“Blond” or “Blonde” has just recently passed the one-month mark and I think it’s due for a review. This is the second studio album by Frank Ocean and the first album out since 2012. The long-awaited album was released out of the blue and it seems people haven’t been talking about it much. So I decided that I should give my personal opinion even though I am not a fan of his.

“Nikes”: The opening track starts with echo-y bass, alternating snare, and high-pitched vocals from Frank. Extremely chill vibe with heartfelt lyrics. Halfway through Frank’s vocals become regular and flow picks up but the background stays the same with it’s heavenly atmosphere. Track ends with a Japanese artist that goes by the name of KOHH.

“Ivy”: The next track Ivy has the nostalgic surf vibe written all over it, with the old guitar effects that you would find in a song by The Drums. The vocals are sincere and loud, and the beat matching the volume of his voice add a personal mood to the whole song. A beautiful beach-y song.

“Pink + White”: The third track in Blond is a classic Frank Ocean song with a heavy R&B influence. The production done by Pharrell Williams is simple but screams glorious but still has a sense of subtlety. The background vocals from Beyoncé add so much more character to Frank’s voice, ultimately making another classic track.

“Solo”: The fifth track in the album turns into a choir like song with a strong Chance the Rapper mood. The beat is mainly a pipe organ with a simple loop and Frank’s vocals giving the song, meat on the bones. His voice is fearless and does sound if he is giving a solo. The song talks about the low points in his life and how he dealt with his problems. Songs ends with choir singing in the distance.

“Skyline”: Another song with a guitar ballad for a beat and little to no bass, as the song progresses it creates a heavenly vibe while at the same time having effects of wistfulness. Vocals by Frank are again moody and personal. Halfway through the song the track fades into spacey glistening synths then Frank comes back to give off intimate vocals. While Kendrick Lamar gives off short ad-libs that feel useless. Overall an elegant song.

“Self-Control”: Another song that consists of an acoustic guitar beat, no snare or bass. A profound track that talks about Frank’s old relationships. Starts with high-pitched Frank voice then to Frank’s sorrowful but passionate vocals behind a Jesse McCartney kind of riff. Yung Lean features for about 20 seconds, although short it was still sweet.

“Close To You”: Short, weird song that talks about his past relationship and how it abruptly ended. The vocals sound like they are influenced from Kanye West’s auto-tune style in 808’s and Heartbreak. The beat also sounds like it is from Kanye West with it’s abnormal sounds mixed with retro sadness. It gets up-close to Frank’s emotions.

“White Ferrari”: This Track opens with long synths you would find from an 80’s dance love song, while frank is singing with his strong vocals. The beat changes up into a pure acoustic beat. Frank continues singing about his past lover and the things he did to try and get over it. Heavily edited vocals step in making his voice sound deeper and scared. As if he is whispering into the mic, giving off an extremely personal, intimate, dream-like sound. Main theme is about how he wanted to change his relationship with his ex-lover even though nothing was wrong.

“Godspeed”: Another choir style song with strong loud vocals as if he were singing in front of a church. The main theme is letting go of his past partner and letting them know that they will always be loved by Frank Ocean. A regretful sound Frank mixed with a despondent pipe organ makes the holy mood alive. It finishes off with another short but divine feature from Kim Burrell.

On this album there were some tracks I didn’t really dig though. For example, “Pretty Sweet”, which sounded like a musical experiment mixing grunge guitar with a violin and “Siegfried” which is a pretty boring track. The skits, although are touching, still feel out of place with the whole project.

Overall I was truly impressed with Frank Ocean’s album. I loved the themes he explores about love, I respect the new styles he makes and I am on board for whatever he has to offer in the future. As a person who was not a fan before, I have to say Frank’s graceful and aesthetic sound has changed my mind.