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 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. On February 21, 2013, Ocean confirmed that he had started work on his next studio album, which he confirmed would be another concept album.
In 2020, Pitchfork named it the best album of the 2010s and Rolling Stone ranked it at number 79 on their updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Metacritic named it the third most critically acclaimed album of the year by music publications. Among other publications, Time named it the best album of 2016. 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).
Supported by its lead single " Nikes", the album debuted at number one in several countries, including the United States. Critics also complimented the album for challenging the conventions of R&B and pop music. The album's themes surrounds Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by sexual experiences, heartbreak, loss and trauma.īlonde received widespread acclaim, with critics praising Ocean's introspective lyrics and the album's unconventional and progressive sounds. Additionally, the Beach Boys' de facto leader Brian Wilson is recognized as a strong influence on the album's lush arrangements and layered vocal harmonies, while the guitar and keyboard rhythms on the album are noted by critics as languid and minimal. The album draws influences from Stevie Wonder, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys, while Ocean's 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 Om'Mas Keith, who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange, as well as James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij, among others.īlonde features an abstract and experimental sound in comparison to Ocean's previous releases, encompassing styles such as R&B, pop, soul, indie rock, electronica, psychedelia, and hip hop. The album features guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé, Yung Lean, and Kim Burrell, among others. Its physical release was accompanied by a magazine entitled Boys Don't Cry.īeginning in 2013 and ending in 2016, recording for the album took place at New York's Electric Lady Studios and, after a period of writer's block, in London at Abbey Road Studios and in Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios. Initially known as Boys Don't Cry and teased for a July 2015 release, the album suffered several delays and was the subject of widespread media anticipation leading up to its release. In 2013, Ocean confirmed that his follow up to Channel Orange would be another concept album. It was released on August 20, 2016, as a timed exclusive on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and followed the August 19 release of Ocean's video album Endless. It was a timely reminder: Ocean blossoms fully when he has complete creative control.Blonde (alternatively titled blond) is the second studio album by American singer Frank Ocean.
In 2016, after missed release dates and cryptic silence, Frank surprise-released Endless, his final record with Def Jam, via a black-and-white live video stream-and, the next day, self-released Blonde, an album that blurred boundaries between soul, hip-hop, electronica, and indie rock.
Though never outwardly labeling his sexuality, Frank became one of the first black artists to address his queerness so openly. That website remains his direct communication line to his fans-the platform on which he revealed that his “first love” was a man, days prior to releasing his 2012 major-label debut, Channel Orange.
Raised in New Orleans, the singer/songwriter signed to Def Jam as a solo artist in 2009, but his contentious relationship with the label led him to share his 2011 breakout mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA as a free download on Tumblr. A master of confessional songwriting, Frank Ocean (aka Christopher Breaux) earned cult-icon status with his enigmatic persona and idiosyncratic approach to pop.