Jennifer Wiles
Staff Writer
So far in 2016 top news, Donald Trump became the republican candidate for the presidential election, Dory was found in the sequel to “Finding Nemo”, and mid August Frank Ocean released an album. The unforgotten phenomenon, otherwise known as a “lost legend”, has drifted out the water and resurfaced back on the charts of reality.
Turn off “Channel Orange” from summer 2012 and go “Blond” because he who shall not be named has finally delivered the holy grail of music. Many fans of the NOLA native are aware that when it comes to Ocean regarding his album release, the third time is definitely not the charm. It has been over a year since Ocean released the name of his secretive album, “Boys Don’t Cry.” “I got two versions. I got twoooo versions #ISSUE1 #ALBUM3 #JULY2015 #BOYSDONTCRY,” wrote Frank Ocean on his Tumblr blog. Releasing absolutely no singles during his silent journey, most people can agree that keeping up with him is harder than the actual Kardashians. “No-one is really able to find Frank when Frank goes away, literally no-one, not just publications. I know he’s away making a masterpiece,” said Chance The Rapper in an interview with Complex magazine.
Not only did boys cry, but girls did too from the unexpected Ocean buzz. The most recent music from Ocean was a surprise appearance on rapper Kanye West’s album in February 2016, “The Life of Pablo”, where Ocean sang a ballad for 38 seconds. The build up of Ocean’s album became more intense when a mysterious stream of him moving boxes on Apple Music the day of his alleged album release on Aug. 5 appeared. On Aug. 18, Ocean had a live stream of some of his new music on his website. One day, later following the tidal wave of sporadic events, Ocean released a 45 minute visual album. Finally, he dropped a 17 track album that indeed was not “Boys Don’t Cry”, but instead entitled “Blond” Aug. 20.
Grant Broadway, a freshman biology major from Little Rock, Ark. said, “Since we were waiting all this time, I expected Frank Ocean to come out with something big, but not both a visual and regular album.”
After years of dying hopes, rumors rising then diminishing into whispers of expectations, the artist has risen to the top of the Billboard 200 at number 1. Ocean now has the third largest debut in music right next to Drake’s “Views” and Beyonce’s “Lemonade.” “Blond” has features from singer Jazmine Sullivan and Andre 3000. On the back of the album, Ocean shows a list of all the contributors including, The Beattles, Pharell Williams, James Blake and Tyler, the Creator.
Officially, the finding Frank Ocean jokes are over and tweeters will have to find a new obsession. The true question is frankly, will fans jump in another ocean to listen to his sophomore album for simply four more years. With over 750,000 illegal downloads in less than a week’s span, it is safe to say that Ocean’s credibility and fan club is there until the end.
