Album Review

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Blonde

by Frank Ocean

In 2016, Frank Ocean released his sophomore album, Blonde, four years after his Grammy winning debut album, Channel Orange. Considered one of the greatest R&B albums of this decade, Blonde is a beautiful combination of beatless melodies, acoustic and electric guitars, abstract sounds and Frank’s soothing vocals.

Significant Tracks: –

NIKES: – The album kicks off with Nikes where Frank uses high-pitched vocals for majority of the song before a sudden beat switch after which he begins to rap. The song takes a dig at consumerism and hedonism in today’s world. Frank also raps about half-hearted relationships and their meaning in life.

IVY: – Frank takes us through a love-hate relationship in Ivy. It is an indie pop ballad where Frank’s mellow vocals go hand in hand with a melancholic production. The song goes from moments of love to moments of pain and tears while also depicting the hate he faces from the society because of his sexuality.

SELF CONTROL: – In this record, Frank sings about a relationship which is nearing its end. He suggests that the cause for it to fall apart was the immaturity of the other person. Throughout the song, he keeps a constant tone of regret in his voice. The outro of this song feels like an out of body experience with reverberations added to Frank’s vocals.

NIGHTS: – Frank reflects on his past and tediousness in Nights. In the first part of the song, he sings about the highs and lows of love and life with pitched up guitars in the background. The transition to the second part of the song is using a guitar solo which builds up the tempo and finally drops down for a beat switch. The second part has Frank singing/rapping in a mellow tone about his lifestyle and burning the candle at both ends which is taking a toll on him.

WHITE FERRARI: – In this song, Frank sings about the memories of a relationship he had as a youngster . He compares this relationship to a road trip, singing about the time spent together with the person and their journey coming to an end. The beats of this track are replaced by his vocals in the form of humming and overlapped singing, making it one of the most emotionally pleasing songs on the album.

Favorite lyrics: – ‘It’s hell on earth and the city’s on fire, inhale in hell there is heaven

               There’s a bull and a matador dueling in the sky, inhale in hell there is heaven’

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                  ‘If you could die and come back to life, up for air from the swimming pool

                    You’d kneel down to the dry land, kiss the earth that birthed you’

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                             ‘Living so the last night feels like a past life’

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                            ‘I’m sure we’re taller in another dimension

                              You say we’re small and not worth the mention’

Final Thoughts: – Blonde is undoubtedly one of the greatest pieces of art of this decade. It is aesthetically soothing and consists of a variation of instrumentals & melodies along with Frank’s soulful vocals and brilliant writing.

Rating: 9.7 / 10