Frank Ocean's Blonde one for the books

Posted Oct. 20, 2023

By Katie Liang

Features Editor

If democracy were no longer the current state of the U.S. and it was compulsory for all citizens to only listen to one album for the rest of their lives, undoubtedly would mine be Frank Ocean's “Blonde.” 

“Blonde” is his latest project released in 2016 before his hiatus. The alternative R&B and neo-soul record is arguably the best of the last decade and can be dissected into two separate albums with two separate story lines. Christopher Francis Breaux dives into his childhood struggles in Blonde including masculinity and loss of innocence through car metaphors and elliptical lyrics. The motif throughout the album is duality. First sight of this can be found in the title and cover: the cover presents the word "blond" above Frank's vibrant green head. And conversely, the name of the album is "Blonde." This minor yet powerful difference relates to Frank's battle with his masculinity and femininity as well as his relationships with both men and women.

“Nikes” is the opener for Blonde and it features themes of materialism in society portrayed by Nike shoes, the number one international shoe manufacturer company, "but the real ones." His partner yearns for lavish, extravagant, and expensive items like NBA championship rings, non-counterfeit Nikes, and checks (wordplay off the Nike logo). He's extremely aware of their true intentions but is complacent with it. In the end, he sings, "I may be younger, but I'll look after you, We're not in love, but I'll make love to you… I'm not him, but I'll mean something to you." It's transparent that his partner does not reciprocate his feelings entirely, but he will still choose to take on the caretaker role and be a sense of security for someone who has not moved on from their past yet. He shifts from a high pitched chipmunk like voice (an illustration of society's shallowness and artificiality) to his normal singing voice throughout the song, another display of duality and more specifically the album's feminine and masculine sides (this style is also heard in tracks "Ivy" and "Self Control"). Ocean also plays homage to rappers A$AP Yams, Pimp C, and police brutality victim Trayvon Benjamin Martin in Nikes. The song's lyricism would take pages and pages to fully dissect, which is more proof of Ocean's one-of-a-kind eloquence. 

The beauty and essence of "Self Control" is in a class of its own. I wrote my college essay about this song. This beautiful languid ballad is a narrative of his relationship ruined by immaturity. The opening line is "Poolside convo about your summer last night" sung in Ocean's synthetic high voice, resembling his younger persona. Swimming pools are another concept in this album and references to pools are heard in multiple tracks. Ocean's green hair in the album cover could be a result of bleached hair after a swim where the chlorine transformed his hair into a bright green. It's common for a child's blonde hair to darken as they age, representing their purity and innocence slowly being lost. Ocean dying his hair blond is him attempting to go back to his childhood, but the obvious chlorine appearance in his hair demonstrates that it's impossible to do so. In the line "You cut your hair, but you used to live a blonded life," Ocean describes the changes that his partner went through as they matured and lost their blonde hair, a symbol of their youthful innocence. He then goes to say, "Wish I was there, wish we'd grown up on the same advice, and our time was right," both parties matured at different times and were on different wavelengths, and inevitably, the relationship crumbled. Ocean is struggling with his self control; he veils his desperation with indifference when he discovers that his partner found a new person just to continue staying in their life. Moreover, playing "Self Control" on aux is practically gambling with your life and heightens the chances of totalling your car. 

The second-half of the album is split right at 30 minutes and indicated at the beat switch in "Nights." This is when the next story of the album begins. "Nights" is the embodiment of perfection disguised as a song. Prior to the beat switch, the song is noticeably more upbeat and feels like an afternoon at the beach. Then, three minutes and 30 seconds into the track, we are introduced to what could be discerned as an entirely different song. The tempo change is much more relaxed and somber, reflecting the more emotional face of the album, sort of like the night drive back home. Ocean adds another car metaphor to the album's table: "1998, my family had the Acura, oh, the legend" illustrating his nostalgia for his old Acura Legend. Despite being financially capable of affording more luxurious cars, the Legend is a sign of simplicity for him which is what he longs for. The story of "Nights" takes place after Hurricane Katrina, an event that forced Ocean out of his hometown in New Orleans. The calamity led to his downward spiral and a cocaine addiction in his new location. The beginning half of "Nights" is also the portrayal of the euphoric sensation while being high on drugs, and the second half is the crash and the realization that it wasn't a permanent feeling. This song is the singular track on "Blonde" that includes drums, carrying extremely heavy topics while also being the most enjoyable track in the whole album.

One of the most heart wrenching pieces of music in our time is denoted by a white-colored Italian luxury sports car: "White Ferrari." The color white is often associated with purity and goodness, and Ferraris are a very rare, valuable, and admired object. A white Ferrari is a trope for the integrity of his relationship. Inspired by the Beach Boys, Bon Iver, James Blake, and The Beatles' "Here, There And Everywhere,'' Frank's fantasy of love is as beautiful as the color white yet fast and daring like a Ferrari. We begin by sitting shotgun in Frank's car. "Bad luck to talk on these rides, mind on the road, your dilated eyes watch the clouds float." While we are riding in his car, we are also high on drugs (the other type of "ride"). Our dilated eyes are a result of the ride in his white Ferrari, a reference to expensive cocaine. In the third verse, Frank reveals his unconditional feelings: "I care for you still and I will forever, that was my part of the deal." The raw sentiment cemented to his voice in these lines is soul wrenching. Being mostly a cappella and accompanied with guitar, it's comforting in the saddest way possible. Frank loves his automobiles, ranging from BMWs, Accuras, and McLarens. His affection for his partner is similar to his love for his cars. 

Fans are extremely eager to hear any updates from Frank Ocean and are grasping at straws to experience any new possible content from him. I'm part of this demographic, but after the death of his sibling, Frank does not owe anyone music during his time of grievance. Rest in peace, Ryan Breaux.