Frank Ocean has been one of my favorite artists since I was in middle school. I remember first hearing his song “Ivy” and being obsessed with it. He is an artist that sticks out to me because of his lyricism and arrangement choices. No one else that I listened to sounded like him. Every song seemed to have a different message, a different emotion, or different genre completely. Part of the reason why I love his music so much is because he has a very wide range of musicality. An example of this would be contrasting his albums 'Channel Orange' and 'Blonde.' 'Channel Orange' fits in more with the R&B, pop, and jazz categories with songs such as “Sierra Leone” and “Thinkin' Bout You.” The album 'Blonde' has more of a psychedelic and experimental sound, with songs like “Pretty Sweet” and “Nikes.”
Other than releasing an occasional single, Frank Ocean hasn’t been in the music scene for about six years. Fans of his (myself included) complain often about how quiet he has been about releasing new songs. We just want to hear another flawless album that will make us cry! There have been multiple rumors that he has been planning to record more music… but none of the rumors have seemed to follow through. Instead, Frank has been entering the realm of fashion and design as of late. He commercially launched his new luxury jewelry brand Home in 2021. His line consists of bracelets, accessories, and diamond encrusted necklaces ranging up to about 2 million dollars. It seems Frank’s brand was made for the top 1% of the population who can actually afford it, hence the inclusion of the word “luxury!” I was shocked when I saw the prices and realized I could only appreciate Frank Ocean’s artistry from afar. I think it is cool that he has branched out to different professions and am interested to see what else he comes up with. Still, a part of me hopes he does release more music one day.
Image originally used on the Robb Report.
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