“Blonde” is Frank Ocean’s second studio album, following his previous project album “Endless” by one day. It’s more experimental than his debut, with elements of psychedelic pop, avant-garde soul, and R&B. Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’, released in 2016, held fans together through nearly a decade of pandemics and life’s surprises. This album is perfect, cementing Ocean’s place as one of our generation’s greatest artists. Blonde has been a go-to album for a good weep or a period of reflection. We’re anticipating the next one.
1-“Nikes”
As a lead single and album opener, there’s nothing more daring than pitching your vocals up several decibels and waiting three minutes before exposing them to some form of familiarity in your voice. But that is how Frank operates. “Nikes” begins with Ocean’s pitched-up voice. This is supposed to represent his younger self, which is eventually layered with his normal voice before dropping and remaining normal until the finish of the song. This song is a story of duality that uses the phrase “Nikes” to highlight how materialistic people can be. This song’s main premise is that Ocean is in control of his music. He started Blonde with an Air Force One-laced kick to the face in “Nikes,” from the reality of settling for the bare minimum to the promises to “see the future first.”
2-“Ivy”
It’s difficult not to think you were dreaming the first time you listened to “Ivy,” and pretty much every time after. In this song, Frank captures the mixed feelings of thinking of a failed love. Looking back, it’s difficult to shake the sparks of pleasure you once had at the beginning of a relationship, even if you now realize it was literally “the start of nothing.” At the end of the song, Ocean’s voice gets distorted and layered with a guitar getting progressively louder. The entire space is filled with rage as Ocean screams the final lines, “I’ve been dreamin’ of you, dreamin’ of you.” Frank’s writing goes deep in this crash-and-burn love song, showing a picture of growing apart from the person you are with. With guitars and distorted vocals that capture the sensation of a young love, “Ivy” is one of this era’s most essential love songs about a love that never truly existed.
3-“Pink + White”
“Pink + White” begins with strings and transitions to drums, funky bass, and piano. Only Frank Ocean can make immortality, natural disasters, and distant memories sound bright and hopeful. He did this by sharing the lessons he learned through a loved one and using visuals from Hurricane Katrina to create a vision of things only getting better from there. The tune is one of the few optimistic-sounding songs on Blonde while being the only one produced by Pharrell and featuring backing harmonies from Beyonce herself. These harmonies layer over Ocean’s angelic and echoey vocals. It also stands up to some of the album’s more chilling tracks.
4-“Be Yourself”
This track opens with a voicemail from Rosie Watson (the mother of a childhood friend) telling him that addiction is something that clouds the mind and warns him not to get into drugs. I feel like this interlude acts as comic relief for the entire album. Regardless, there are some memorable lessons about being “sluggish, lazy, stupid, and unconcerned”.
5-“Solo”
The thing about “Solo” is that it happens instantly. There is no orchestral introduction or period of silence to lead listeners into the lullaby that Frank begins. He just asks you to hand him a towel while he dirty dances alone. With the only other sound being an organ, the song begins to display itself more with unusual sounds. It’s pretty simple, in the best way. The song is soothing, from the dreamy organs that breathe life into Frank’s intense vocal delivery to the whistle that breaks through every few lines. Ocean uses his flow nearly like spoken word poetry and composes one of the most beautiful choruses of the last decade. He creates a double entendre using the term solo. This could imply that Ocean is in a difficult spot in his life following a relationship, and he needs to be alone. It could also imply that he is so low that he needs to get high. As Frank stares at the stars and proves his songwriting skills by swapping “inhale” and “in hell,” he transports you to the stars he’s gazing at.
6- “Skyline To”
This music begins with echoey birds and soft guitar, but the major focus is Ocean’s voice, with odd ad-libs scattered throughout. “Skyline To” focuses on Ocean’s intimacy with guys, which he felt the need to keep hidden. The secrecy is shown in this song since he describes it almost cryptically. Channeling the same childhood lullaby memories that “Solo” created in listeners, “Skyline To” questions the length of summer, as he wishes his was just a little longer. Frank’s lyrics about life passing too quickly and the aging process are extremely stunning. This song feels sweet and warm to me, and it conveys the same sense of love and caring that Ocean’s music always does.
7- “Self Control”
The song shows a broken relationship in which Ocean and his ex-partner need to use “Self Control” to stay apart because they know it’s for the best. Sounds can definitely make us cry, and the sounds on “Self Control” continue to do so even after 8 years of using this song as a band-aid for life’s mishaps. This song is a wonderful vocal performance with only a guitar and some bass. Ocean often strips down his tunes to a few instruments, making them feel much more raw and authentic, and this song is a good example of that.
8- “Good Guy”
“Good Guy” serves as an interlude & shortest song on the album. It tells the story of a disappointing date when he realizes in the moment that the encounter he is having means nothing. It’s simple and sweet and only a minute and seven seconds long, yet it delivers emotion, it’s just Ocean and a piano, giving a more empty feeling.
Stay tuned for the second half of the album!
