FRANK OCEAN VINYL RECORDS SERIES

“Blonde” saw Ocean at his most fearless, creating a sound different from anything we’d heard before or since. Songs like “Nikes,” “Futura Free,” and “Skyline To” evoke a deep sense of nostalgia in the listener, despite their forward-thinking atmospheres.įollowing the wildly successful “Channel Orange,” Frank Ocean was unafraid to take risks. Songs like “Siegfried” and “White Ferrari” create a chilling yet welcoming ambience, and still manage to have that futuristic feel. Even today, it sounds like it was produced 50 years in the future - especially in its more experimental second half.

There is truly something for everyone to relate to on this album, and can help younger audiences and future generations find something for themselves as they listen.Īnd finally, this album was way ahead of its time as far as the way it sounds. Ocean taps into so many basic human emotions and experiences throughout the record, from falling in love to experiencing a breakup. I find myself continually compelled to revisit “Blonde” because I discover new things about the album every time I listen to it, such as the little audio bursts on “White Ferrari” or Beyoncé’s background vocals on “Pink+White.” That cloud of mystery that swirls around the album makes it very enticing to come back to and continue to try and understand everything the record has to offer.Īlthough it’s thematically complex, another thing that allows “Blonde” to stand the test of time is its relatability. The mystifying nature of Ocean has made “Blonde” infinitely more re-listenable. His extremely private personal life has made him an enigmatic and mysterious figure in the music industry, and that sense of mystery hovers around this album as well. Ocean has been largely off the grid since the release of “Blonde.” He’s had the occasional feature or one-off single, but a lot of people don’t know who Ocean actually is as a person. The Guardian gave it a rare five-star rating, calling it “one of the most intriguing and contrary records ever made.” But after five years, does it still hold that same luster and appeal? Pitchfork went as far as to name it the best album of the 2010s. Rolling Stone named it the 12th-best album of the 2010s. Other Frank Ocean albums like Endless have also frustrated fans with delays.Ever since its 2016 release, Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” has seen its fair share of praise. Some fans who bought the album reported experiencing significant shipping delays at the time. Ocean sold limited quantities of the album as part of an exclusive Black Friday sale in 2016. Posters and T-shirts feature a stylized photo of Ocean sitting at a Lenovo Thinkpad laptop, the logos for his Blonded Radio show, and an edited image of Succession actor Jeremy Strong, who is mentioned by name in one of the other images posted to Ocean’s Instagram stories, and with whom he’s apparently friendly.īlonde has been a notoriously difficult record to obtain on vinyl. The 2xLP Blonde gatefold includes a lyrics insert and poster, in addition to the record itself. (As expected, many items, namely the records, sold out quickly.)

FRANK OCEAN VINYL RECORDS SERIES

In typical Frank Ocean fashion, the songwriter took to Instagram on Saturday (December 17) to publish a series of Instagram stories directing fans to his website, where, for a time, they could find T-shirts, posters, and vinyl copies of his 2016 album Blonde for sale. Frank Ocean is back with new merchandise-just in time for the holidays.

Frank ocean vinyl records