With Ivy, Solo, and Self Control, he goes straight for the heart with a more organic approach. The feeling still deep down is good.” – Ivy The start of nothing, oooh, I could hate you now The start of nothing, I had no chance to prepare

“I thought that I was dreaming when you said you love me He also knows when to minimize the components of the sound to heighten emotional experiences like Ivy. From Nights to Seigfried to Nikes to Pink + White to Skyline To, he drapes the lyrics with sounds that are so beautiful and crafted for the thematic elements of each given moment. But-perhaps of equal importance-this gifted, avant-garde, smoothie-R&B craftsman is incredible at production. He meanders through ideas and thoughts about life, love, heartbreak, existence, and purpose. Much like how director Terrence Malick refuses to explain The Tree of Life, Ocean leaves a lot of doors open on Blonde (which, long story short, is sometimes stylized as “blond”). A recluse who is constantly traveling, keeping his music only on discs in his backpack, he took his time-and then came Blonde. So, Frank was clearly a once-in-a-generation talent, and we waited 4 years for his next LP. It’s hard not to respect it when you hear Pyramids: A sprawling 10-minute masterpiece of a song. Ocean ended up with six Grammy nominations, winning two, and universal acclaim. But his true moment of stardom came a year later in 2012, with the release of his debut studio LP Channel Orange. He dropped his first album- nostalgia, ULTRA-to heavy critical acclaim. Odd Future certainly had promise in the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator, but it was clear that Frank stood out the most. Forging an unlikely alliance with the talented, controversial young rap group Odd Future, he used his new role to bolster his career. that he became Frank Ocean-the up and coming ghostwriter who wrote songs for Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, John Legend, Alicia Keys, James Blake, etc. He slept on friends’ mattresses and wrote all night, while sleeping in the day, as noted in Nights (more to come on this song). Later dropping out for music, he slid into homelessness and addiction. He transferred to the University of Louisiana, studying English.

And in the week that he moved into his dorm at the University of New Orleans, it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina-along with his home. Growing up in a New Orleans ghetto, he was bullied for his intelligence. Growing up as Christopher Breaux (taking his mother’s maiden name after his abusive father exited his life), Frank endured a rough childhood. The important thing to consider before you hear Blonde is the person behind it. But if you can do it, I’m excited for your immediate future. It’s more like Pink Floyd or ambient music, something you listen to alone in a dark room at night while contemplating your existence. This is not what you play at a party-or with friends. If I could use one word to encapsulate Blonde songs, it is “ethereal.” They are minimalist, with almost no drum use they are meandering, as they channel a steady stream of raw consciousness they are ornately produced, with a touch of soul ever so cherished in the contemporary urban R&B world and, above all, they are extremely personal. The thing about Blonde, which music heavyweight Pitchfork just named the best album of the decade, is it’s so densely packed with life, emotion, vibes, and torment that it is impossible to describe. It quickly became my favorite album of all time.

When this album came out, I couldn’t stop listening to it.

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