Frank Ocean, Creativity, the Pursuit of Patience in the Internet Age.
by Michael History | @mikehistory
It's been upwards of four years since America's favorite anti-star released his debut studio album. Fans were all but ready to throw in the towel in defeat, feeling as though they’d never receive what was promised to them. After all, when it comes to music, we tend to be a bit more demanding in terms of punctuality over artists in different industries. Nevertheless, last weekend proved to be unlike every other every other that promised to be the weekend that would provide every antsy listener with new material from Frank Ocean.
After what felt like an eternity, we received a blessing in the form of Endless last Thursday. The music blends perfectly on this visual album that doubles as performance art. In response the general public took to social media to express their general pleasure-yet-confusion of what it all meant. After all, no one had anything left to complain about--The album had arrived and all we had to do is look and listen.
But then something else happened: on Saturday, Frank released Blonde…or Blond? It seems to serve as a gender-fluid soundscape that marks Frank's progression as an artist. Both the visual album and it's classically formatted counterpart are available exclusively through Apple Music.
Along with the release of Blond(e), Frank initiated a string of pop-up shops not only commemorate the release of the album, but also as a delivery system for the long awaited Boys Don't Cry magazine (also promised to us some time ago).
The book is complete with an array of quality stills that encompass the overall theme of the album in addition to poems, multiple written interviews and an idea for a television series. Not to mention that the album comes packaged within the magazine. A project of this caliber couldn't be done without contributors and they come in variety. They include Beyonce, Andre 3000, Kanye West, James Blake, Mike Dean, and Rick Rubin to list a few.
When looking back on the time the community of the Internet spent feverishly anticipating this album, what did we accomplish? More importantly, what is it about a musician's journey to their next album that sets it aside from the patience demonstrated when waiting for a filmmaker preparing their next film or an author preparing their next body of work? Although Frank took to his personal tumblr account to thank everyone involved (including his fans) in helping get this album done, it feels as though we should be the ones thanking him for taking the time to fully grasp the ideas he needed to bring forth another quality project. One that is receiving extremely high praise.
When patience is currency, musicians are allotted far less in comparison to the creators in almost every other industry. This is a reaction to the fast paced progression of how music is both created and received. Ten years ago, a brand new album would be almost $13. Now, streaming conglomerates provide us with an archive of the world's collection of music for a $10 monthly subscription. While it is extremely convenient, it also directly affects the modern musician's ability to create a project with longevity. This obviously comes as a challenge to some more than others. With the subsequent release the Blond(e) following Endless, in addition to the magazine Boys Don't Cry; one can only wonder if this was a grand expression of creativity or a calculated string of releases to successfully satisfy listeners for another extended period of time.
Creativity, like miracles, come in all shapes and sizes. It is the driving force of a genuine attempt at any form of art. It comes in waves and is attained through the human experience of life. Life, as we all know, can be both beautiful and grueling. These experiences must be capitalized upon in order to concoct new methods of expression. That being said, experiences take time. Frank Ocean delivered this album at his own pace, complete in the vision he sought to do it in. Something that is both rarely done in our age and highly under-appreciated.
Collectively, we must acknowledge the contradicting nature of expecting the highest quality project at our earliest convenience. Everything worth having in life comes over a period of time. It is much more satisfying to receive exactly what you wanted after waiting four years than to receive a project year after year that lacks in innovation. We must remember that in addition to the pressure of creating something fresh that people will enjoy, musicians have the pressure of maintaining personal and business relationships that will allow them the harness the space and time to compose a project that they are satisfied with that listeners will love.
We often allow our anticipation of new music to become convoluted; emerging out of a dark tunnel in the form of impatience. As we navigate a digital landscape that remains largely unpaved, we must exert patience and appreciate the process of receiving what it has to offer.
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