August 2016, Frank Ocean released his surprise album ‘Blonde’ which happens to be my favorite album by him. It’s hard to put into words the impact this album had on me as well as friends and other social groups. It is the highlight of many memories, good and bad throughout my college career and it’s one that’ll live on for a while.
For many years fans felt trolled due to the fact that Frank took to Tumblr to tease t
he album and speculate dates with pictures of library cards with dates on it but we finally got what we wanted in 2016; two full length albums that released one day apart.
There was the initial release of his visual album, Endless that came straight to Apple Music for a limited time. At first, this is what we wanted! New music from Frank after years of staying out of the light.
Endless was a great album all around. One that’s also fun to watch if you still have access to links or physical copies of the album. Although this album was swept under the rug due to the release of the Blonde the very next day it’s still something I watch/listen to if I’m bored on the sofa or cleaning.
August 20th, marked the four year anniversary of Blonde by Frank. As I’m writing this post, I am currently listening to the album and all I can say is wow! Looking back on it, this is one of few albums that aged so well over these years. Even in 2020, each listen seems just as good as the first time.
In Blonde, Frank sports a more soulful sound. One that’s calm and relaxing. Four years from the release of his critically acclaimed Channel Orange, Frank delivered an album that we couldn’t resist. The amount of pressure that sat on Frank’s shoulders in regards to Blonde was outstanding. Knowing he had to prove his artistry following Channel Orange and the delays of Blonde’s release could’ve caused him to flop and fumble the album but there word failure isn’t in Frank’s repertoire.
If you’re in that young adult age range then you might feel the same way I do about this album. You’ve probably listened to it too often, whether it be by yourself or around others. It’s hard to turn on Nikes and think “I’ll only listen to this song” and not play Ivy, then Pink and White, then boom, you’re crying to Futura Free!
Blonde brings to light the coming to age story that we all go through. Each listen you discover a new message or meaning in Frank’s lyrics; even after four years. Compared to its predecessors, Blonde focuses less on the lyrical side of music. Instead it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster with synths, melodramatic guitar riffs, and trippy keyboards.
The caliber of artistry that Frank brought to this album is beyond belief! I didn’t want to break down this album in too much depth because it’s one that you have to listen to yourself to see what I’m talking about.
Is Blonde a classic, timeless album for you? Did it age well? Feel free to drop how you feel about Blonde down in the comments!
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