7 years after its initial release, Frank Ocean's “Blonde” album still has the hold on people as it did at the time of its release. Released one day after the visual album “Endless,” Blonde is exactly one hour long and is Ocean's most recent full album with 17 tracks.
This album follows the feeling of love, heartbreak, and the loss of relationships, as well as the ups and downs of life.
This project is a more unique and different feeling than Ocean's prior album, Channel Orange, which was released in 2013.
Blonde features vocals from big names such as Andre 3000 of Outkast. While categorized as an R&B album, a listen-through will tell the consumer that this album is much more. With the influence of The Beatles and Stevie Wonder, this album contains heartfelt lyrics and melodies. Its instrumentals are more experimental and jarring and has been also categorized as more of a soulful album, as opposed to R&B.
The album contains cuts of guitar, conversation, and repetitive sounds. The fourth track titled “Be Yourself” is a full voicemail from Oceans’s mother giving a lecture on marijuana, followed by a simple sound in the background, as well as the 12th track containing a man talking about an online relationship. These breakups in the album create a different feeling compared to a full musical album that we most often see. It makes the album feel more like hearing a story being told.
Tracks included also give a strange feeling to the listener as they feel uneasy and extremely different, such as “Solo (reprise)” and “Pretty Sweet,” containing off-putting beats and samples, which not only contrast heavily with Ocean's previous music but also songs on the album as many of them are more slow and low key sounding.
The music and lyrics work together to form a sort of dreamy and melancholy feeling for the listener. The patterns of the music and sounds contained within the songs often lack consistency and do not seem to end where the song started, making this album extremely unique. Ocean's vocals are very prominent in this album, as well as the pitching, such as in the opening track “Nikes,” where oceans voice is pitched extremely high, almost sounding like a different person.
The album's overall sound is satisfying, as well as the lyrics seem to cut deep and stick with listeners. While about raw emotions of breakup and internal battle, the lyrics are my favorite part of this album. Songs such as “White Ferrari” contain the words
“I care for you still, and I will, forever. That was my part of the deal.” It follows Ocean's feeling of loss in what is assumed a breakup, and the longing feeling of knowing something won’t work out, yet knowing you will always have a place for that person. The song ends with an almost release of the person, yet sounds extremely sad, presenting the idea of the relationship not being wasted, with the lyric
“I'm sure we're taller in another dimension.” Giving an emotional saying of the lost potential with this person and hope for what it could have been. Ocean captures this feeling, as well as many others found in a connection or disconnect with someone, so perfectly throughout the songs.
One of the most notable of the album, which was well thought out and executed, is the transition in the middle of the song “Nights.” The song switches beats completely at 3:30 in the song, which happens to be the exact 30-minute mark of the entire album, almost splitting it in half. It is a genius way to split an album, and the song changes energy as the beginning half before the switch has lyrics of a relationship dying out, while the second half follows internal battles with himself. Excellent lyrics and sound, and a great concept.
One of my personal favorites on this album is “Godspeed,” which is the album's 16th track. The song is about the release of someone who you have lost, talking about always being there for them, and ending with “I will always love you, until the time we die.” It captures the feeling of knowing that two people do not work, but still wishing them the best, hence the title. Its placement of being the 16th track also seems to wrap up Ocean’s battle with this release of a person.
This album has impacted many, described as timeless, and people's albums of their teen years (including my own!) as well as simply amazing and never getting old. Never getting old is exactly how I feel about this album. It is a comforting album for me, as its beauty can not be explained in words (despite my efforts) and is just something someone has to experience themselves. Not every album is for everyone, but I have never heard a bad thing from anyone about this one, as well as it seemingly a favorite amongst many R&B lovers as well as people who appreciate experimental albums, strong lyrics, as well as a great production.
While Frank Ocean's next moves are extremely unknown, at least we have Blonde to get us by until then. This album is potentially a top 3 for me, and I will continue to play it until I get sick of it, which I haven't for the last 7 years. Happy Birthday, Blonde!
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