city’s on fire” refrain being one of the most powerfully composed lines of “Blond”, Oceans vocals strong, strained and emotive. I had to pause every few seconds to see if the song had actually ended yet.īlonde isn’t afraid to play with convention or genre labeling, which means “Pink + White” can sound as if it were hand picked out of the mid-90’s hip-hop catalog, skip to a spoken word interlude, to “Solo” which takes the slower pace the album had struck and dials it up to ten. It also, despite being one of the many highlights of the 45 minute piece, is one of the first examples of how strange the transitions are on Blonde. His version of a bittersweet love song, it surpasses what’s expected of an R&B ballad and instead utilizing dream pop aesthetics with surf guitars and a killer ending that explodes. He sings: “I thought I was dreamin when you said you loved me” “Ivy” which picks up immediately after it greater pins down what makes Ocean such an engaging performer. Soulful, synth heavy and laden with a personal message, it’s far from the strongest song he has but it sets the mood. Kicking off with the song “Nikes” the album immediately solidifies what will be the all encompassing tonality of the songs to follow, while also invoking the death of Trayvon Martin. Beyond a piece of pop legacy, Blonde is a work that will forever fit into the modern zeitgeist, something that both celebrates artistry and pop music and, best of all, what happens when the two blend together. Any artist would have been daunted at the prospect of following that up but Ocean does so with gusto.
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Ocean made waves with his debut Channel Orange, a game changing piece of art that defied genre congestion. With a plethora of guest appearances and industry giants appearing on his latest, Blonde was about as hyped as an album can be in the vast world of music, and it nearly delivers on all fronts. His release of Blonde wasn’t just terrific for his fans, but music in general as the figurative dam broke and albums began to pour in. With some mighty determination they’ve done their best to brush off any image of fan entitlement but the hunger for his music has been present as we’ve slogged through a rather lackluster summer of music debuts.
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For fans of Frank Ocean the wait for his latest album Blonde has been aggravating, to say the least.