Four years. That’s how long the world has been waiting on Frank Ocean — and not just “the world” as in music geeks or pop culture junkies, but the world proper. Channel Orange, Ocean’s 2012 debut, was a masterpiece, and it earned him rightful comparisons to Prince in its ability to subvert both genre and gender. Now Prince is gone, and in his place, we have Blonde.
The album (originally titled Boys Don’t Cry) went through years of highly publicized delays, resulting in many fans wondering whether Frank Ocean’s sophomore effort was going to become hip-hop’s version of Chinese Democracy. But on August 19, Ocean released a visual album called Endless on Apple Music, signaling the end of his hibernation. One day later, Blonde dropped.
Sonically, there aren’t a ton of things that separate it from Channel Orange. Ocean is still questioning himself, his sexuality, and his place in the world, and he’s still doing it over a mish-mash of hip-hop, soul, and R&B. And yes, there are a couple glaring missteps on Blonde — spoken word bits “Be Yourself” and “Facebook Story” bring the album to screeching halt, no matter how poignant their symbolism is supposed to be.
But for all its faults, Blonde is still a very good album. As was the case with Channel Orange, Ocean’s guest selection is on point. Kendrick Lamar shows up on “Skyline To” and “Pink + White” features vocals from Beyoncé. And “Solo (Reprise)” has a verse from André 3000 that’ll make you miss OutKast even more than you already do. And speaking of, “Solo” itself might be the best song Ocean’s ever written — and it’s built around a sample of Todd Rundgren. Ocean has always had a knack for bringing eclectic samples into his music (Gang of Four, The Beatles, and Elliott Smith are used elsewhere), and it goes a long way to diversify a genre that can fall victim to repetitiveness.
Following up an album as widely beloved as Channel Orange was going to be tough, especially when its constant delays started to paint it as some sort of staggering masterpiece we should be speaking about in hushed tones. Blonde is not a masterpiece. There are some mistakes on it, but sometimes they kind of help it out. Going back to an earlier comparison, Prince was a god — an omnisexual rock star who was more than a man, almost ethereal. If Frank Ocean’s just a dude, and if he’s supposed to be the next in line for the Purple One’s throne, it’s good to know he’s one of us.