Blonde (Frank Ocean album) explained

Blonde
Type:studio
Artist:Frank Ocean
Cover:Blonde_-_Frank_Ocean.jpeg
Border:yes
Recorded:2013–2016
Genre:
Label:Boys Don't Cry
Producer:
Prev Title:Endless
Prev Year:2016

Blonde is the second studio album by the American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on August 20, 2016, as a timed exclusive on the iTunes Store and Apple Music, and followed the August 19 release of Ocean's video album Endless. The album features guest vocals from André 3000, Beyoncé, and Kim Burrell, among others. Production was handled by Ocean himself, alongside a variety of high-profile record producers, including Malay and Om'Mas Keith, who collaborated with Ocean on Channel Orange, as well as James Blake, Jon Brion, Buddy Ross, Pharrell Williams, and Rostam Batmanglij, among others.

In 2013, Ocean confirmed that his follow up to Channel Orange would be another concept album. Initially known as Boys Don't Cry and teased for a July 2015 release, the album suffered several delays and was the subject of widespread media anticipation leading up to its release. Recording for the album took place throughout 2013 and 2016 at New York's Electric Lady Studios and, after a period of writer's block, in London at Abbey Road Studios and in Los Angeles' Henson Recording Studios. Its physical release was accompanied by a magazine entitled Boys Don't Cry.

Blonde features an abstract and experimental sound in comparison to Ocean's previous releases, encompassing styles such as R&B, pop, soul, avant-garde, indie rock, electronica, psychedelia, and hip hop. Ocean also notably makes use of pitch shifted vocals. The Beach Boys' de facto leader Brian Wilson is recognized as a strong influence on the album's lush arrangements and layered vocal harmonies, while the guitar and keyboard rhythms on the album are considered as languid and minimal. The album's themes surround Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by sexual experiences, heartbreak, loss, duality, and trauma.

Blonde received widespread acclaim, with critics praising Ocean's introspective lyrics and the album's unconventional and progressive sounds. Critics also complimented the album for challenging the conventions of R&B and pop music. Supported by its lead single "Nikes", the album debuted at number one in several countries, including the United States. It earned first week sales of 275,000 with album-equivalent units in the US, with 232,000 being pure sales, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Among other publications, Time named it the best album of 2016. Metacritic named it one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year by music publications. In 2020, Pitchfork named it the best album of the 2010s and Rolling Stone ranked it at number 79 on their updated list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Background

On February 21, 2013, Ocean confirmed that he had started work on his next studio album, which he confirmed would be another concept album. He revealed that he was working with Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell Williams, and Danger Mouse on the record.[1] He later stated that he was influenced by the Beach Boys and the Beatles. He also stated that he was interested in collaborating with Tame Impala and King Krule and wanted to record the album in Bora Bora.[2] Ocean ultimately began recording at New York's Electric Lady Studios and, after a period of writer's block, recorded in London at Abbey Road Studios in addition to various other studios.[3]

In April 2014, Ocean stated that his second album was nearly finished. In June 2014, Billboard reported that the singer was working with a string of artists such as Happy Perez (whom he worked with on Nostalgia, Ultra), Charlie Gambetta and Kevin Ristro, while producers Hit-Boy, Rodney Jerkins and Danger Mouse were also said to be on board.[4] [5] On November 29, 2014, Ocean released a snippet of a new song supposedly from his upcoming follow-up to Channel Orange called "Memrise" on his official Tumblr page. The Guardian described the song as: "a song which affirms that despite reportedly changing labels and management, he has maintained both his experimentation and sense of melancholy in the intervening years".[6]

In a personal letter which prefaced the Boys Don't Cry magazine, Ocean stated that he had been inspired by a photograph taken by the photography duo The Collaborationist of a young blonde girl in the back seat of a car.[7] [8] According to Jessica Haye of The Collaborationist, "It was more ambiguous in terms of gender and (Ocean) kind of placed his own experience onto the picture, so he brought a whole other story very personal to him in it". This photograph would be used in promotional material for the album.[9] In his only interview of the album's release cycle, Ocean told Jon Caramanica that a conversation with a childhood friend from New Orleans helped him overcome his writer's block and convinced him to touch on his experiences growing up: "How we experience memory sometimes, it's not linear. We're not telling the stories to ourselves, we know the story, we're just seeing it in flashes overlaid".

Music and composition

Blonde features an abstract, atmospheric sound in comparison to Ocean's previous work, and utilizes a variety of unconventional musical elements. Besides the Beatles and the Beach Boys, the album draws influences from Stevie Wonder. Additionally, the Beach Boys' de facto leader Brian Wilson is recognized as a strong influence on the album's lush arrangements and layered vocal harmonies. Featuring a use of guitar and keyboard loops, writers noted that the rhythms on the album are languid and minimal. The album's themes surround Ocean dealing with his masculinity and emotions, inspired by personal heartbreak, loss and trauma.

The album has been categorized as avant-garde soul.[10] [11] The Quietus wrote that its form "isn't that of a typical pop or R&B album – it tends to meander into his surreal dreamscapes, cut with jarring samples of conversation, odd effects, drifting guitars and beatless melodies that go on longer than expected." The Daily Telegraph described its sound as "a mellifluous concoction of shimmering melodic haze and ambient mood, almost entirely absent of anything resembling a singalong chorus or club groove." The Observers Kate Mossman characterized the album as "cerebral, non-macho, boundary-free R&B." The Guardian tentatively likened Blonde to a collection of loose sketches and compared its "lush and atmospheric" tracks to experimental and texture-driven albums such as Radiohead's Kid A (2000) and Big Star's Third (1974), writing that "the tone is muted and introspective, full of spectral guitar and lacking not just hefty beats but any kind of percussion at all."

Discussing its musical eclecticism, Rolling Stone wrote that "this is an R&B album in only the most elastic and expansive sense of the term" and noted that "minimalist rock guitar and simple electric keyboard work drive numerous songs; twitchy rhythms and bizarre vocal effects creep in from the edges. Songs change shape subtly as they go, rarely ending in the same place they began." Ann Powers described the album as "equal parts psychedelic indie rock, post-IDM electronica, post-U2 / Coldplay-esque Eno-pop, post-Drake hip hop, and post-Maxwell drifty soul / R&B," and wrote that "experimental, druggy sonics abound."[12] Nina Corcoran from Consequence described Blonde as featuring an avant-garde minimalist style similar to the work of Brian Eno, and noted that Ocean often utilizes "acoustic and electric guitars over traditional synth and bass-heavy R&B."[13] The Independent wrote that "one track bleeds languidly into another, as if we're listening to a long, stoned stream-of-consciousness," and described the album's sound as a "glitchy, miasmic brand of R&B."

The Daily Telegraph noted Ocean's use of varispeed and Auto-Tune effects on his voice, while Greg Kot stated that he utilizes these audio processing devices to employ "two distinct voices, like characters in a play, a recurring theme throughout the album".[14] Spin magazine's Dan Weiss compared his vocal treatments to those of Prince's aborted Camille album. The Daily Telegraph also suggested that Ocean's voice and melodies obscured the experimental nature of his compositions. The album has elements of spoken word.[15] [16] The track "Seigfried" interpolates a spoken word part by Elliott Smith and "White Ferrari" borrows musical elements from the Beatles' song "Here, There and Everywhere", while "Close to You" incorporates a Stevie Wonder sample. Guest vocalist André 3000 contributes a rapid rap verse on "Solo (Reprise)" which has been described as the album's only overt guest feature. In a 2022 interview, André revealed the song was recorded in Austin, Texas years before the album's release and originally featured a hip hop instrumental, before being replaced with a piano arrangement from James Blake.[17] "Pretty Sweet" features gospel choir elements and dissonant noise. The album ends with an interview between Ocean and his brother Ryan, recorded when Ryan was 11 years old.

Release and promotion

On April 6, 2015, Ocean announced that his follow-up to Channel Orange would be released in July, as well as a publication, although no further details were released. The album was ultimately not released in July, with no explanation given for its delay. The publication was rumored to be called Boys Don't Cry, and was slated to feature the aforementioned "Memrise", although the track did not make the final track listing.[18] [19] [20]

On July 2, 2016, Ocean hinted at a possible third album with an image on his website pointing to a July release date. The image shows a library card labeled Boys Don't Cry with numerous stamps, implying various due dates. The dates begin with July 2, 2015, and conclude with July 2016, and November 13, 2016. Ocean's brother, Ryan Breaux, further suggested this release with an Instagram caption of the same library card photo reading "BOYS DON'T CRY #JULY2016".[21] On August 1, 2016, a live video hosted by Apple Music showing an empty hall was launched on the website boysdontcry.co. The website also featured a new design and the video marked the first update on the website since a "date due" post from July.[22]

On August 1, 2016, a video appeared that showed Ocean woodworking and sporadically playing instrumentals on loop.[23] That same day, many news outlets reported that August 5, 2016, could be the release date for Boys Don't Cry.[24] [25] The video was revealed to be promotion for Endless, a 45-minute-long visual album that began streaming on Apple Music on August 19, 2016.[24] The day after the release of Endless, Ocean posted a new picture on his website advertising four pop-up shops in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and London. These shops contained hundreds of magazines, with three different covers and the album on a CD included with each cover, the covers also appear in the magazine, the first cover—which is part of a collection of pictures called "I'm a Morning Person"—was taken in Berlin, Germany, by Wolfgang Tillmans, whose song "Device Control" was sampled on the songs "Device Control" and "Higgs" on Endless and the alternate cover (which does not appear in the magazine, however, it is one of the alternate covers of the magazine) appears to have been shot by Viviane Sassen in Tokyo, Japan, and was taken as part of a collection of other photographs, which appears in the "Foxface" collection of pictures.[26] [27] The magazines were free and were available to one per person. Later in the day, the album was released exclusively on the iTunes Store and Apple Music. However, the track list differed from the digital version of the album, with an extended version of "Nikes" featuring Japanese rapper KOHH.[28] [29] "Nikes" was officially released as the album's lead single on August 20, 2016.[30] [31]

Rather than going on a typical promotional tour playing radio festivals and appearing on television shows, Ocean spent a month after the release of Blonde, traveling to countries such as China, Japan and France. He also chose not to submit Blonde for consideration at the Grammy Awards, stating "that institution certainly has nostalgic importance... It just doesn't seem to be representing very well for people who come from where I come from, and hold down what I hold down."[32]

Critical reception

Blonde was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album received an average score of 87, based on 38 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Mojo reviewer Andy Cowan called it "a beguiling, meandering sprawl that rewards total immersion",[33] while Tara Joshi deemed Blonde a "fully conceptualised, curated personal vision" and "a sublime and largely impressive album" in her review for The Quietus.[34]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Frank Ocean's Next Album Is On Its Way! . PerezHilton.com . February 21, 2013 . June 16, 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130301014831/http://perezhilton.com/2013-02-21-frank-ocean-new-album-details-collaborations . March 1, 2013 .
  2. Frank Ocean 'Like 10, 11 Songs' Into New Album. Rolling Stone. February 20, 2013. June 16, 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130223040939/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/frank-ocean-like-10-11-songs-into-new-album-20130220. February 23, 2013.
  3. Web site: Britton. Luke Morgan. September 5, 2016. Abbey Road engineer describes working on Frank Ocean's new albums. NME. September 23, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160924101637/http://www.nme.com/news/frank-ocean/96186. September 24, 2016.
  4. Web site: Memrise by Frank Ocean. dindindara. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205195054/http://dindindara.com/memrise-frank-ocean/. December 5, 2014.
  5. Frank Ocean Signs to New Management With Three Six Zero. Billboard. Hampp. Andrew. September 15, 2014. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160806164717/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6251457/frank-ocean-new-management-three-six-zero. August 6, 2016.
  6. Web site: Listen to Frank Ocean's new track Memrise. November 28, 2014. The Guardian. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820024310/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/28/frank-ocean-new-track-memrise. August 20, 2016.
  7. Web site: Frank Ocean Writes About the Inspiration Behind His New Album 'Blond' on Tumblr. Vice. August 21, 2016 . July 17, 2020.
  8. Web site: A Sudden Loss of Control. https://web.archive.org/web/20201113005532/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab16d19f8370a12c61e7af1/t/5e9637c6d3ddce144cd2c59a/1586903005901/A+Sudden+Loss+of+Control+Issue+%231+WEB.pdf . November 12, 2020. November 13, 2020 .
  9. Web site: The Collaborationist for Frank Ocean MUSIC. Art & Motion. https://web.archive.org/web/20210717163625/https://www.artandmotion.com/news/7753/the-collaborationist-music . July 17, 2020. July 17, 2021 .
  10. Frank Ocean Perfects Avant-Garde Soul on Poetic, Stripped-Down 'Blonde'. Rolling Stone. Reeves. Mosi. August 21, 2016. April 11, 2020.
  11. Web site: Arceneaux. Michael. 'Blonde' Cements Frank Ocean as Today's Most Evocative and Daring Male R&B Songwriter. Complex. November 25, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161125174659/http://www.complex.com/music/2016/08/frank-ocean-blonde-album-review. November 25, 2016.
  12. Web site: Powers. Ann. Ann Powers. Detangling Frank Ocean's 'Blonde': What It Is And Isn't. NPR. December 14, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161214021458/http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2016/08/22/490918270/detangling-frank-oceans-blonde-what-it-is-and-isnt. December 14, 2016.
  13. Web site: Corcoran. Nina. Blonde: Album Review. Consequence. August 25, 2016 . October 24, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161031224845/http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/album-review-frank-ocean-blonde/. October 31, 2016.
  14. Web site: Kot. Greg. Greg Kot. August 21, 2016. Review: Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Worth the Wait. Chicago Tribune. August 26, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160825230049/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/kot/ct-frank-ocean-blonde-review-ent-0822-20160821-column.html. August 25, 2016.
  15. Web site: Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Songs, Ranked. Bustle. August 21, 2016 . April 8, 2020.
  16. News: Frank Ocean Ends His Long Silence With a Variety of Works. The New York Times. Caramanica. Jon. August 21, 2016. April 8, 2020. 0362-4331.
  17. Web site: André 3000 Reveals 'Surprising' Story Behind Frank Ocean 'Solo (Reprise)' Verse. HipHopDX. Bustard. Andy. June 2, 2022. June 3, 2022.
  18. Web site: Frank Ocean's next album is coming in July. The Verge. Byford. Sam. April 7, 2015. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160824201408/http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/7/8358209/frank-ocean-new-album-release-date. August 24, 2016.
  19. Web site: Frank Ocean Announces New Record. Pitchfork. Beauchemin. Molly. April 6, 2015. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160812003638/http://pitchfork.com/news/55642-frank-ocean-announces-new-record/. August 12, 2016.
  20. Web site: New Frank Ocean album due in July. The Guardian. April 7, 2015. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160820024308/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/07/new-frank-ocean-album-due-in-july. August 20, 2016.
  21. Web site: Frank Ocean Teases Boys Don't Cry July Release Date. Vulture. Ivie. Devon. July 2, 2016. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160807070516/http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/frank-ocean-shares-cryptic-album-update.html. August 7, 2016.
  22. Web site: Frank Ocean Launches Mysterious Live Stream. Pitchfork. Monroe. Jazz. August 1, 2016. August 1, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160801164751/http://pitchfork.com/news/67226-frank-ocean-launches-mysterious-live-stream/. August 1, 2016.
  23. Web site: Frank Ocean. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160801170754/http://boysdontcry.co/. August 1, 2016.
  24. News: Frank Ocean's Long-Awaited 'Boys Don't Cry' Is Due on Friday – NYTimes.com. The New York Times . August 2016 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170216090639/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/arts/music/frank-ocean-boys-dont-cry-apple-release-date.html. February 16, 2017.
  25. Frank Ocean to Release New Album 'Boys Don't Cry' This Week. . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170920093028/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/frank-ocean-to-release-new-album-boys-dont-cry-this-week-w432162. September 20, 2017.
  26. Web site: Pereira. Alyssa. photography viviane sassen on working with frank ocean and her playful next chapter. i-D. November 9, 2016. February 28, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092914/https://i-d.vice.com/en_au/article/photographer-viviane-sassen-on-working-with-frank-ocean-and-her-playful-next-chapter. March 1, 2017.
  27. Web site: Gaca. Anna. Inside Frank Ocean's 'Boys Don't Cry' Magazine: Another Version of 'Blond' and a Poem by Kanye West. Spin. August 21, 2016. February 28, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092839/http://www.spin.com/2016/08/frank-ocean-blond-blonde-boys-dont-cry-kanye-west-mcdonalds-i-got-two-versions/. March 1, 2017.
  28. Web site: Kim. Michelle. Here Are The Tracklistings For Both Versions Of Frank Ocean's Blond. The Fader. August 20, 2016. February 27, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170120042317/http://www.thefader.com/2016/08/20/frank-ocean-two-versions-blond-tracklistings. January 20, 2017.
  29. Horowitz. Steven J.. Frank Ocean Drops New Album 'Blonde,' Gives Out 'Boys Don't Cry' Magazine at Pop-Up Shops. Billboard. August 20, 2016. February 27, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170228092645/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7480176/frank-ocean-blonde-album-boys-dont-cry-magazine-pop-up-shops. February 28, 2017.
  30. Web site: Frank Ocean's New Single 'Nikes' Is a Magic Carpet Ride Through the Human Brain. Evans. Lauren. Jezebel. August 20, 2016. December 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161011150753/http://jezebel.com/frank-oceans-new-single-nikes-is-a-magic-carpet-ride-th-1785546761. October 11, 2016. live.
  31. Web site: Frank Ocean shares new single "Nikes." lavish, nudity-filled video – watch. August 20, 2016. Consequence. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160821061520/http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/frank-ocean-shares-new-single-nikes-and-lavish-nudity-filled-video-watch/. August 21, 2016.
  32. News: Frank Ocean Is Finally Free, Mystery Intact. Caramanica. Jon. November 15, 2016. The New York Times. 0362-4331. December 10, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161210013537/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/arts/music/frank-ocean-blonde-interview.html. December 10, 2016.
  33. Web site: Cowan. Andy. August 24, 2016. Mojo Album of The Week. Mojo. August 26, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160825172456/http://www.mojo4music.com/24554/frank-ocean-blonde/. August 25, 2016.
  34. Web site: Gill. Andy. August 24, 2016. Frank Ocean, Blonde, album review: A trickling bubblebath of an album that ultimately runs lukewarm. The Independent. August 26, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160825174949/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/frank-ocean-blonde-review-a-trickling-bubblebath-of-an-album-that-ultimately-runs-lukewarm-a7207766.html. August 25, 2016.
  35. Web site: Frank Ocean – Blonde Review. HipHopDX. Ketchum III. William. August 25, 2016. September 8, 2021.
  36. Web site: Dietz. Jason. November 28, 2016. Best of 2016: Music Critic Top Ten Lists. Metacritic. December 11, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161211031929/http://www.metacritic.com/feature/critics-pick-top-10-best-albums-of-2016. December 11, 2016.
  37. Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Bows at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With Third-Largest Debut of 2016. Billboard. Caulfield. Kevin. August 28, 2016. August 29, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160829121844/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7487876/frank-ocean-blonde-bows-at-no-1-on-billboard-200-album-chart-endless. August 29, 2016.
  38. Web site: Frank Ocean Already Made $1 Million By Going Independent. Robehmed. Natalie. Forbes. August 30, 2016. August 31, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160830191758/http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2016/08/30/frank-ocean-already-made-1-million-by-going-independent/#6bad64b52ada. August 30, 2016.
  39. Aniftos. Rania. Frank Ocean Talks 'Blonde' Inspiration in Unreleased Interview. Billboard. February 13, 2017. February 13, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170214080138/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7686502/frank-ocean-blonde-inspiration-unreleased-interview. February 14, 2017.
  40. Web site: Michelle Kim. Meet KOHH, The Japanese Rapper Featured on the Extended Cut Of Frank Ocean's "Nikes". The Fader. August 21, 2016. February 26, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170225202445/http://www.thefader.com/2016/08/21/japanese-rappers-kohh-loota-boys-dont-cry-frank-ocean-blond. February 25, 2017.
  41. Payne. Chris. Frank Ocean's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks. Billboard. July 8, 2017. May 15, 2024.
  42. Web site: 'Don't Try to Be Someone Else': On Voicemails and a Mother's Love on Frank Ocean's 'Blonde'. August 24, 2016. Spin. December 13, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161221180244/http://www.spin.com/2016/08/frank-ocean-katony-breaux-riley-blond/. December 21, 2016.
  43. Web site: Slow Hollows's Austin Feinstien Worked on 'Blond' and 'Cherry Bomb.' Now his band rules too. Noisey. September 24, 2016. December 19, 2016. Alex Robert Ross.
  44. Web site: Frank Ocean new album Blonde: World in awe of Andre 3000's verse on 'Solo (Reprise)'. The Independent. Hooton. Christopher. August 22, 2016. April 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20180206054654/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/frank-ocean-new-album-blonde-world-in-awe-of-andre-3000-s-solo-reprise-verse-a7203351.html. February 6, 2018. live.
  45. Web site: SebastiAn, Frank Ocean's "Facebook Story" Narrator, Talks Blonde and Endless. Pitchfork. August 26, 2016 . December 12, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220140557/http://pitchfork.com/news/67821-sebastian-frank-oceans-facebook-story-narrator-talks-blonde-and-endless/. December 20, 2016.
  46. Blonde. CD liner notes. Frank Ocean. Boys Don't Cry. 2016. 862160000302.
  47. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 21 – 2024 . . is. The Music – Albums – Week 21 – 2024. May 24, 2024. May 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240524205817/https://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/. live.
  48. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums 2016. Australian Recording Industry Association. January 6, 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170106173445/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2016.htm. January 6, 2017.
  49. http://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2016/urban-albums-chart "ARIA End Of Year Urban Albums 2016"
  50. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2016&cat=a "Jaaroverzichten 2016: Albums"
  51. Web site: Album Top-100 2016 . Hitlisten.NU . da . December 31, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161230202617/http://hitlisten.nu/top2016.asp . December 30, 2016 .
  52. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2016. Plötutíóindi. is. April 1, 2022.
  53. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2016. Recorded Music NZ. December 25, 2016. live. https://archive.today/20161226200635/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4311. December 26, 2016.
  54. Web site: Årslista Album – År 2016. Sverigetopplistan. sv. May 31, 2020.
  55. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2016. Official Charts Company. December 31, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403152500/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/. April 3, 2015.
  56. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016. Billboard. December 9, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161208120131/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/top-billboard-200-albums. December 8, 2016.
  57. https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-end 2016"
  58. Web site: Album Top-100 2017. Hitlisten. January 11, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180110234132/http://hitlisten.nu/top2017.asp?list=Album%20100. January 10, 2018. live.
  59. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2017. Recorded Music NZ. December 22, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105611/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4435. December 22, 2017. live.
  60. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. December 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171224115207/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/top-billboard-200-albums. December 24, 2017. live.
  61. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2017. Billboard. June 17, 2020.
  62. Web site: Album Top-100 2018. Hitlisten. da. January 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190116100303/http://hitlisten.nu/2018_album_t100.html. January 16, 2019. live.
  63. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2018. Plötutíóindi. is. January 3, 2022.
  64. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018. Billboard. June 17, 2020.
  65. Web site: Album Top-100 2019. Hitlisten. da. January 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200114175340/http://hitlisten.nu/top2019.asp. January 14, 2020. live.
  66. Web site: Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2019. Plötutíóindi. is. April 1, 2022.
  67. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019. Billboard. July 2, 2020.
  68. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2020. Ultratop. December 18, 2020.
  69. Web site: Album Top-100 2020. Hitlisten. January 13, 2021.
  70. Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020. Billboard. December 5, 2020.
  71. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2021. Ultratop. January 5, 2022.
  72. Web site: Album Top-100 2021. Hitlisten. January 6, 2022.
  73. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2021. Billboard. December 3, 2021.
  74. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2022. Ultratop. nl. January 14, 2023.
  75. Web site: Album Top-100 2022. Hitlisten. February 1, 2023.
  76. Web site: 2022 metų klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. February 28, 2023.
  77. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 3, 2022.
  78. Independent Albums – Year-End 2022. Billboard. November 27, 2023.
  79. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2023. Ultratop. nl. January 7, 2024.
  80. Web site: Album Top-100 2023. Hitlisten. January 13, 2024.
  81. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Album 2023. dutchcharts.nl. nl. January 3, 2024.
  82. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2023. Recorded Music NZ. December 22, 2023. December 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231221165646/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=5732.
  83. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.
  84. Independent Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 27, 2023.
  85. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2023. Billboard. November 23, 2023.
  86. Kreps. Daniel. Elias. Leight. Jon. Blistein. Frank Ocean Releases Long-Awaited New Album 'Blonde' at Pop-Up Shops. Rolling Stone. August 21, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160821045002/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/frank-ocean-releases-long-awaited-new-album-blonde-w432844. August 21, 2016.
  87. Web site: Frank Ocean – Blonde. August 20, 2016 . iTunes Store. August 21, 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160821022136/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/blonde/id1146195596. August 21, 2016.
  88. Web site: Frank Ocean's Blonde is now on Spotify. The Verge. September 9, 2016 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170827001347/https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/9/12865270/frank-ocean-blonde-spotify-stream. August 27, 2017.
  89. Web site: Frank Ocean drops exclusive Black Friday merchandise. The Independent. November 25, 2016 . April 9, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180410154819/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/frank-ocean-blonde-vinyl-black-friday-sale-boys-dont-cry-magazine-a7438281.html. April 10, 2018. live.
  90. Web site: Duran . Anagricel . December 8, 2023 . Frank Ocean re-releases 'Blonde' vinyl and new merch . March 11, 2024 . NME . en.
  91. Web site: Joshi. Tara. August 25, 2016. Lead Review: Tara Joshi On Frank Ocean's Blond[e]|work=The Quietus|access-date=August 28, 2016}} In Rolling Stone, Jonah Weiner described the album as "by turns oblique, smolderingly direct, forlorn, funny, dissonant and gorgeous: marvel of digital-age psychedelic pop." Writing for The Guardian, Tim Jonze hailed Blonde as "one of the most intriguing and contrary records ever made". He said that "what originally appear to be Blondes flaws – its loose ends and ambiguities – end up as its strengths," concluding that "what gradually emerges is a record of enigmatic beauty, intoxicating depth and intense emotion." According to Pitchfork journalist Ryan Dombal, while Channel Orange had boasted a more eclectic range of styles, Blonde showed Ocean expressing his romantic, philosophical, and melancholic ideas and emotions over an especially spare musical backdrop, giving the record an intimacy that "attracts the ear, bubbles the brain, raises the flesh". In Vice, Robert Christgau admired Ocean's reliance on his "expressive and capable but unathletic voice", the candid stories explored on "Good Guy" and "Facebook Story", and more aggressive songs such as "Nights". "As on Channel Orange, however, his angst is a luxury of leisure", Christgau wrote, finding the details of Ocean's interpersonal lyrics occasionally relatable but more often "specific to his social status".

    Neil McCormick was somewhat less enthusiastic. In The Daily Telegraph, he wrote that Blonde "should be celebrated as part of a generational shift away from the obvious in pop", while finding the record to be "meandering, contemplative and introverted", suggesting that it would be a laborious experience for some listeners. AllMusic's Andy Kellman deemed it "undiluted and progressive" but qualified his praise by stating that "over the course of an hour, all the sparsely ornamented ruminations can be a bit of a chore to absorb, no matter how much one hangs on each line". Andy Gill was more critical in The Independent, deeming much of the music lethargic, aimless, and devoid of strong melodies.[34] HipHopDX reviewer William Ketchum III in a mixed review said that the singer "sometimes delivers only what's necessary to make his point, while other efforts come across as meandering and incomplete".[35]

    Rankings

    At the end of 2016, Blonde appeared on a number of critics' lists ranking the year's best albums. According to Metacritic, it was the third most prominently ranked album of 2016.[36]

    Publication! scope="col" class="unsortable"
    ListYearRank
    The A.V. Club50 Favorite Albums of the 2010s2019
    BillboardThe 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s2019
    ComplexThe 50 Best Albums of 20162016
    The 40 Best Albums of 20162016
    The 100 Best Albums of the 21st Century (2000–2019)2019
    The 20 Best Albums of 20162016
    The 50 Best Albums of the Decade2019
    NMEThe 50 Best Albums of 20162016
    PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 20162016
    The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s2019
    Rolling StoneThe 50 Best Albums of 20162016
    100 Best Albums of the 2010s2019
    500 Greatest Albums of All Time2020
    SpinThe 50 Best Albums of 20162016
    The Top 50 Releases of the Year2017

    Commercial performance

    In the first week of release, Blonde debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and recorded 276,000 album-equivalent units, including 232,000 copies of the album sold.[37] The songs on the album were collectively streamed more than 65.4 million times, second behind only the streams for Views by Drake during that week. Forbes estimated that Blonde earned Ocean nearly one million in profits after one week of availability, attributing this to him releasing the album independently and as a limited exclusive release on iTunes and Apple Music.[38] Blonde has generated 404 million on-demand audio streams for its songs in the US through February 9, 2017, according to Nielsen Music. The album has earned 620,000 album-equivalent units, 348,000 of which were copies sold.[39]

    On July 9, 2018, Blonde was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

    Track listing

    Notes

    • "Nikes" features uncredited vocals by KOHH on the original magazine edition[40]
    • "Pink + White" features backing vocals from Beyoncé[41]
    • "Be Yourself" features uncredited vocals by Rosie Watson[42]
    • "Self Control" features uncredited vocals by Austin Feinstein[43]
    • "Solo (Reprise)" features uncredited vocals by André 3000[44]
    • "Facebook Story" features uncredited vocals by Sebastian[45]
    • "Interviews" features interviews with Ryan Moore, Ibrahim Hariri, Na-Kel Smith, Sage Elsesser, Evan Clark, Nabil Hariri, and Frank Ocean, conducted by Mikey Alfred

    Sample credits

    Personnel

    Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[46]

    Production and arrangement

    • Frank Ocean – production (tracks 1–3, 5–17), arrangement (tracks 1, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 16), executive production
    • Malay Ho – production (tracks 1, 6, 7, 11, 15–17), arrangement (tracks 1, 6, 11)
    • Om'Mas Keith – production (tracks 1, 2, 6, 11, 14, 16, 17), arrangement (tracks 1, 11, 17)
    • James Blake – production (tracks 5, 10, 16), arrangement (tracks 5, 10, 16)
    • Jon Brion – production (tracks 7, 10, 14), arrangement (tracks 7, 9–11, 14), string arrangement (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Buddy Ross – production (tracks 9, 13), arrangement (tracks 9, 13, 14)
    • Rostam Batmanglij – production (track 2), arrangement (track 2)
    • Pharrell Williams – production (track 3)
    • Joe Thornalley – production (track 9), arrangement (track 9)
    • Michael Uzowuru – production (track 9)
    • Francis Starlite – production (track 13), arrangement (track 13)
    • Alex Giannascoli – arrangement (tracks 7, 14)
    • Christophe Chassol – arrangement (track 6)
    • Austin Feinstein – arrangement (track 7)
    • Sebastian Akchoté – arrangement (track 16), string arrangement (track 16)
    • Benjamin Wright – string arrangement (track 3)
    • Jonny Greenwood – string arrangement (track 15)

    Musicians

    • Frank Ocean – lead vocals, keyboards (tracks 8, 17), programming (track 7), sample programming (track 14), drum programming (track 17), additional programming (tracks 1, 5, 16), guitars (track 9), choir (track 16)
    • Kim Burrell – featured vocals (track 16)
    • Yung Lean – featured vocals (track 16)
    • Amber Coffman – additional vocals (track 1)
    • Jazmine Sullivan – additional vocals (track 5)
    • Beyoncé Knowles-Carter – additional vocals (track 3)
    • Malay Ho – keyboards (tracks 14–17), guitars (tracks 6, 7, 11, 15), drum programming (tracks 1, 11), mellotron (track 1), bass (track 15)
    • Buddy Ross – keyboards (tracks 9, 13, 14, 17), bass (track 11), additional programming (track 13)
    • Jon Brion – keyboards (tracks 7, 9, 10, 14), drum programming (track 10)
    • Pharrell Williams – keyboards (track 3), drum programming (track 3), bass (track 3)
    • Joe Thornalley – keyboards (track 9), drum programming (tracks 9, 13)
    • James Blake – keyboards (tracks 5, 6, 10, 16)
    • Mars 1500 – keyboards (tracks 5, 16)
    • Christophe Chassol – keyboards (track 6), Moog solo (track 6)
    • Rostam Batmanglij – keyboards (track 15)
    • Om'Mas Keith – drum programming (tracks 1, 11, 17), bass (track 17)
    • Sebastian Akchoté – drum programming (track 14), sample programming (track 14), strings (track 16)
    • Tyler Okonma – drum programming (track 6)
    • Michael Uzowuru – drum programming (track 9)
    • Francis Starlite – vocoder (track 13)
    • Alex Giannascoli – guitars (tracks 7, 14)
    • Fish – guitars (track 2)
    • Austin Feinstein – guitars (track 7)
    • Spaceman – guitars (track 9)
    • Eric Gorfain – violin concertmaster (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Daphne Chen – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Marisa Kuney – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Charlie Bisharat – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Katie Sloan – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Songa Lee – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Gina Kronstadt – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Lisa Dondlinger – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Terry Glenny – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Chris Woods – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Neel Hammond – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Marcy Vaj – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Crystal Alforque – violin (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Leah Katz – viola (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Rodney Wirtz – viola (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Stefan Smith – viola (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Adriana Zoppo – viola (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • John Krovoza – cello (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Simon Huber – cello (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Ginger Murphy – cello (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Alisha Bauer – cello (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • Stefanie Fife – cello (tracks 3, 7, 11)
    • London Contemporary Orchestra – strings (track 15)

    Technical personnel

    Design

    • Frank Ocean – creative direction, photography
    • Thomas Mastorakos – creative direction
    • Viviane Sassen – photography
    • Wolfgang Tillmans – photography
    • Jessica Haye – photography

    Charts

    Weekly charts

    Chart (2024)! scope="col"
    Peak
    position
    Icelandic Albums (Plötutíðindi)[47] 10

    Year-end charts

    Chart (2016)! scope="col"
    Position
    Australian Albums (ARIA)[48] 38
    Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)[49] 6
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[50] 118
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[51] 38
    Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[52] 69
    New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[53] 29
    Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[54] 89
    UK Albums (OCC)[55] 87
    US Billboard 200[56] 48
    US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[57] 9
    Chart (2017)! scope="col"
    Position
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[58] 35
    New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[59] 48
    US Billboard 200[60] 102
    US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[61] 85
    Chart (2018)! scope="col"
    Position
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[62] 86
    Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[63] 100
    US Billboard 200[64] 165
    Chart (2019)! scope="col"
    Position
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[65] 96
    Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[66] 100
    US Billboard 200[67] 168
    Chart (2020)! scope="col"
    Position
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[68] 153
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[69] 76
    US Billboard 200[70] 130
    Chart (2021)! scope="col"
    Position
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[71] 133
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[72] 66
    US Billboard 200[73] 121
    Chart (2022)! scope="col"
    Position
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[74] 136
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[75] 61
    Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[76] 99
    US Billboard 200[77] 106
    US Independent Albums (Billboard)[78] 11
    Chart (2023)! scope="col"
    Position
    Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[79] 127
    Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[80] 55
    Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[81] 86
    New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[82] 40
    US Billboard 200[83] 75
    US Independent Albums (Billboard)[84] 10
    US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[85] 37

    Release history

    Release dates and formats for Blonde
    RegionDateLabel(s)Format(s)Ref.
    August 20, 2016Boys Don't CryMagazine with CD [86]
    Various[87]
    September 9, 2016[88]
    November 25, 2016XL[89]
    December 17, 2022Boys Don't CryVinyl [90]

    See also

    External links

    ]

    .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Blonde (Frank Ocean album)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.