Frank Ocean's 'Blonde' Didn't Go Platinum This Week Because...The Internet
A Specific Ocean: How Does Frank Ocean's Blonde' Stack Up? The Unforgettable Pfire Review.
Frank Ocean's Blonde is the album we've been waiting for--but now that it's here, how does it stack up to Ocean's past work, let alone the all-time greats of soul and r&b? We knew to review this album, we had to bring in some heavy firepower. In fact, Unforgettable Pfire power. Longtime Okayplayer and noted twitter commentator @FireFire100 breaks it down:
It came, it is being seen and it is conquering ears. Last weekend, Frank Ocean finally released his long-anticipated album Blonde. Ocean, the wonder kid of 2012, was hand-picked by the public and critics to take over the alternative-soul helm with his honest brand of songwriting and earnest singing. His commercial debut album Channel Orange was critically acclaimed and he quickly became your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriter. This acclaim was almost overshadowed by Mr. Ocean’s open letter admitting to being gay just prior to the album’s release. Homosexuality is the long-closeted secret of many r&b artists, due to a long-held (albeit stupid) stigma attached to singers--among fans as well as the music industry.
I will admit that I was aurally addicted to his debut Channel Orange for a solid two weeks, its raw emotion and honesty. I had very high hopes for Franklin (being named after the only black person on Charlie Brown gets you ten cool points off the grip). I tend to describe Frank Ocean as Tony Rich without the traditional song structure sensibilities and with Channel Orange he delivered just that. Fast forward to 2016 where we have very dismal popular r&b landscape, peppered with occasional flashes of brilliance for the masses. The public has patiently awaited Frank’s return because they just cannot take one more vapid, piss-poor, misogynistic lyric from popular r&b songs spinning on the radio. (If you are wondering who I am referring to then they are probably your favorite artist and you should not even be here).
Over the last few years, the internet has been abuzz with anticipation for more of this Raw & B that Frank delivered to the masses years ago. The last few months he has ventured into a Beyoncé-type territory of elusive, entrancing PR un-blitz building anticipation for what is to come from a new project. Filming in an empty, Saw-style room for two days straight, leaking pictures of the CD booklet...yet still no music to be found. These antics sent Twitter into a frenzy of epic proportions. This supposed album has been talked about for over a year straight on social media, maybe even longer. I personally questioned whether Frank Ocean was finished or done (forever). Was he scared of not living up to the hype which many critics believed to be unwarranted due to his limited vocal abilities? Was Ocean a one trick pony who had now squandered the free publicity and fervor with his recent hijinks, leaving us with no return on our emotional investment??
Along comes Validation, dropping off a case of Shut Up at every crying critic’s front door, and more than delivering Frank Ocean’s Blonde ambitions. Upon my initial listen to Blonde I concluded that ambience and mood music are the courses of the day here. I will admit that I initially paid way more attention to the vibe of the first few tracks than I did the “songs” and their structure--I have songs in quotation marks because I am not sure if the unfinished feel of some is a purposeful aesthetic or sheer accident. The album delivers well in the arena of abstract ideas, sometimes harkening back to the psychedelic '70s but steeped in the words of someone raised on hip hop of the '00s. Shroom music.
Let me point out a few standout tracks or songs which have legs for my ears. The album kicks off with "Nikes," a track that I will listen to simply because I am a self-admitted Nike product whore, sue me. Mr. Body of Water will probably make a mint via endorsements for the sportswear giant. The Nike Beaverton, Oregon headquarters probably had the lights on all weekend trying to figure out how to fit this song into one of its fall football campaigns. Another highlight of the project is “Pink + White,” a pretty composition where Frank steps outside of his comfort zone and repetitive-melody cubbyhole to deliver a complete, melodically beautiful thought. Here, he adds chord changes and backgrounds that are not his own, instead opting for female backing vox. "Self Control" is another tune where Frank changes his melodic patterns and adds flashes of his renowned lyrical brilliance. A “shoot your shot” song that revisits a lost love and a possible rekindling of those feelings, only after the lost love’s current relationship ends. With a lyric like “keep a place for me,” you know that Frank grew up listening to Joe records. Oh, Frank, you dirty-mackin dog you. Haven’t we all done it…allegedly?
By the time the disc gets to a track titled "Nights," I understand the vibe of the album to an extent. This song, if given wings, will KILL at radio. Reminiscing on nights of reckless abandon where a sexual conquest is nothing more than a vessel for carnal pleasure, Frank's naked honesty is jarringly interrupted by the now infamous, rarely seen, Andre 3000 verse. (This is not supposed to be my favorite thing about this album, is it? Andre does in one minute and eighteen seconds what most MCs cannot do with fourteen tracks, but I digress). This verse is bookended with "Pretty Sweet," an EDM-laced interlude of sorts that transitions into a children’s course, which we all know is a surefire way to wrangle a listener’s ears in. I am a sucker for children’s singing voices.
I skipped “Facebook Story” because this guy would not friend his woman on Facebook which means he has something to hide. Next.
Then, oh THEN, Frank has the nerve to interpolate one of the greatest melodies known to man. Frank borrows heavily from "Close To You" by the Carpenters. I will admit that I have no idea what he is saying because I am too entranced in his usage of this melody. I really like this interlude and it is totally for biased reasons. Karen Carpenter does not get enough recognition in the upper pantheon of singers and songwriting greats alike and it's nice to see one younger musicians be influenced by artists they definitely did not grow up on.
The next song of significance is "Siegfried" where Frank seems fed up with fame and fortune and the demands put upon him by the music industry. You know, like forcing someone to release an album every year? The song is HEAVY. If you have ever participated in any parts of the industry then "Siegfried" is speaking for you. Nice to hear an artist make honest, non-lofty observations about the music industry that you believe are heartfelt and not a novelty. Or maybe my whole interpretation of this song is incorrect. Regardless, I like it.
The last two songs on the album are "Godspeed" and "Futura Free." As mentioned above, they are less “songs” than they are ambience placeholders. Overall the entire project is the beginning of a good idea. I almost wish his fans had given him more time to flesh out everything, with a stronger focus on the songs as opposed to the feel of the album that I am left with. But I am NOT one to force my interpretation or artistic views on anyone’s ‘art’ outside of critique, the onus is on the artist to give us their vision. I understand why Frank Ocean fans are rabid about him and I am objective enough to let them enjoy their time with their long lost prodigal son. With Blonde I believe that Frank Ocean has delivered exactly the kind of mood music his fans have been dying for. I wish him the best of r&b luck in these fair-weather fan times while he wades ever deeper into his specific ocean of this genre.
