Old review
An old review of Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ that I wrote for Ntrprnrs back in 2016...
Frank Ocean - Blonde Review
It was on a late night in January 2014 when I sat clenching a controller aimlessly staring at my brothers small HD TV whilst playing GTA V for at least 3 and a half hours. The soundtrack that enthralled me the most was FlyLo FM, a radio show hosted by Flying Lotus. One song in particular was performed by a yet unknown to me rapper, Tyler, the Creator. The song ‘Garbage’ that he performed was so sinister and exploratory with its violent and murder filled imagery that it made me want to discover more about him. I now understand that no song could compare to the sheer insanity of ‘Tron Cat’ or the ridiculousness of ‘Bitch Suck Dick’, with their egotistical, rape-applauding, but somehow incredible music. But one song in particular, ‘She’ featured rapper/singer Frank Ocean (real name Christopher Breaux) whose contribution to the song made the chorus come alive with seductive and intimate lyrics, even if the song is about stalking someone whilst they sleep, and Tyler using the term ‘cunt’ to describe this person.
After listening to the entire consortium of Odd Future’s music, I decided to listen to Frank Ocean’s debut, channel ORANGE. About 8 songs in, and I realised that this album had the potential to be an instant classic within the R&B genre. The production, the crisp vocals of Ocean himself and the lyricism he presented that dealt with the problems of fame and romantic endeavours that he experienced with men and women showcased this album’s hidden colours. It was also the first real R&B album I listened too, opening me up to an entire world of new music to listen too. I, as any other Frank fan, then waited patiently for his next masterpiece, with the promise that his second would be an even greater experience to indulge in. Hopes were dashed within those 3 years, as the promise of an album in 2015 (as well as an accompanying magazine) withered into dust. 1 year later, after various news reports, fan backlash and impatience, and also a live stream of Frank crucibiling a staircase out of wooden boxes he created on Apple Music, a visual album, Endless, featuring Sampha, James Blake and Jazmine Sullivan was released. Though profound and emotional as it was, the true second album, Blonde (blond), was released a day afterwards.
It comes as no surprise that this album would be different then channel ORANGE. Frank, along with the rest of OF have dramatically changed since 2012. For example, Earl Sweatshirt became a more melancholic and profoundly deep underground musician & Tyler regressed childishly to create more inspiring and more easy listening hip hop songs. Whereas Frank remained to be a reclusive and almost puzzling figure within the mainstream; collaborating with the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye and Beyoncé. The end result of his mysterious hiatus resulted in a 17 track emotional excursion of love, hedonism, regret and nostalgia, filled with luscious soft guitars upon soft, yet ambient sounding beats.
The opener, Nikes, being truthfully honest, was not what I at all envisioned of it. A slow downtempo 140 bpm beat with a pitched up Frank describing the consequences and materialistic attainment that fame has to offer, is quite different than what a I previously interpreted the song to be. However, over time, I have come to realise that this song (produced by Ocean himself) is that long lost piece of Blonde’s puzzle that somehow tries to fit in with it’s themes of of possession and empowerment over the individuals he comes into contact with. Also it’s lyrics associated with the loss of those near to him, as well as reacting to the critics reception of his work, and the love that others feel for him, highlight a certain loneliness that he exerts to his fame infatuated friends, and the person he makes love to, as he describes, “were not in love, but i’ll make love to you”.
Following this opus, a majority of the album relies solely on guitar or keyboard instrumental melodies, such as the Jamie xx produced second track, ‘Ivy’, in which an emotionally unprepared Frank is told by a former lover that they love him, though he feels that this relationship has failed and that he must grow up without them as it ‘started from nothing’. Ultimately it ends with him screaming in an even more high pitched tone, as it has affected him severely. ‘Solo’ follows the same pattern with a church organ styled keyboard backing up Ocean’s further exploration into loneliness, (much like his childhood follie filled ‘Godspeed’) also humorously includes his drug taking which according to his own mother previously makes me people “sluggish, lazy, stupid and unconcerned. This along with Tyler, the Creator produced track, ‘Skyline To’, explores the pleasures of summer sex and summer drugs, featuring a quiet but abrupt Kendrick Lamar shouting ‘smoke!’ ‘haze!’ now and again, which is probably not needed. The strangest feature on this album comes from Swedish Trap artist, Yung Lean, who’s significant but miniscule collaboration on ‘Self Control’, along with Slow Hollows singer Austin Feinstein, lament Ocean’s desires for someone who has caught his eye, which concludes with him losing his confidence. As lush as the tracks may be, it would have been more interesting to see what he could have accomplished with some sort of beat behind these songs, but I digress, as these songs are brooding with emotion. Even the ambience of the highly anticipated song ‘White Ferrari’ featuring James Blake and Bon Iver and plenty of metaphorical terms for the use of Cocaine.
The Jonny Greenwood sting arrangement of Siegfried is even more profoundly beautiful as well as the slow sun setting guitar that supports it, making the track an epic, daring piece.
The songs with beats backing them, include the Pharrell and Tyler produced track ‘Pink + White’ featuring Beyoncé where the nostalgia of Ocean’s youth is highlighted, the drum and bass incorporation of ‘Pretty Sweet’ and the schizophrenic vocal pitch of the album's closer
‘Futura Free’, which reminds me of Adventure Time for some unknown reason. But the real tracks of the album come from Outkast’s own André 3000, who’s hasty vocals over a Mike Dean produced interlude comments on the materialistic and self indulgent attitudes of women, the dissolution of hip hop’s spark, and maybe even a secret shot taken at Drake? The real highlight though, is ‘Nights’. This entrancing two-part produced song concerning the excitement and the exuberance of spending the night off your face partying and living life to the fullest, soon dissipates into a slow desolate piano riffed beat in which the effects of wanting to see nirvana but not wanting to die yet cease into the sudden realization that ‘every night fucks every day up’. Promptly creating one of the most dramatic beat changes I’ve ever listened to.
With that, it’s easy to realise how much Frank Ocean has evolved since channel ORANGE, which was seemingly infatuated with how fame could affect someone like him, and if he is able to lead a normal life within the dynasties of a lavished rich one. With Blonde, it looks as if Frank has come to realise that fame cannot take away the true identity of the soft spoken passionate individual he is. When he reminisces, he breathes life into his memories so the listener understands his own responses to every situation, as if we know the nameless figures he comes into contact with. With this in mind, channel ORANGE was the introduction to his world. Blonde is the true understanding of it.
8/10
